Jamie Oliver, on one of the episodes of his cookery show on TV, demonstrated how extraordinarily simple it is to cut down our food expenditure.
He visited middle-class homes, where he dug out from their fridges bottles of the same chilli sauce, mayonnaise and salad dressing besides weeks-old cuts of meat. The meat, of course, was fit only to be binned and each of the bottles was half used, so none of it could be thrown out in good conscience. So they just occupied precious space, getting hard and gluggy in the fridge, awaiting their turn to be chucked out. Sounds familiar?
Juice, jams, unopened packets of dates, halves of lemons, rotting remnants of green chillies… We have not even begun on the miniscule portions of rice, sambar and salads that we put away for ‘later’. Then, we sit around waiting for them to turn into primordial ooze before we dispose them.
So, tackle your fridges first. Jamie’s first commandment is: First in first out! The thumb rule is that whatever you have put into your fridge first, pull it out first as well. Otherwise, things make their way to the back of your fridge. How many times have we found wilted, forgotten coriander leaves, green chillies and other stuff all rendered inedible.
It needn’t be like that. According to Jamie and indeed a lot of sensible and efficient homemakers, a little prudence and how a little thought goes a long way. Buy cheap cuts of meat, shop for bargains, pick up locally sourced produce and plan, prep and prepare meals in such a way that they are not just healthy and tasty, but also do not cost a king’s ransom.
Write down the provisions you need and the quantity
Are good, but don’t end up with a whole lot of stuff you will never need
Ideally, ensure the same person shops every month. This way, he or she knows exactly what there is at home and what needs replenishment.
Keep ingredients/provisions where they are easily visible
While shopping, check the expiry dates and decide if you will be able to use up the product in good time.
It is difficult not to have leftovers. But that does not mean you have to throw out yesterday’s food. Be innovative. Use the leftover dal to make the roti dough; or transform the leftover veggies and dal into a creamy and nutritious khichdi; or use it as a sandwich filler. All that you require is some imagination to make a new dish out of the old ones.
