For much of my life, I’ve tried to cook fast. I don’t like spending a lot of time, groveling through recipes. To this extent, I only cook things that can be cooked fast and easy. Aloo poha, noodles, rice (as against rotis), quick-n-easy vegetables (as against the ones that require the bi-step boil-n-fry) - these are my preferences.
Of late though, I’ve come to realize the beauty of letting things cook in the slowest possible heat setting. In part, this has been possible because of a) working from home, and b) having a gas stove. Probably c) realizing that some recipes require that the vegetable/ingredients cook slowly over low flame.
Ever since, the recipes have gotten better.
Carrots, potatoes, radish, beans - they’ve acquired a new flavor ever since I let them cook slowly. I set a timer as I work just so I don’t forget about them.
The most beautiful thing of all is that I don’t run the risk of burning things.
This morning, I made French toast sans the butter. Usually, I have the flame on medium or medium-high. Today, I decided to let it go slow. The taste wasn’t wildly different from the previous few times but the cooking experience felt so relaxed and completely under control. Previously, I had to juggle, be quick, and rush to prevent the toast from overcooking/burning itself. This time, I was so relaxed I made ginger tea on the side (also on low flame) without even remembering to check on the toast every once in a while. Things just happened. Like, naturally.
It’s no wonder that so many of nature’s processes are astronomically slow. And the results are naturally beautiful.