Homemade and heartfelt—cooking my own meals is my passion.

Hello Hive Family. I hope you all are doing well in this hot summer. This Post is my entry to Weekly featured content in the #Hivelearners community. And today's topic is: Do you cook your own food, or do you prefer fast food?
And if you prefer fast food, is it something you can afford regularly? Or do you prefer cooking your own meals at home?

Do you cook your own food, or do you prefer fast food?

So, today's topic is one that I consider the best so far for the #HiveLearners community. Those who know me or follow my posts can easily conclude what I prefer without even reading it.
Apart from that, this post serves as an answer to those friends who often ask me on this platform what I cook or what I have cooked so far. Watching my parents enjoy cooking sparked my own passion for it. At home, my mom always provided delicious meals for us, while during village tours, I got to see my dad's cooking skills in action. There was a time when I used to eat a lot of fast food. Pizza and burgers were a regular part of my diet, which not only disturbed my monthly budget but also caused stomach issues. That's why I first learned to make pizza myself. Now, I make it at home whenever I feel like it, and it's not only more economical but also tastier.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

And that was also my first cooking experience, which I wrote for the Hive Learners' Creative Sunday contest.

Daal/ Lentils mong and masoor

This was my recent cooking experience that I posted last Sunday. It was a simple but very tasty dish of lentils (Daal mong and masoor). I first made it during the COVID-19 lockdown when I was staying in a hostel in Faisalabad city. At that time, restaurant chains were closed, and it was difficult to arrange meals. So, I started cooking there for the first time. Not only me, but my three roommates, who were paramedics at my hospital, also relied on me for cooking. They didn't know how to cook, so I took care of preparing the meals while they handled washing dishes and cleaning.

Chicken Yakhni with tradition bread

I made this dish during the month of Ramadan when my wife wasn't feeling well. She had a fever, so we had to avoid spicy and oily foods. I prepared this dish following my mother's recipe, and I really enjoyed it myself.

Mutton Paya

This was my first time trying it. I faced many challenges, especially since I wasn't familiar with using a pressure cooker. Despite feeling nervous, I managed to use it, and the dish turned out to be excellent.

Cooking is my passion

Before, I wasn't very passionate about cooking. Occasionally, I would cook when I felt like it. But ever since I joined the Hive platform, I started cooking every Sunday to create something creative and also take pictures to share with you all, as you all seem to enjoy it.

Chicken Tandoori

The spices used to marinate chicken tandoori outside can be very spicy. So, I used simple spices available at home for marination and cooked it. For the first time, I used mustard sauce and lemon, which added a great taste. My wife really liked it.

Chicken Macaroni

In our house, female members often make such quick snacks for evening tea. These are dishes that can be made quickly and served with evening tea. I made this at home on a rainy day. Macaroni and tea have their own charm with the weather.

Chicken Alu Shimla/ Minced Chicken with potato capsicum

The special thing about this dish is that my wife took it in breakfast to her school where her colleagues tasted it. They were surprised and hesitant to believe that it was made by their husband, meaning myself. The reason for their surprise was its delicious taste.

Chicken white korma

This dish is inspired by my friend Ghulam Mustafa, who introduced it to me during our university days. He treated us to it twice. However, the recipe belongs to my mother, but I personally love it. It's the only dish where only salt and black pepper are used. Cream and yogurt make it creamy and delicious.

Alu Chana Rice / Potato chickpeas rice --" Traditional Farmers Dish"

Rice is a dish that is loved by every child, young or old. In my childhood, I wasn't fond of vegetable rice. However, whenever I visited my village, I grew fond of the traditional rice cooked there, which is often prepared and eaten by farmers and laborers during the harvest season. I learned how to make it from my father.

Chicken Vegetable Rice

This dish is one of my favorite rice dishes. Whenever I eat outside at a restaurant, I always make sure to try their version of this rice. It gives me an idea of their culinary style.

Alu Shami

I prepared the potato shami mixture with a variety of savory vegetables. The potato cutlets were quite crispy, thanks to the chopped onions and cabbage added to them. I enjoyed them with the rice my wife made.

Choco lave cake

I've always loved chocolate cakes with liquid chocolate filling in them. I recently bought a new microwave for baking, and I made this cake for the first time. I was really happy that it turned out so well on my first attempt.

Chocolate cup cake

This recipe has a cooking time of just 2 minutes. I learned it from YouTube. It's a very simple and quick dessert that you can serve to your guests in no time.

Or do you prefer cooking your own meals at home?

This is the question for which the answer lies in all the cooking experiences I've shared with you. I enjoy cooking, but it's not always me who prepares everything. Most of the time, my wife takes care of the cooking. And when I feel like trying something new, we experiment together. However, I personally don't prefer outside food much. Often, when I travel, I try the local cuisine, as it's spicy and flavorful, but it tends to be costly. That's why I prefer homemade meals and my own cooking. I hope you liked this post. If you did, please vote or leave comments to share your feedback. Thank you for reading.