To find cooking really complicated and stressful?

[Abbinob]

When people are taking about simple recipes and they say things like 'then just chuck in some spices'
Wait what spices? How much? How do people know what spices people are talking about? Am I thick and this is some instinctive knowledge people have?
Whenever I look at a recipe for something it seems to have a million ingredients and I get a bit panicky and I give up
I'm sure when my mum made a curry it was just simple like tomatoes, chicken, yoghurt curry powder. But when I try to find a curry recipe it's all coconut milk and a thousand spices I've never heard of.
I want to cook nice fod for DS but all I can cook is bolognaise, pasta bake and shepherds pie

As others have said, just keep on trying and your confidence will gradually increase. Even the most experienced chefs don't get it right all the time.

You can use value tomato soup instead if you're a real cheapskate like me

Just remembered: Teaching DC how to make spag bol recently, the recipe said add herbs and saute. They asked me where we keep the saute...

I think it can be any tomato soup as probably just the sugar ratio that is important as tomato soup is quite sweet.

'They asked me where we keep the saute'

Do it Japan! .

OP, back on topic, you absolutely don't need to fry chicken to death to make sure its cooked. As long as it is browned (which really means "fried enough to turn it white on the outside") then you can just simmer it in some sort of liquid for about 30 to 40 minutes and it will definitely be cooked. You can't really overcook chciken in a stew; in fact the longer you cook it the better. As a general rule, slow-cook stew type dishes are easier for beginners, the key is to have patience and let the flavours develop properly.

And I agree with SGB re ready meals. Gasp0de ready meals have come on a long way - they're not all low quality and high salt/fat - M&S are very good as are the Finest/Taste the Difference type ranges in the supermarkets. They're all fully labelled with nutritional info so it's easy to avoid the really bad ones.

I don't think the low-sodium people understand about salt. It's essential in properly seasoned food: it opens up the tastebuds, it enhances the other flavours in the food. If you don't use salt, you are eating necessarily blander food.
Neither is there any health benefit in not using salt. Unless you have a particularly illness such as a kidney disease, real cooking using a normal amount of salt is in no way unhealthy, and you will consume a lot less than people who eat a lot of processed food.

If you like your food bland without salt, then that is entirely up to you and you can eat as you choose. But you will not find a professional chef, cook, or serious amateur that does not cook with salt. Or most day to day cooks.

It isn't opinion, its science. Salt makes food taste better. It masks bitterness, enhances sweetness, and much more.

www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/09/why-salt-enhances-flavor/
sciencefare.org/2013/07/10/why-does-salt-make-almost-everything-taste-better/
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/the-science-of-salt-how-to-bring-out-the-hidden-flavours-in-your-dishes-7897111.html

Why are you so threatened by the idea of not using salt?

why does it bother some of you so much? it's a preference move on.

Calm down dear, nobody is "threatened" by your seasoning preferences. What a bizarre thing to say!

Just explaining the facts to you. You're welcome!

ah passive aggressive to boot.

most indian cookery books use tons of dry spices which are roasted then ground, usually becayse they are north indian recipes. I'm south Asian we use mainly ready ground spices and whole spices thrown in. I get bored so I do have some indian cookery books to make things quicker I use the ground spices often instead of grinding whole spices, much quicker, will make your life easier.

Also don't believe that crap about it tasting rubbish, it really doesn't it just tastes a bit different but still very tasty. I use both ground spices and when I have time I grind my own spices its a slightly different taste one is not inferior to the other.

I also wouldn't grind bay leaf or cinnamon or cardamoms , in indian recipes I find the strong flavour of cinnamon ground in curry off putting, maybe I'm not used to it I always use whole.

I'm not sure about simple indian cookery books the one I turn to a lot because almost every recipe is delicious "50 great curries of India" Camellia Punjabi. ive used madhur jaffrey veg recipes not been too impressed by tastes to be honest, ive had better ones using youtube. but ive not tried her meat recipes so give it a shot maybe borrow a library book instead of wasting your money on a book you may not like?

for western/European recipes I search bbcgood for tested and rate recipes. ive also used a few Jamie oliver ones, I think he does no frills really well, and jo pratt.

When I want something fast I use Chinese or thai recipes, I wish I was from that region its quicker than a curry I don't think a good curry can be made in less than 1 hour, but good oriental food can be whipped up in 20-30 mins.

I think you lack confidence OP relax enjoy it. if you're stressed I wouldn't encourage batch cooking. When I cook 4 curries I get stressed, I never used to, maybe its coz I have more ppl to look after, I just hate it. I'm happiest when I make just one main dish, but that rarely occurs.

I agree with Ziggy about salt my husband can cook just from watching me and his time in early years working in restaurants but he wont taste his food. its come to the point I have to taste it otherwise a perfectly good curry tastes like rubbish because he's not used enough salt.

I like sugar in some Asian dishes too, sounds odd but tastes amazing, palm sugar is even better.

There's a lot of evidence now to suggest that salt, like fat, is overly demonised and in reality there is probably no reason for people with normal blood pressure to worry about their salt consumption.

However, the amount of salt in properly seasoned, freshly cooked food is much less than there is in processed and pre-prepared food. Even fairly simple foods like a ham sandwich, or some breakfast cereal contains more salt than even the saltiest home cooking like curries, which often contain a teaspoon of salt per 4 portions.

I do the tomato soup thingy with garlic, tandoori seasoning, onions, and chilli. It's actually fine. The kids love it.

I would go with curry paste rather than powder.

Ziggy each to her own there is no problem, why make one? But you are boring so don't bother coming here for dinner.

'Serious amateur' ROFL

However, the amount of salt in properly seasoned, freshly cooked food is much less than there is in processed and pre-prepared food. Even fairly simple foods like a ham sandwich, or some breakfast cereal contains more salt than even the saltiest home cooking like curries, which often contain a teaspoon of salt per 4 portions.

Well exactly, who cares either way? It's just personal preference

I get that some people really love to cook, but a lot of the whinyarsery about 'processed' food has its roots in the idea that women, in particular, shouldn't have the option of making life easier. Oven chips, for example, often consist of nothing more than potatoes and sunflower oil - no less healthy than buying potatoes and sunflower oil but a lot less hassle.

Ah yes 'processed food', the work of the devil. If I've worked a 13 hour shift do I really want to come home and start cooking a curry from scratch just to prove a point? No. My dc get the occasional fish finger meal, we've even been known to have potato waffles in the freezer. I don't give a flying fuck.

There's a lot of evidence now to suggest that salt, like fat, is overly demonised and in reality there is probably no reason for people with normal blood pressure to worry about their salt consumption.

indeed. the problem isn't salt from the shaker. If all the salt you eat is from you seasoning proper food, it's not going to be too much.

Now throw in a jar of pre made pasta sauce and you have thrown that all out of whack.

My dc get the occasional fish finger meal, we've even been known to have potato waffles in the freezer. I don't give a flying fuck.

but it sounds like you do give a fuck, because fish fingers are going to have about a week's worth of salt in it.

I'm quite a novicey cook. I enjoy it a lot sometimes, and other days it irritates the living fuck out of me because it's tedious and fiddly.

Have a question re salt - I love salt, but for example I made a dhal tonight and it would never occur to me to add salt to that. The cumin and cayenne pepper and garlic were 'enough' flavour, and to me it tasted quite salty anyway. Same with curries or chillies I make. I love spices and heat and when I make a hot dish see no need for salt.

Is that generally the wrong attitude to take?

If you want something unprocessed, quick and easy you can always do an omelette with salt in.

I couldn't imagine dhal without salt.

is salt coming from somewhere else? Are you using dried dhal to start? A spice mix?

are you using fresh garlic?

No, ground garlic in a little bottle?

The lentils are dried, do they have salt added in the drying process?

Fucking no salt no taste bloody foolishness just season it FFS

*wanders off mumbling to self