Planning to take food for 10 day trip

Hi,

I have cooked many times on long vacations/road trips. Here are some options:

1. Book a hotel with a kitchen/kitchenette. I highly recommend Marriott Residence Inn. They have a full kitchen and most utensils.

2. Carry rice and moong daal. Moong dal cooks easily in MW. You can make rice also in MW or on stovetop. You can even make sambar with moong dal. Just carry the tamarind paste and sambar powder.

3. If you buy some vegetable (fresh/froezn) you can make a quick poriyal

4. Buy some yogurt at a local grocery.

 

if you are taking an electric rice cooker,i guess you have a lot to make!!!

1.you can make dhal in the electric cooker itself.keep cooker in cook setting,1st add butter(which you can buy in local grocery)add your choice of seasoning like jeera(whatever your daughter likes.....add the washed moong dhal&hot water&close the cooker.make sure it is in cook setting....it may go up to warm sometimes while sauteing etc....

2.make upma mix at home&take with you.....in little oil put mustard,green chilli,ginger,curry leaves,roast the rava,add salt&take this mixture with you....just put how much ever you want in your rice cooker,add hot water,close&cook....upma ready.....can be had for bkf/dinner.....you can buy frozen veg in local grocery store&just add a handfull to make veg upma.

3.take 2-3 limes/leamon and make seasoning in rice cooker&make leamon rice

4.you can take ready to eat MTR gravys.......but am not sure its a healthy option for young kids.....you&your hubby can have.....heat it up in the electric cooker/MW after making rice.

there's much more you can do but i got to go right now!have a wonderful trip!!!

 

I used to do a lot of road trips on a tight budget. I think that taking the rice cooker is a good idea as is looking for hotels that have kitchenettes. But most rooms now have microwaves (or you can use the one in the lobby area) so you will be able to make two dishes. (Take a microwave safe container.) I would suggest thinking about using canned beans like rajmah to which you can add masala and some veg and micro it. I would make masala packets and then when you arrive and have your rental car, go to a regular market (not a 7-11 type) where you will get the best prices. Get fresh veg that will withstand not being refridgerated like carrot, potato, tomatoes, etc. In the car, be sure that your food stays covered as the sun will ruin it. Also try to always have some ready food as you never know how long it will be between markets. Look for butter in a plastic tub. If you have a cooler, you can get ice everyday at the motel.

 

Almost all important tips were covered anyways wud like to add up few...

In a small ziploc mix mustard, split urad dhall or jeera whichever u use for tempering

Take few garlic pods or carry ginger garlic paste packet.If you carry garlic...dont keep it in an airtight container..better make small holes in a cover and keep in it.

Also pack chilli powder (sambar powder) and turmeric powder.

Pack frozen veggies or get in the local stores.

Either carry few tinned veggies can or get from the local stores nearby your hotel. You can find beans, beetroot, carrot, peas, corn etc...A small tin costs less than a 1$ which is more than enough for 2 people. This is very useful coz the cooking time is very less. Just after tempering add veggies, sprinkle water, add salt and chiili powder and cover with a lid. You will get it done within 10 mins. Even sprouts and dhalls like channa or black eyed dhall can be cooked in less than 10 mins if you go for tinned items.

As someone said moong dhall cooks faster, with that you can make a less spicy gravy ideal for rice or curd rice. Add all the following in a bowl - cut onions, few garlic pods, tomatoes,green chillies, and if available add cut veggies like ridge gourd or bottle gourd, a pinch of chilli powder salt and turmeric. add water cook till tender. Either mash or serve as it is. If you like temper it with mustard.In rice cooker it takes very less time, can also do it in microwave as all are added at the same time.

 

Another helpful item is a jar of peanut (or cashew or almond) butter. You don't need to worry about it spoiling and you can make a quick sandwich with sliced banana or some jelly or honey. Or you can put it on crackers. Another good keeper is those containers of cream cheese: they have a veg version that is good. There are many kinds of instant hot breakfast cereal you can make in the micro or you can use a basic kind like shredded wheat and add milk, heat in micro if you want it hot or have it cold, add some fruit like banana.

 

Awesome tips!


I have a concern, I have never tried cooking in a hotel(though they had microwave) because of the fear that the smell of masala's that arises from indian cooking will create problems.

In that case, do we need to notify/ seek permission from the hotel management before cooking ? What's your experience?


Thanks!

 

I have cooked in hotels that have a kitchen/kitchenette. I have never cooked in a hotel that does not have one, so no idea.

However my take is that if they do have a microwave, they would/should expect that people will use it for heating ready to eat stuff. If they have a problem with that, they shouldn't have the MW. So I would not worry about smell and stuff. Different cuisines smell different....

 

Hi,

Seeking permission is not necessary at all. Nobody is going ask us directlty, but we have to be careful while cooking, coz almost all of our indian recipes are spicy and the aroma is too strong.That too in carpets and shelves the smell sticks a lot.It might smell great for us but they are not comfortable with this. My hubby used to stay in a hotel regularly during his B1 visit. In that they have allocated a separate floor for indians coz of this cooking problem.

Better use a room spray and also open the windows once we are done with.