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Minimal ingredient recipes to get you through the lockdown
Decadence does not have to be complicated and you don’t have to be a pro to try out these easy recipes at home. It’s time to ace your quarantine cooking.
Does the thought of cooking food fill you with dread? Does your expertise begin and end with a bowl of instant noodles? For many, the struggle is real. And it’s even tougher in the present situation of coronavirus outbreak, where you are practising social distancing and have given paid leaves to your cooks. Restaurants are shut and many are refraining from ordering meals online. But, there’s no reason to panic, as these chefs have some quick fixes for you. To help you whip up dishes packed with flavour, goodness, as well as nutrition, here are a few wholesome recipes that can be prepared from scratch or leftovers with less than 10 ingredients.
Rajma Chawal Khichdi by chef Tarun Sibal, Cafe Staywoke, Gurugram
Ingredients: 100g of cooked rajma (leftover or soaked overnight and boiled), 100g of cooked rice, 1sp of chopped garlic, 1tbsp of chopped onion, 2bsp of cream, 2tbsp of ghee, salt and pepper as per taste, 20g of grated parmesan, and 10g of boiled corn
Method: Heat ghee in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and onion. Add rajma and cream followed by rice along with boiled corn. Mix it well and add a little bit of water if required. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Finish it with grated parmesan and garnish with crushed papad.
Ragi Banana Pancakes by chef Anahita Dhody, SodaBottleOpenerWala
Ingredients: 1 banana, 2tbsp of ragi or any flour of your choice, a pinch of salt, 1tsp of sugar/brown sugar/jaggery, 50ml of milk, 1 egg, butter and oil for the pan
For the stewed apples: 1 apple (peeled and chopped), 1tsp of brown sugar, 3 to 4tbsp of water, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon
Method: Mash the banana, add all the ingredients and whisk. Don’t overdo it. Let it rest for 10 minutes. In a pan, add a little bit of butter and a drop of oil, pour the mixture and cook on one side till bubbles appear. Flip and cook on the other side. For stewed apples, combine ingredients in a pan and let it cook for some time. Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup or honey topped with the apples.
Curried Dal Mulligatawny by chef Nishant Choubey
Ingredients: 100g of cooked dal (any dal), 2sp of curry powder, 1tbsp of coconut oil, and 50ml of coconut milk
Method: Purée the cooked dal in a blender. Take a saucepan and heat it. Add coconut oil and curry powder and cook until rawness of powder disappears. Add dal purée and adjust the consistency with coconut milk. Serve hot in a deep bowl with crusty bread.
Some useful tips and tricks:
Chef Sabysachi Gorai says, “Take sattu and jaggery in hot water, very good for protein as it gives strength and also very good for your lungs n Make one pot meals in a rice cooker. Since it’s a covered pot, the nutrition level stays intact, it cooks/simmers slowly for a long time, so everything is thoroughly cooked and there is no chance of any contamination. You can replace rice with jowar, bajra or other millets.”
“If you think that any of your fruits might get spoilt, stew them (cook them) and store it in the fridge. It can be added to cakes, porridge, oats, pancakes etc”, says, chef Anahita Dhody.
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