Microwave Cooking

Continuing on the road of sharing the tips on Microwave cooking. Here are a few more...

Why I like microwave cooking? The simple answer is that once the method is perfected, I don't have to worry about turning off the gas or overcooked food ;-). And while the dish is being cooked, I don't have to bother looking/checking, and I can spend that much time in cooking/doing something else.

I use microwave cooking for very basic items, nothing fancy. Although, I know that there are a lot more items that can be cooked in the microwave. The things I prefer doing in microwave are:

• White Rice
• Jeera Rice
• Boiled Potatoes
• Tea ;-)
• Pasta (boiling)

Rice / Jeera Rice:

Cooking time: 12-15 mins, depending upon how much rice you cooking.


You would need:

• Oil: 2 TBSP
• Salt: 1 TSP
• Basmati Rice: 1 Cup
• Water 2.25 Cups
• A large microwave-safe bowl ( should be able to hold more than double the amount of water and rice combined)
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera) – 1 TSP (if you making jeera rice)

Wash the rice and then soak it in the given amount of water for 15 minutes. In the microwave-safe bowl, add oil and cumin seeds, and keep the bowl in the microwave for 30 secs. Take out the bowl and add rice (along with the water) to it. Put the bowl back in microwave for 12-13 mins approx and relax! When the microwave beeps, take the bowl out of the microwave using mittens or a kitchen towel, because the bowl will be very hot. Serve the rice hot!

Boiling Potatoes: 

Peel and cut the potato(es) into small cubes and put them in a microwave-safe bowl. Add water to the bowl till a level where the potatoes are completely immersed in water. If you are going to use the potatoes for a salty dish, it’s a good idea to add the salt now. Put the bowl in the microwave and run it for around 15 mins. It may need more / less time depending on how much potato you used.

I do around 15 mins for 3 large Russet Potatoes.

Boiling Pasta:

Different types and shapes of pasta take different amount of time to cook. I will use the simple elbow pasta as an example here. It's the one that we cook a lot for our daughter.

You would need:

• 1 cup Elbow Pasta / Farfalle Pasta
• 3 cups water
• 5 TSP Salt
• 1 TSP Olive Oil

Combine the pasta, salt, and water in a microwave-safe bowl and run it in the microwave for around 12-14 minutes. Once done, carefully drain the HOT WATER. Toss the pasta in a pan with a good amount of Olive Oil. This method prevents the pasta from turning sticky if you aren't using it immediately.