How to learn to cook before uni.

I'm planning to move back to London for uni and I'm stressed because I'm USELESS in the kitchen, I think I'd actually be dead if my mum couldn't cook.

Obviously at uni I won't be able to rely on that so I was wondering what's the best way to learn some staple recipes. Also I'm Indian so anything that is from that background I'd have a massive preference for.

Thanks guys.

I'm planning to move back to London for uni and I'm stressed because I'm USELESS in the kitchen, I think I'd actually be dead if my mum couldn't cook.

Obviously at uni I won't be able to rely on that so I was wondering what's the best way to learn some staple recipes. Also I'm Indian so anything that is from that background I'd have a massive preference for.

Thanks guys.

I'm planning to move back to London for uni and I'm stressed because I'm USELESS in the kitchen, I think I'd actually be dead if my mum couldn't cook.

Obviously at uni I won't be able to rely on that so I was wondering what's the best way to learn some staple recipes. Also I'm Indian so anything that is from that background I'd have a massive preference for.

Thanks guys.

I am Indian, and two years ago, I found myself in the same situation you're currently experiencing.

Just before heading off to university, I requested my mother to meticulously walk me through her entire cooking process. I took detailed notes on each step, writing even the smallest details, such as how many tablespoons of salt to include.

Two year later I can cook almost anything without consulting my mother's recipes/cookbooks or the internet. You'll soon find yourself in the same position.

There are people who can't cook because they haven't ever really put the time in, but there everyone is capable of learning. Like just about everything, you get better for it the more you do it, and you also get more of a feel for it, which will allow you to improvise recipes and cook meals without measuring out ingredients. There are obviously recipes that are more complicated than others, but you can cook a wide range of meals with some really basic knowledge.

There is a wealth of resources out there. If you use YouTube, TikTok or just about any social media site, there will be people who cook on there. I even saw someone do a recipe randomly on Twitter the other day, and I thought it looked good so I tried it, and it was great (it was this one, for those who are interested). And now that I've linked to it, I only discovered Jamie Oliver's website when I saw that recipe, but it's really good. It shows you how to make a lot of things like basic sauces as well, which is good if you're making a lot in one go to use day to day quickly later on.

The main tip, though, is to keep doing it. Before you go to uni, literally make something every day. Definitely start with your mum. Get her to show you her main recipes and make them with her. Indian cuisine is really versatile (much like Italian cuisine, once you know a few sauces you can easily tweak or adapt any individual recipe depending on what you have available). But also learn how to make a basic tomato sauce for pasta, and actually cook things like rice, potatoes, vegetables and so on so that you get a feel for how you do it, how long you should be cooking them for etc. Just keep practising. You will make mistakes, overcook/undercook things, and burn things. It's all part of the process. But you will get decent at cooking much quicker than you think if you just keep practising. Same when you're at uni. Set aside time to cook as many evenings as you can. The more you do it the better you'll be at it, but the more efficient you'll be with your preparation as well. Good luck.

I'm planning to move back to London for uni and I'm stressed because I'm USELESS in the kitchen, I think I'd actually be dead if my mum couldn't cook.

Obviously at uni I won't be able to rely on that so I was wondering what's the best way to learn some staple recipes. Also I'm Indian so anything that is from that background I'd have a massive preference for.

Thanks guys.