Quarantine Curation: 10 no-jhanjhat meals to cure your lockdown blues
Wondering what to cook tonight? Choose from these 10 super easy and fuss-free recipes that will cure your lockdown blues.
Before we begin, first, the good news. We are done with 12 days of the lockdown. Now for the bad news. Nine more days to go. While most of us are making a fair attempt to utilise every moment in quarantine, what does seem tiring at times is planning lunch and dinner. In all honesty, how can you make up for tandoori chicken, biryani or pizza at home?
Well, it certainly is a difficult task and if you are tired of experimenting with different types of dal and parathas, we can help. One-pot dishes or meals that can be cooked with few items are ideal in such a scenario. Basically, something that can fill your tummy and make it happy as well. The good part? Less jhanjhat. You have to spend very little time in the kitchen. An added bonus for those who are not quite interested in experimenting with their culinary skills.
In this Quarantine Curation, we have listed 10 recipes that you can prepare within 30 minutes and delight yourself. All you need is the basic stuff, such as cheese, noodles, paneer, eggs and veggies stocked up, and you are sorted.
So, go ahead. From ghar ka comfort food to desi Chinese, take your pick from this list and give yourself some respite from the daily dal-roti-sabzi menu.
1. FATAFAT FRIED RICE
SERVES 1
In a kadhai, add two tablespoons of white oil and some butter. Fry a green chilli and some chopped garlic in it. Slice one onion and add it in the kadhai. Fry for a while. Choose your veggies. We suggest, slice one capsicum, some mushrooms, broccoli, peas, half a carrot and some beans. Add the vegetables in the pan and sauté for about five minutes. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar. Mix. Cover and cook for around 7-8 minutes. Add a teaspoon each of soya sauce, vinegar and ketchup. Red chilli sauce if you like it hot. And of course, chilli flakes. Mix well. Add a cup of cooked rice in the kadhai. Mix well. If you intend to make it slightly different, add dried parsley to it. Mix well. Rest the dish for five minutes and you are good to go.
2. EASY-PEASY CHEESY SANDWICH
SERVES 1
Opt for this on the day you decide to care less about your calorie intake. Lightly butter two slices of bread. Next, prepare a sauce with half a teaspoon of mayonnaise, a hint of tomato ketchup and chilli flakes. Layer the sauce on the bread slices. Cut two thin slices each of a tomato, onion and a capsicum and put them on a bread slice. Slice a boiled egg and put it on top of the veggies. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the filling. You may add a bit of ketchup as well. Be generous with cheese here. Grate one cube and layer it on top of the filling. Round off with some pepper and chilli flakes. Cover it with the other bread slice. Toast it on a pan. And that's it. Bite into this cheesy delight.
3. DESI EGG NOODLES
SERVES 1
Beat one egg with some salt and pepper. Add one teaspoon of oil in a kadhai and scramble the egg in it. Keep aside. In the same pan, add three tablespoons of oil. Fry some chopped garlic, a green chilli and one chopped onion in it. Slice one capsicum into long pieces. Add it to the pan and fry. Next, add half a carrot sliced into long pieces and some beans as well. Season the veggies with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Cover and cook for five minutes. Next, add a teaspoon each of soya sauce, vinegar, red chilli sauce and tomato ketchup. Mix well. After five minutes, add one bowl of boiled noodles to the mixture. Mix well. After five minutes, increase the flame and fry the noodles well for a few minutes. And done!
4. SAADA KHICHDI
SERVES 1
Let's get this straight. Saada khichdi is pure comfort food. No masalas. Just plain basic, and super tasty. Wash half a cup of moong dal and rice each properly. Add both the rice as well as the dal in a pressure cooker along with two and a half cups of water. Choose your veggies. We prefer potatoes, lady fingers, cauliflower and peas. Slice one peeled potato into half and add it in the cooker along with two lady fingers, some cauliflower florets and peas. Add salt to taste. Cook everything in the pressure cooker till three whistles on low flame. Let it rest for a while.
While serving it on a platter, layer the khichdi with a boiled egg or a poached egg, a blob of butter or half a teaspoon of mustard oil and of course, do not forget, a green chilli. Enjoy!
5. CHILLI CHEESE TOAST
SERVES 1
Chilli Cheese Toast is the remedy for your in-no-mood-to-cook days. Take two slices of bread and butter it well. Chop half a capsicum and an onion each. Layer both the bread slices with the veggies. Add salt and pepper. Grate one cube of cheese each for one slice of bread. Layer the grated cheese on the vegetables. Sprinkle some more pepper and of course, chilli flakes on the cheesy layer. Heat a pan and brush some butter. Take one layered slice of bread and place it on the pan. Cover it and allow it to toast on medium heat. Repeat the process with the other slice of the bread as well. Serve with tomato ketchup. Voila!
6. CREAMY CHEESE PASTA
SERVES 1
In a kadhai, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Add a good quantity of chopped garlic and fry for about two minutes. Add half a sliced capsicum, some mushroom and baby corn. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for about ten minutes. Add dried herbs such as parsley and oregano in the pan along with chilli flakes. Mix well. You may add olives if you have them at home. Next, add one cup of boiled pasta in the pan and stir well.
In a different pan, prepare the white sauce. Add two tablespoons of butter, a teaspoon of flour and mix well to avoid lumps. Add one cup of milk, thereafter, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir continuously. Once the sauce thickens, add to the pasta and mix well. After five minutes, grate one cube of cheese and add to the pasta. Sprinkle some dried parsley and serve!
7. CHILLI PANEER
SERVES 1
Cut 150gms of paneer into cubes and fry for about five minutes in white oil in a kadhai. Keep aside. In the same kadhai, add some chopped garlic, one dry red chilli and three slit green chillies to two tablespoons of white oil. Fry for two minutes. Cut one onion and a capsicum each into cubes and add to the kadhai. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté for about ten minutes. Next, add soya sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup and red chilli sauce to taste. Don't forget the chilli flakes. It is Chilli Paneer after all. After frying the veggies for five minutes, add the fried paneer. Cook all the ingredients together for around five minutes. Serve hot. You can enjoy this dish all by itself or eat it along with rice.
8. PARSI STYLE AKURI
SERVES 1
Beat two eggs along with two tablespoons of milk. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, some chopped onions and fry till it turns translucent. Next, add some chopped garlic and green chillies to the kadhai and cook for a few minutes. Add turmeric powder and mix with the veggies for about five minutes. Lower the flame and add the egg mixture. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Cook for five minutes and next, add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with buttered toast.
9. DESI PANCAKES
SERVES 1, MAKES 4
This is the easiest thing to make. And so tasty. Put 100gms of all-purpose flour (maida) in a big bowl. Add 200ml milk, three eggs, salt to taste, chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder and black pepper to the flour. Mix well. Heat white oil on a tawa and layer the mixture on it like a dosa. Fry both sides till the pancakes turn golden brown. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.
10. EGG MAYO SANDWICH
SERVES 1
An absolute classic, egg mayo sandwich is just so easy to make and delicious as well. Mash a boiled egg in a bowl with one teaspoon of mayonnaise, some grated cheese, a pinch of red chilli flakes, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well. Butter two slices of bread and layer the mixture in between. Grill the sandwich if you wish, else you are good to go.
What are you planning to cook tonight?
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