Can you cook an entire meal in one pot? Yes, says Ramki, the man who popularized One Pot One Shot style of cooking

Now, think of this scenario, you are invited to a friend's house for lunch. And when you arrive at their place, you are welcomed with a table laden with food — from tamarind rice, vangaya sambar, crunchy poriyal to beetroot palya, snake gourd kootu and matar paneer. You can't believe your ears when the hosts tell you that the entire spread was prepared fresh from scratch within an hour's time.

Given the shortness of time in today's hurried lifestyle, most people end up compromising on nutrition, or variety of dishes. But now you can easily cook up a lavish spread in a jiffy while retaining nutritional value of the food. Wondering how? Say hello to the One Pot One Shot (OPOS) style of cooking pioneered by B Ramakrishnan also known as Ramki.
ParentCircle caught up with Ramki to take us on an OPOS journey with him.

When and how did his fascination for this style of cooking started? Ramki informed us that it all started when he traveled abroad for work and was forced to cook for himself. Equipped with only a pressure cooker, he decided to give cooking a shot. After many trials and tribulations, he finally mastered the technique of cooking meals in a pot. He came to realize how eco-friendly this method is. And the amount of fuel this method of cooking saved is amazing. Not to mention his own time, energy and effort. Ever since, Ramki has been on a mission to popularize this incredible style of cooking around the globe.

When we told Ramki that we are from ParentCircle, a website for parents, he told us excitedly that his unique style of cooking is particularly intended for working parents and kids. Curious, we decided to find out the secrets behind this style of cooking that he firmly believes in. Read on if you wish to spend less time in the kitchen and more with your kids.

When I called Ramki for the interview, I started with my pet peeve my child does not eat vegetables! What do I do?

Ramki quickly replied with a laugh, saying, Try OPOS then. "Children are particularly drawn to dishes made by the OPOS technique. This is mainly because it retains the color of the vegetable and gives it a nice crunch. And any vegetable curry made in OPOS style retains the nutritional quotient, so your child gets all the goodness of the veggies. Always keep in mind that overcooking veggies will kill most of its nutrients. And discoloration of the veggies is a clear indication of overcooking," he explains.

So, I asked, "What exactly is the OPOS style of cooking for the benefit of all those who do not know about it?"

Ramki says, "The One Pot One Shot (OPOS) cooking style is a patented technique where you cook in high heat for a limited time. It is also referred to as pressure-baking. This style of cooking is all about layering your ingredients and following a stipulated time for cooking."

He adds, "Children are our future. And as a parent, its our responsibility to introduce a variety of food. I want our children to break away from the habit of eating ketchup with everything. If you introduce yummy chutneys, and dips at home, your child will not ask for ketchup to go with idly and dosa."

Also, in recent times we have seen how cities are struggling with the water crisis, so OPOS style is a step in the right direction as it uses less amount of water in cooking. And what's more? Since you are using just a pressure cooker fewer vessels to wash after cooking. Isn't that a reason enough to try this style of cooking?

Then, we asked him how and why OPOS gained much popularity within a short span of time? 

Ramki says, Why not, OPOS is the greenest, healthiest and the tastiest way to cook food. Once, you realize this, you are sure to embrace this style for life.

Yes, we noticed that there are so many OPOS style cookouts and Facebook groups dedicated to this style of cooking. Hiring a cook is not feasible for everyone, and so is eating out and ordering in food, as it affects your health and wallet. So, this style gained prominence as it promises to break free from the kitchen but good, healthy food for your family.

But can everything be prepared in this OPOS style?

Ramki answers, OPOS does not really come with recipes, but it is a technique to cook food. Once you master the technique, you can cook almost anything, from sweets to seafood, in OPOS style. However, there are a few things which are not compatible with OPOS, but from a sundal to kesari bhat, almost everything can be cooked the OPOS way.

But what about those critics who say it is a western concept and some dishes are better off being made the traditional way? Many purists think that OPOS dilutes the real taste and flavor of the original dishes. What is his take on this?

Ramki comes to OPOS defense. He explains, "There are many variations to dishes. For instance, the taste and flavor of a mutton biriyani differ from one region to another. OPOS is almost a science, it tells you the technique, you can alter the flavoring according to your taste."

Ramki adds, "In fact, in earlier times, a kitchen didn't have too many pots and pans. Most cooking was done in one pot. Also, slow-cooking one-pot meals (a western concept) are different from this high temperature one pot one shot dishes."

What if I fail to get the desired taste? I express my inner fear to Ramki.

He assures me, "Not all of us are natural cooks! Disasters in kitchens are common when you cook the traditional way too. I even found out that instructions given in cookbooks are muddled up and the chances of ruining a dish are high. Why is that so? It is because there are no standardized instructions to it. However, with OPOS, chances of failure are almost nil if you are using the standard equipment, a 2-litre pressure cooker, and following the recipe instructions with regards to the amount of water and ingredients involved. Just ensure to stick to the given steps of standardized cooking, and you will get the same result as shown in OPOS website or video.

Then we asked him about what he told us earlier, that OPOS is perfect for working parents. How does it come to their rescue? Ramki says OPOS is designed for busy people like working women (including me) who are always short on time. Most of the OPOS style of cooking takes just about 5-6 minutes of cooking time, and a mother can devote the extra time with her child or for self-care. Another plus point of this cooking is that unlike the traditional style of cooking, where you have to be present in the kitchen hunched over a kadai to ensure that your food does not get burned, in OPOS, you just have to put the cooker on the stove and can do something else till the whistle blows.

We get it. OPOS is unsupervised cooking, and food is ready in a matter of minutes and that's why more and more women are embracing this style.

So, how does a working mom go about OPOS cooking? 

Ramki answers, "This is as simple as 1,2,3. Just read about the basic principles of this cooking style, get yourself a 2-litre pressure cooker, some measuring spoons and you are good to go."

Shorter cooking time is really tempting for working women. Can he suggests some make-ahead lunch items?

Ramki suggests, "To make OPOS even more cooking-friendly, cook some make-ahead condiments like, bottled tadka, and some kitchen staples like tamarind paste, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, coconut paste, etc. These will make your OPOS cooking even more hassle-free."

We also asked him why he calls it an eco-friendly way of cooking and to shed more light on it. Ramki replies, "If you are truly concerned about the environment and want to embrace a greener way of life, OPOS technique is right for you. It saves a lot of fuel, water and cleaning products. It is the way forward for sustainable living.

Then we moved on to ask, how higher heat and shorter cooking time of OPOS is good for retaining the nutrients in the food? Ramki answers, traditionally, India is known for its tandoori dishes, where food is cooked in high heat for little time. Tandoori dishes are known to be healthier too. In the same manner, OPOS uses the same concept with no or very less water. The whole idea is to let the food cook in its own juices. This way it retains the highest amount of nutrients without any dilution. In OPOS technique, the color of the vegetables does not change. This clearly shows that the nutrients of the veggies are intact. OPOS style of cooking also uses less masalas and focuses on fresh ingredients.

So, tell us five dishes which are perfect for OPOS? Ramki quips, "You can almost make everything in OPOS style, just give it a try. Try methi matar paneer, kurma, avial, any veg curry, chicken biriyani sky is the limit. Even seafood comes out so nice and tasty for your palette."

Any interesting incident in your OPOS journey that you would like to share with ParentCircle? He smiles and responds.

Over the years, while travelling around the world to conduct OPOS workshops, surprisingly, its the children who are more interested in OPOS style food than adults. Adults, initially are a bit reluctant and cynical about the whole concept, but once they see their kid's interest in it, they also start showing interest. Moreover, once a child is used to eating food made by the OPOS style of cooking, I bet he will not like overcooked gravies and dishes.

Do you think OPOS-style restaurants are a possibility? He is quick to reply, Why not! In fact, many restaurants are already incorporating this style. We cannot afford to waste fuel anymore as we are short on natural resources. OPOS is the way forward in every angle.

A secret pro tip for our parent readers? Ramki shares, OPOS is all about layering. But do not put starchy, root vegetables like potatoes at the bottom of the cooker.

So, what's stopping you, go ahead and cook a wholesome meal for your family, in OPOS style. Do let us know about your rendezvous in the kitchen!