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Off the shelf: Long-lasting recipes during self-isolation
With ingredients available right in your kitchen cabinets, here are some easy-to-make, wholesome dishes for days when you cannot venture out.
Food is one thing that binds people across the world. Whether you live to eat or eat to live, food is a survival 101 for everyone. Families huddled around a cozily-lit dining table or a bunch of hostellers rustling up one-pot meals away from the prying eyes of the warden — food always evokes warm, happy memories. It is of little wonder then that the magical powers of food are once being called upon in these times of distress. The meals might not be as lavish, but chefs have rustled up easy-to-make dishes with food readily available off-the-shelf. These knick-knacks are evocative of childhood memories, can be preserved for days and are high on nutrition.
Methi Thepla
Wholesome and full of nutritions, this methi thepla by chef Sabyasachi Gorai is season-perfect. Mix 1 cup wheat flour, ¾ cup gram flour, 2tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and ½ tsp grated ginger in a bowl. Stir well and add ½ tbsp yogurt and 1 cup water to make a soft dough. Roll into balls, flatten with a rolling pin and cook on a tawa on medium heat till light golden brown on both sides. Serve with mint chutney, pickles or a hot cup of tea.
Millet Flour Murukku
India’s favourite tea-time snack gets a healthy twist with this recipe by chef Vaibhav Bhargava of Mic Drop. Mix 125g ragi flour, 60g rice flour, 15g besan and few pinches each of asafoetida, ajwain and salt. Add 5ml hot oil to it and mix well. Little by little add water to make a smooth dough and fill in the murukku mould. Squeeze a layer onto a greased ladle and gently lower in hot oil on medium heat.
Oats, Coconut and Almonds Bar
This is a handy recipe packed with nutrients, digestive fibres, loaded with aphrodisiacs and high satiety value by chef Manoj Rawat of Hilton Garden Inn. Chop 200g almonds and 350g oats and roast them for five minutes. Add 200g desiccated coconut and sauté for another 2-3 minutes without changing the colour. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and add 150g peanut butter, 100ml maple syrup, few drops vanilla extract and ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Layer a baking tray with this mixture to about one inch thick and let it rest overnight. Cut into bars or cubes.
Cookies and Cream Popsicles
Beat the heat with these hearty popsicles by chef Tarun Sibal of Café Staywoke. Mix 300ml milk, 200ml cream, 50g sugar and ½ tsp vanilla essence in a bowl. Crush chocolate cookies and fold them into the milk mixture. Spoon small amounts of this mixture into popsicle moulds and insert a whole cookie. Carefully insert a popsicle stick and fill the moulds with the rest of the mixture. Freeze overnight and serve chilled.
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