Category: Lunch | 1pm Meal

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Cheesy Rice With Vegetables

Cheese Rice with vegetables
Cheesy Rice with Vegetables

This cheesy rice with vegetables is a simple, easy to prepare, perfect lunch box recipe with leftover rice.

The refrigerator – one of the best life-saving inventions of mankind. It is hard to imagine how people survived during pre-refrigerator days. And refrigerated leftover rice is always a life saviour. There are so many ways one can use it from fried rice, pancakes, to cutlets.

Fried rice has to be one of the most versatile of recipes. While I make the basic no-spice variations to mildly spiced, Thai and Indonesian kinds, this fuss-free cheesy rice with vegetables has to be one of my favourites. Flavoured only with onions and curry leaves, the hero is a Mexican Four Cheese Mix which gives this dish a gooey almost risotto-like taste and flavour. It is a mixture of shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero Natural cheeses and it features regularly in a lot of my recipes. My absolute favourite – in a mildly spiced curry, on a toast or even fried eggs.

This cheesy fried rice tastes great hot or even cold making it a perfect lunchbox recipe. Works wonderfully well with a side of protein or even as is. The possibilities are limitless with what veggies or proteins go into it. I usually add carrots, corn, spinach, and green peas. One could also add pre-cooked shredded meat, tofu, or paneer to make this a more wholesome meal.

Cheesy Rice with Vegetables by OneWholesomeMeal

YOUTUBE LINK for the video recipe

Print
Cheesy Veggie Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 200 per serving

Ingredients

  • Pre-cooked refrigerated rice- 2 cups
  • Chopped Spinach-1 cup
  • Garlic, finely chopped-1 tsp
  • Parboiled Cauliflower- 1 cup
  • Grated Carrot- 1 cup
  • Green Peas-3/4 cup
  • Boiled Sweet-Corn- 3/4 cup
  • Mexican Four Cheese Mix- 1 cup
  • Finely chopped Onion- 1/2 cup
  • Curry Leaves- 2 tbsp
  • Black Mustard-1 teaspoon
  • Oil or Butter- 1 tbsp
  • Salt- 1/2 tsp and 1 tsp or as per taste

Instructions

  1. Boil water, turn off heat and add cauliflower florets with 1 tsp salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes, drain and keep aside
  2. Heat oil in a pan then add black mustard seeds, chopped garlic and curry leaves; add chopped onions once the seeds start to crackle
  3. Add par-boiled cauliflower and cook covered on a medium flame with intermittent stirring ; add 1/2 tsp salt while the cauliflower is cooking
  4. When cauliflower is 80% done then add spinach and carrot and sauté for two minutes then add peas and corn followed by rice
  5. Sauté for another minute then add cheese and mix
  6. Once the cheese starts to melt, taste for salt, give it one final stir and serve
https://onewholesomemeal.com/cheesy-rice-with-vegetables/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Achaari Paalak Gobhi | Perfect Winter Curry

Achaari Paalak Gobhi by OneWholesomeMeal
Achaari Paalak Gobhi

Peak winters demand a heart-warming curry with loads of warming spices, slight kick and heat from the chilies. This Achaari Paalak Gobhi ticks all those boxes and  is packed with tons of nutritional goodness.

When one thinks of winter veggies, a myriad of colours pops into our minds. For instance, Carrots, peas, methi, spinach are some of my personal favourites. Another family favourite though not as colourful is the cauliflower. It usually makes it to our meals a few times a week in the winters. Being a versatile vegetable, the cauliflower or gobhi can be served in the form of curries, stir-fries, and grilled. When one is eating a vegetable so often, repeating the same old recipes sometimes gets a tad too boring, don’t you think so?

How the Dish Came to Be?

To be honest, I started to prep for the usual curry. The plan was to mix some carrots with spinach instead of the staple potato or peas. That is when my eyes fell on the bottle of shredded (mashed) mango pickle. I had carried it from India a couple of months ago. Not everyone in the family is a big pickle fan like me. Hence the bottle was still sitting half unfinished. As I stood chopping the spinach, I made a mental note to eat the pickle more often. In the next moment, it occurred to me – why not use the pickle in the cauliflower curry? After all tangy “Achaari” versions of a lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries are extremely popular. And just like that, this curry happened.

I highly recommend not going easy on the green chilies as the heat complements the sourness from the pickle perfectly and makes the taste much better.

Step By Step Achaari Paalak Gobhi Recipe

1. Prepare all ingredients – blanched spinach, coarsely chopped tomatoes, green chilies squared onions and pickle.

2. Blend all prepared ingredients except onions; then heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, star anise, green chilies. When seeds start to crackle, add onions and cook till translucent, then add powdered spices-turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and red chili powder and roast for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add potatoes and steamed cauliflower and cover and cook till 70% done. Then add carrots and peas and cover again on a medium flame for another 5 minutes or so. By this time all the veggies would be cooked through. This is a good time to add the prepared spinach-tomato-pickle mixture and salt and let the entire mixture simmer for another 5 minutes drizzle some cream if desired.

4. Serve hot with steamed rice or hot phulkas.

Achaari Paalak Gobhi Served by OneWholesomeMeal

Print
Achaari Paalak Gobhi

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 230

Achaari Paalak Gobhi

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower (florets separated and cut to desired size)- 2 cups
  • Medium-sized Potato (cubed)-1
  • Carrots (chopped into small cubes)- 1/2 cup
  • Green Peas- 1/2 cup
  • Blanched Spinach(cooled to room temperature)-1.5 cups
  • Green chilies-2 (optional)
  • Tomatoes (coarsely chopped)-1 cup
  • Onion (medium sized, cut into squares)-1 cup
  • Mango Pickle pulp- 1tbsp
  • Bay leaf-1
  • Star anise-1
  • Cumin seeds-1 tsp
  • Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
  • Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
  • Garam Masala- 1tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
  • Red Chilli powder-1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Salt-1/2 tsp+1tsp pr as per taste
  • Whipping cream-1tbsp (optional)
  • Mustard oil or any other cooking oil of choice-1.5 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Heat water in a deep bowl and add cut cauliflower florets with 1/2 tsp salt and let it sit for 15 minutes the. drain and keep aside
  2. In a blender make a coarse paste of blanched spinach, tomatoes , mango pickle pulp and one green chilli and keep aside
  3. In a thick bottomed deep wok, heat oil and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and star anise, green chili,lower the flame to medium once the seeds start to crackle and spices start to release their aroma
  4. Add onions and sauté till translucent, the add all the powdered masalas(turmeric powder, coriander, powder, cumin powder and garam masala) and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes with constant stirring till the spices are roasted and fragrant
  5. Then add potatoes and steamed cauliflower florets and cover and cook on a medium flame with intermittent stirring till 70% done
  6. Add carrot and peas and give the mixture a nice stir and cover and cook further for another 5 minutes. If you feel the wok is getting dry and the veggies are sticking to the base, you could add a few tablespoons of water and cover.Keep the flame to medium low at all times
  7. After 5 minutes or so the veggies should be almost done, then add the pureed spinach-tomato-pickle mixture and mix all the ingredients well
  8. Add salt,cover and simmer for another 5 minutes, drizzle some cream if desired and serve hot with steamed rice or roti
https://onewholesomemeal.com/achaari-paalak-gobhi/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Most Popular Posts

Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce recipe by OneWholesomeMeal
Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

There are busy days and then there are ultra busy days. And when it comes to food, what is our go to for most of us during the latter case? Takeaway, frozen or restaurant food! Do you agree? What to do, such is Life! But I have a quick-fix recipe for you – Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce.

Meal Planning Tips to Eat More Homemade Meals

I recently came across an interesting video on Goalcast that spoke about the increasing obesity rates in America and the primary reasons behind it. And the crux of the 3-minute video was – eat everything, just cook it yourself! Now, I know, that’s easier said than done. At least it’s almost impossible to manage 100% of the times what with social gatherings and last-minute commitments. However, with a little discipline and a certain amount of planning, it is not hard to do it at least 80% of the time. Here are some things that work for me.

  1. Stocking up your refrigerator and pantry with only healthy and easy to cook ingredients
  2. Planning your menu a week (or two) in advance so the groceries are not left to the last moment
  3. Filling or bookmarking easy to whip up healthy recipes
  4. Categorizing them based on your busy and light days

Cutting a long story short, if you really commit to eating healthy, it is very much doable and achievable with a wee bit of planning!

A Quick Fix Recipe for a Busy Day

This prawns in coconut cream sauce is one such recipe that I go to rather often on uber-busy days. It requires minimal prep (even less if you get pre-cleaned prawns from your local fishmonger) and is cooked in less than 15 minutes. No kidding! Simple and readily available ingredients and yet this curry is full of flavours. Also, it is especially liked by children because of its minimal spice levels and mildly sweet flavour thanks to the coconut milk. However, if you do like your curry on the spicier side, you can up the red chili powder in the marinade and add a few extra green chilies to the actual curry.

Try it and rest assured, it would soon become a favourite and make regular appearances during your day to day meals or even when you are entertaining.

Step By Step Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce Recipe

1. Heat coconut oil and add curry leaves, black mustard, chopped garlic, and green chilies (if using). Once the garlic is brown, add finely chopped onions and sauté till nice and brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The prawns previously marinated in red chili powder, turmeric, salt, and coriander powder are added now. Cook on a low flame for another 2 minutes. Once the prawns are 50% cooked add coconut cream and coconut milk. If you like your curry runny, you could skip the coconut cream. Swapping cream with milk would have no effect on taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Let the mixture come to boil on a high flame. Then reduce heat, taste for salt, and simmer covered for another 5 minutes or till the prawns are cooked thoroughly. Turn off the heat and serve with steamed rice. Please be careful not to overcook the prawns or they turn chewy. It doesn’t take more than 3-5 minutes for them to cook.

Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce by OneWholesomeMeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print
Prawns in Coconut Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Calories per serving: 183

Ingredients

  • Prawns, shelled and deveined- 300gm
  • Coconut Milk-250ml or 300 ml if not using coconut cream
  • Coconut Cream-100ml
  • Onions, finely chopped- 3/4 cup
  • Garlic, finely chopped- 4 small pods
  • Black mustard-1/2 teaspoon
  • Curry leaves-1 tablespoon
  • Green Chilies-1 or as er taste
  • Red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon or 1 teaspoon if high spice levels desired
  • Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
  • Salt-1/2 teaspoon for marinade and 3/4 teaspoon for curry or as per taste

Instructions

  1. Clean and marinate the prawns in red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and keep aside for 30-45 minutes
  2. In a thick, deep wok heat oil, then add black mustard, chopped garlic, curry leaves and green chilies
  3. Once the garlic is brown, add chopped onions and cook on medium-high flame till nice and brown, then add marinated prawns and cook with continuous stirring for 2 minutes (till prawns are 50% done)
  4. Then add coconut cream and coconut milk and mix well
  5. Bring to boil, reduce the flame to medium, taste for salt and cover and simmer for another 2 minutes
  6. Turn off the heat and serve hot with steamed rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/prawns-in-coconut-cream-sauce/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry With Panchforan

Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry Recipe by OneWholesomeMeal
Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry

As winters approach and spinach season arrives, I cannot help but include tons of recipes with these wonderful greens in our daily menu. This Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry is a simple, quick recipe to prepare for your family.

Thankfully the kids love spinach in all forms – especially when served with paneer or tofu. Paalak paneer (cottage cheese in spinach gravy) is a family favourite and is on a repeat at least once a week throughout winter (yup! we take our spinach very seriously). We also do a spinach stir fry with our special five-spice mix (panchforan) and that gave me an idea to come up with this new recipe.

Tofu is a great source of vegetarian protein and while some of us aren’t the biggest fans of the soft variety, I am yet to meet someone who says no to the stiffer chewy kind. And that’s the kind which works best in this recipe. You could use it as is or stir fry in a teaspoon of oil to enhance flavours. This dish is best enjoyed with hot phulkas and daal but tastes as good with rice too.

Step By Step Spinach and Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

1. Wash, drain and finely chop the spinach and keep aside. Then cut tofu in desired size pieces, lightly stir fry and drain on a kitchen towel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Then in the same pan or skillet add oil. To the hot oil add finely chopped garlic, turmeric, and panchforan. Once the spices start to splutter, add spinach and cook covered until almost done. Then uncover and make sure the water dried out 95% before adding tofu and salt. At this point, you could also add green chilies if using

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Once the spinach is cooked and the water has dried, add tofu and mix well. Next, add chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for another 5 minutes till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Taste for salt. Garnish with crushed peanuts and serve hot with rice and daal or phulkas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print
Spinach-Tofu Stir Fry

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 95

Serving Size: 2

Calories per serving: 83

Ingredients

  • Spinach, finely chopped- 3 cups
  • Hard Tofu cut in desired size pieces-1 cup
  • Garlic, finely chopped- 1.5 teaspoons
  • Tomatoes, chopped- 1/2 cup
  • Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric -1/2 teaspoon
  • Green chilies-2 (optional)
  • Mustard oil-1.5 teaspoon
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or as per taste
  • Crushed peanuts for garnish-2 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and stir fry tofu till light brown; drain excess oil on a kitchen towel and keep aside
  2. To the same pan, add panchforan, garlic and turmeric and stir till the spices start to crackle. Be careful to not burn them or it would make the dish bitter
  3. Add spinach,cover and cook till almost done; Then uncover and dry out the water discharged
  4. Add tofu,tomatoes,salt ,mix well and simmer for another 2-3 minutes till tomatoes are soft and mushy
  5. Turn off heat, garnish with crushed peanuts and serve with hot phulkas or daal and rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/spinach-tofu-stir-fry/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Recipes

Dahi Baingan | Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy

Dahi baingan by OneWholesomeMeal
Dahi Baingan or Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy

Don’t you absolutely love the festive season? Aside from the fact that we get to enjoy all the delicious food, it is also such a wonderful opportunity to take some time out for the loved ones, people you cherish, spend time with them and just set aside the strain of everyday routine. Diwali in our household is just that.

It is a great deal of work and weeks of meticulous planning and execution, what with limited help and two wee ones, but it is a kind of busy that I thrive on. There is something about this festival that infuses me with exceptional energy and gusto and makes me want to really push my limits. I remember when my eldest was just about 2 months old and I was still battling postpartum woes and Diwali was round the corner. I had obviously not planned much but on the festival day, just couldn’t help walking down to the flower market and buying flowers and sending the husband packing to buy diyas and sweets. Miraculously little S too cooperated and we got a beautiful puja done with the in-laws who were visiting. There is something special about this festival for sure. Do you agree?

The Detox!

So, after a week-long of Diwali festivities and enjoying a whole lot of decadent (read rich) meals and sugary desserts our systems were craving for something soothing and light. And to be honest, I had spent sooo much time in the kitchen prepping for Diwali, I wasn’t really looking forward to spending more than half-hour in the kitchen. And that is why this Dahi Baingan happened.  I had eaten the Hyderabadi rich and spicy version of eggplant in yogurt several times but this light, and stewy version I tried only after my marriage at my husband’s house. But for some reason or the other never ended up preparing it earlier. Anyhow, there is a right time for everything and our post-Diwali “detox” seemed like a good enough reason to prepare this delicacy. So, here is a step by step recipe for you to try at home.

Step By Step Dahi Baingan Recipe

1. I used Thai baby eggplants and they do taste the best but you could use any other variety, just make sure to dice them into small pieces so they cook well. Also, try and avoid thick-skinned eggplants as they do not work well with this recipe. Once chopped, soak the eggplants in water with salt for 15 minutes so as to take away their metallic taste. Then drain, pat dry and marinate with some red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garlic salt (or normal salt) and tandoori Chicken Masala (optional) for 20 minutes.

Baingan preparation by OneWholesomeMeal

2. Next, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves and once the seeds start to crackle, add finely chopped onions and cook till nice and brown, then add the marinated eggplants and cook till soft.

Onion and Baingan in the making by OneWholesomeMeal
Eggplants being cooked for Dahi Baingan recipe by OneWholesomeMeal
Dahi Baingan preparation

 

3. While the eggplant is cooking, in the same bowl used for marinating eggplants, whisk some yogurt, garlic salt, and ajwain. If the mixture is too thick add some water to achieve a runny or desired consistency and check for salt. Turn off the heat once the eggplant is cooked through. Then add the yogurt mixture to the cooked eggplant and stir. Temper it with ghee, red chilies, and curry leaves. Serve your dahi baingan hot.

Dahi Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy recipe
Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy by OneWholesomeMeal
Tempering preparation by OneWholesomeMeal
Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy preparation

Print
Dahi Baingan (Eggplant in Yogurt Gravy)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 2

Calories per serving: 160

Ingredients

  • Baby eggplants, halved -2 cups
  • Yogurt-1.5 cups
  • Finely chopped onions-2 tbsp
  • Red chilli poder-1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric-1/2 tsp
  • Tandoori Chicken Masala-1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Curry leaves-1 tbsp +1 tsp
  • Black mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon plus a little extra
  • Caraway seeds- 1/2 tsp
  • Garlic salt- 1tsp +1 tsp or as per taste
  • Chopped garlic-2
  • Oil-1 tsp
  • Ghee-1.5 tsp for tempering

Instructions

  1. Wash and cut the baby eggplants into halves and soak in salt water for 15 mts to take away the metallic taste
  2. Drain, pat dry and marinate the eggplants in a deep bowl with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Tandoori chicken masala and 1 tsp salt. Cover and let it rest for 20 mts
  3. After 20 minutes heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and add mustard seeds and curry leaves
  4. Once the seeds start to crackle , add chopped onions and cook on a medium flame till nice and brown
  5. Add the marinated eggplants and cook till soft
  6. In the meantime, in the same bowl used for marinating eggplants whisk together yogurt, garlic salt and caraway seeds. Add little water if the mixture is too thick and taste for salt
  7. Once the eggplants are soft, turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt mixture
  8. Temper with ghee, dried red chilli,chopped garlic and mustard seeds and serve with some hot plain or flavoured rice like tomato rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/dahi-baingan-eggplant-in-yogurt-gravy/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Guest Blogs Lunch | 1pm Meal

Kerala Style Pumpkin Stir Fry | Mathanga Eriserry

Kerala Style Pumpkin Stir Fry (Mathanga Eriserry)

And as promised, here is the first in the series of many guest blogs that I would be sharing with you here at OneWholesomeMeal. Our debut guest blogger is Sathiskumar Shanmugam from Chennai.

Sathiskumar ShanmugamA recruiter by profession, Sathis, who was born and brought up in Sri Lanka, first started to cook when he moved to India ten years ago for higher studies. He started experimenting with new recipes from local magazines and newspapers and then subsequently drew inspiration from a multicultural environment at his workplace. His own food he mentions is a mix of South Indian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian cuisines.

Cooking is his passion and now his food blog Tastepot showcases recipes form different parts of the country. Here you can not only find original authentic recipes but also a lot about the history of food of different regions of India.

Here he shares the recipe for simple yet delicious Kerala style pumpkin stir fry or Mathanga Eriserry. Pumpkin is a popular and commonly used vegetable in South Indian, East Indian, and Sri Lankan cuisine. In Tamil, it is called Parangikkayi and in Sinhala, Wattakka. The health benefits of pumpkin are well known and combining it with nutritious coconut milk, increases these benefits manifolds. For Erissery, normally pumpkin is cooked with roasted coconut. Adding cooked red oriental beans is optional.

Print
Kerala Style Pumpkin Stir Fry (Mathanga Eriserry)

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin - 150 gm
  • Grated Coconut - 50 gm
  • Cumin Seeds - 1.5 tbsp
  • Green Chilli - 1
  • Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
  • Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
  • Dried Chillies - 2
  • Curry Leaves - A Few
  • Salt - As per taste

Instructions

  1. Wash, peel the skin and chop pumpkin into small pieces.
  2. In a pan add enough water, chopped pumpkin pieces, turmeric powder & salt and cook till it becomes soft & dry. (You can also mash the cooked pumpkin)
  3. Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, and green chilli to a fine paste adding a little water.
  4. Add coconut paste to the cooked pumpkin and mix it well. Cook till it becomes thick.
  5. In another pan, heat coconut oil and prepare the tempering with mustard seeds, curry leaves, & dried chillies. Pour the tempering on the curry.
  6. In the same pan roast 02 tbsp of grated coconut till it becomes golden brown. Pour it on the eriserry and mix well.
  7. Yummy erissery is ready for serving.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/kerala-style-pumpkin-stir-fry-mathanga-eriserry/