Basic Cooking Skills

We understand how hard it is to cook a proper meal if you do not know how to cook some of the basic items. Hence, we've came up with a list of basic skills in cooking below.

If there are still some things which you aren't too sure how to do, the internet is a great source!

How to cook rice using the stove

1. Rinse the rice in water twice.
2. For every cup of rice, add 1.5 cups water. This portion varies for different rice. For brown rice, the ratio will be about 2 cups of water for every cup of rice.
3. Bring the rice to boil, uncovered, at medium heat.
4. Once the rice starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium low.
5. Tilt the cover to keep the pot partially covered.
6. When the rice is almost ready, it will seem as if there are many ‘holes’ on it. Once this occurs, put the lid back to cover the pot completely.
7. Turn the heat to low.
8. Simmer for another 15 minutes and the rice is now ready.

How to cook rice using a microwave

1. Use a deep microwavable container with lid.
2. For every 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of cold water.
3. Microwave the rice on maximum heat for 10 minutes, uncovered.
4. Stir the content and put the lid to cover the container and place it into the microwave for another 3 minutes to completely cook the rice.
5. Remove from microwave and let stand a few minutes before fluffing with a fork.

How to boil an egg

1. Fill a saucepan with cold water and place the eggs in it until the water completely covers the eggs.
2. Once the water start to boil, time it. For hardboiled eggs, boil it for 5 minutes. For soft runny eggs, boil it for 3 minutes.
3. Once done, run the eggs under cold water which makes peeling the shell much easier without scalding your hands.

How to cook pasta

1. Fill a large stockpot with ample of water.
2. Add a little salt and bring the water to boil.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir it to prevent them from sticking together.
4. Once the water starts to boil again, cook the pasta for another 10-12 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and the pasta is done!

How to cook a steak

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Brush the steak with oil to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
3. For a piece of 2-3cm of steak, cook for 2-3 minutes each side for rare, 4 minutes each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes each side for well-done.
4. When the steak is done, it will feel soft- firm at the centre, depending whether the steak is rare, medium or well-done.

How to steam veggies

1. Wash the vegetables before steaming.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil with a steaming rack over the boiling water.
3. Cut the vegetables into approximately the same size.
4. Place the vegetables on the steaming rack and cover the pot while the vegetables are steamed.
5. Most vegetables will be done in about 2 minutes while the thicker vegetables may take up to 3-5 minutes or even longer. Potatoes (whole) may take up to 25-30 minutes to cook through.

Basic equipment:

Here's a list of the sort of cooking equipment you'll need to have to be able to cook quick and healthy meals for yourself:

- wooden spoon
- saucepan
- mixing bowl
- casserole dish
- pot
- spatula
- kettle and toaster and sandwich press
- serving spoon
- tongs
- whisk
- baking/oven tray
- fry pan
- wok
- muffin pan
- cake pan
- vegetable peeler
- potato mashers
- can opener
- chopping board
- strainer
- sieve
- pepper grinder
- cooling rack
- knifes: chopping knives

Basic Ingredients:

Here’s a list of what we think are the essential ingredients you should have in your cupboard and fridge to enable you to prepare tasty and nutritious meals for yourself.
Obviously, this looks like a very large amount of ingredients, but remember, a lot of them are non-perishable and you will probably only ever use them in very small quantities, so you will be able to keep them for months!