OPOS recipes: Gajar halwa in 10 minutes, chicken tikka masala in 7. Try it
OPOS, short for One Pot One Shot, is a cooking style developed by B Ramakrishnan from Chennai and his mini army of followers (from across the world) on Facebook. Try these three easy recipes in OPOS style.
A slow, but definite revolution is taking place in Indian kitchens. Thousands of women and some men are finding culinary independence in OPOS, or One Pot One Shot, a cooking style developed by B Ramakrishnan from Chennai and his mini army of followers (from across the world) on Facebook.
Fifteen years ago, when Ramki, as Ramakrishnan is fondly called, moved to Bahrain, like many homesick Indians abroad, he missed Indian food. “I struggled to cook, recipe books and videos were a bit of a let down. So, I started looking for recipes that would work and it soon became an obsession,” he says. Soon, he sold his garment manufacturing company to focus on cooking full time.
Armed with just a 2-litre pressure cooker, a stove, measuring spoons and cups and a weighing scale, he started his experiments. Ramki claims that OPOS is the greenest and the cleanest way to cook. Ingredients are layered in a pressure cooker and then flash-cooked with very little water on high heat. Each dish has a very specific recipe and steps to be followed.
Want to start OPOS-ing? Here’s what you need: A 2-litre pressure cooker, a gas/induction stove, measuring cups and spoons, weighing scale.
OPOS 10-minute Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot fudge)
In a 2L cooker, layer as below:
Layer 1: 3tbsp water
Layer 2: 2 Cups (250g) peeled and grated carrots
Layer 3: 1 Cup sugar (250g)
Layer 4: ¼ Cup milk powder, 1tbsp ghee, 1/4tsp cardamom powder
Cook on high heat for 15 to 25 whistles (8 - 12 minutes). Release pressure. Mix in 1/4C each (nuts, dry fruits).
OPOS 7-minute chicken tikka masala
7 min chicken tikka masala
Mix 4 slit drumsticks, 1tbsp yogurt, 1tbsp ginger- garlic paste, 1tsp garam masala, 2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1tsp salt, 1tsp oil. Mix well.
In a 2L pressure cooker, add 1tbsp water, 3tbsp ghee. Wipe off spice paste from one side of drumsticks and place drumsticks in cooker. Place ½ cup shallots, so that they all touch the base. Place two hollowed out tomato and one whole tomato. Add 3tbsp almond powder into one tomato.
Add 2tbsp yogurt into another tomato. Close and cook on high for 7 minutes/ 8 whistles.
Let pressure settle. Remove drumsticks. Mash / blend gravy. Add drumsticks. Serve as chicken tikka masala. Or mix in ½ cup cream and serve as chicken tikka malai.
OPOS Enna Kathirikka Kulambu (Tamil Eggplant Sour stew)
Mix 1tbsp each (sambar powder, tamarind paste, oil), 1/2tsp salt. Slit 5 eggplants into quarters and smear spice paste inside.
In a 2 litre cooker, layer as below:
Layer 1: 3tbsp water, 2tbsp sesame oil,
Layer 2: 1 cup chopped onion, 5 chopped garlic cloves arranged in a ring with 1 cup chopped deseeded tomatoes at the centre
Layer 3: 1tsp each (tamarind paste, sambar powder), 1/2tsp salt
Layer 4: Stuffed eggplants.
Cook on high heat for 4 whistles (6 minutes). Let pressure settle. Mash all except eggplants.
To learn more about this style of cooking, follow the OPOS Support group on Facebook.
Follow @htlifeandstyle for more