An Engineer’s Guide to Cooking 🍲

How to go from zero to hero in cooking! 😌💪

If you are this person - “I want to get into cooking, but I don’t know where to start and the investment needed is so high 🫤 At home I am not allowed to cook either 😛” - then this guide is exactly for you.

This page collects resources I have curated on the theory and practice of cooking, to help you get started (or discover new methods and vegetarian recipes) on your cooking journey! Food is very personal, essential to all life, brings people together, and quite literally - you are what you eat. In my opinion, every person should know how to cook, even if only for a few meals a week. At the very least, it’s one of the best hobbies to have.

My sources of information are:

I am grateful to my mom for her vast knowledge of recipes across diverse cuisines. We never get bored of the food at home - she has so many variations on common recipes. Building on her knowledge, I am exploring more cuisines, and will document what I discover on this page.

So many topics to discuss!

01

For absolute beginners

Tips & resources

Welcome to the start of your cooking journey! Trust me, you won’t regret it.

  1. Step one

    Immersion

    As children we learn by observation. Languages are best learnt when you’re immersed in and surrounded by them - before my Hindi exams in school, I’d listen to only Hindi music the day before, to get my mind thinking in Hindi. Cooking, similarly, is a language and a form of expression. The fastest way to learn would be to shadow cooks, although they’d be annoyed :P The next best thing is to watch cooking videos. Tons of them! Search up your favourite recipes, find channels you like, and just watch. That’s how my journey began.

    In your mind, you start assembling the building blocks of the language of cooking - noting how different ingredients and foods interact with each other, with different kinds of heat, and so on.

  2. Step two

    Determination

    Be curious. Be determined, and aim to cook confidently one day. Your first few recipes and attempts may be disastrous - don’t let that shake your faith and determination. It’s all part of the learning journey. Everyone starts somewhere.

  3. Step three

    Theory

    Now that you can speak words, form sentences and express yourself through cooking, it’s time to join school - the school of cooking. Some of our parents learnt to cook purely through practice and exposure. Ask them why they add a certain ingredient and they may not be able to explain, and would get annoyed at further questions :P

    At the same time, one can get too lost in theory; for daily cooking, it’s ultimately practice that makes you efficient. But the two go hand in hand. The fastest learning comes from investing in both at once - practising, experimenting, understanding and questioning - to take your cooking to the next level.

Theory principles

Here are some principles to get you started:

  1. The effect of temperature in steaming, roasting, frying, baking, microwaving, and more.
  2. The effect of altitude (air pressure) - cooking in an open pot, with a closed lid, and in a pressure cooker.
  3. Food bases, and how they vary across cultures.
02

For experienced cooks

The road ahead

YouTube channels I recommend for recipes across various cuisines:

03

My recipes

Family favourites, compiled with mom

A list of recipes I’ll be compiling together with my mom. Indian cuisine isn’t just a few repetitive dishes - each one has so many varieties. Highlighted ones have a full recipe; the rest are on their way.

Dosa varieties

  • Plain Dosa
  • Masala Dosa
  • Onion Uttapam
  • Rava Dosa
  • Ullundu Adai “Dosa” black urad dal & rice
  • Parupu Adai “Dosa” Bengal gram dal & rice
  • Tomato Dosa
  • Appam
  • Wheat Dosa
  • Ragi Dosa
  • Neer Dosa
  • Rice Dosa cooked rice + plain rice

Idli varieties

  • Plain Idli
  • Rava Idli
  • Sagoo Idli
  • Kanchi Idli
  • Idli Upma

Accompaniments

  • Sambar homemade masala
  • Chutney Coconut · Mint · Garlic & Urad · Bengal Gram · Tomato · Onion · Groundnut
  • Kadappa boiled moong dal, potato, spices, coconut
  • Tomato Kurma
  • Chutney Podi Red · Garlic · Coconut
  • Potato Sagu
  • Vegetable Sagu
“Kadappa is the marriage between sambar and chutney.” - Mom

Upma

Coming soon…

Chapati & curries

Coming soon…

Rice balls & sevai

Coming soon…

Everything listed so far is just the breakfast items! :P

Recently added

04

For everyone

Food guides & resources

Books

Protein by source

Protein by source: protein per serve and per 100g for common foods, including broccoli, eggs, cheese, milk, yoghurt, paneer, tofu, soy chunks, chickpeas, oats, moong dal, peanut butter and whey protein.
Infographic by The Whole Truth Foods. Tap to open full size.
05

Veganism & vegetarianism

Coming soon

Thoughts, resources and nutrition notes on plant-based eating - on the way.