Category: Lunch | 1pm Meal

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Chicken Bharta Wrap | Curry In A Wrap

Tasty chicken bharta wrap - lunchbox idea by OneWholesomeMeal
Chicken Bharta Wrap

We have been away from home on a vacation. And most times, I need a vacation after one. So I put together a simple curry in a wrap – chicken bharta wrap.

Traveling is great but coming back to the comfort of your home and routine? Nothing compares. Or maybe I am an old soul trapped in a 35-year-old’s body 🤪 . Anyway, this is the longest I have been away from home and home food. And surprisingly enough I kind of de-stressed putting this simple meal of chicken bharta wrap together.

As I jokingly mentioned to my mother on the phone, while the kids kept themselves busy in their room, that this felt like a vacation after the past two weeks of being on the road! I am sure the chores will soon start weighing me down and the need to run away from it all would become pressing again but until then I am going to savor this comforting feeling of familiarity and routine. Coming back to the wrap, I adapted the recipe for Chicken Bharta from Sukanya’s blog and modified it a bit to suit the wrap style.

I used corn tortillas for the wrap. For the filling, along with the chicken bartha, I added chopped lettuce, shredded pepper jack cheese, chili flakes and coriander for garnish. And that’s it! It was a very satisfying quick meal.

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Chicken Bharta Wrap

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 100%

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 215

Ingredients

  • Boneless chicken breast - 500 gm
  • Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
  • Onions (big, sliced) - 2
  • Turmeric powder-½ tsp
  • Cumin powder - 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder - 1 tsp
  • Deghi mirch (red chilli) powder - 1 tsp
  • Garam masala - ¼ tsp
  • Egg yolk - 2 mashed
  • Cashew paste - 2 -3 tbsp
  • Yogurt - 3-4 tbsp
  • Tomato puree - 1-2 tbsp
  • Salt- To taste
  • Oil - 3 tbsp
  • Butter- one knob
  • Cilantro chopped - 3 tbsp
  • Kasuri methi - 2-3 tsp
  • Boiled egg whites to garnish
  • Lettuce-1 cup chopped coarsely or larger if desired
  • Mexican Pepper Jack Cheese, freshly grated-1.5 cups
  • Chilli flakes-1 tsp or as per taste
  • Store bought corn tortillas-4-6

Instructions

  1. Wash and clean the chicken breast thoroughly. Heat enough salted water in a pan and add the chicken breast to it. Poach it or cook till done. Check for the rawness and continue cooking till the chicken is poached thoroughly
  2. While the chicken is still hot, pull out into long thin shreds using two forks
  3. In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the sliced onions till golden in color. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté
  4. Add the spices like turmeric powder, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder and fry thr spices till the rawness disappears
  5. Now add the shredded chicken and mix it well on medium heat till the chicken is well coated with the spices
  6. In a separate bowl mix yogurt, cashew paste and garam masala.
  7. Lower the heat and add the above mixture to the chicken. Cook on low heat till the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan
  8. Add the tomato puree and continue cooking on low heat
  9. Check for the seasonings, by this time shredded chicken pieces should be well incorporated with the spice mixture
  10. Cover the pan and cook for five more minutes
  11. When it is done, add the mashed egg yolk, butter, finely chopped cilantro and kasuri methi. The bharta should be of a relatively drier consistency
  12. Garnish with sliced hard boiled egg whites
  13. Place 1-2 spoonfuls of the bharta in the centre of the flat corn tortilla, top it with lettuce, grated cheese, chopped coriander and chilli flakes, wrap it and enjoy
https://onewholesomemeal.com/chicken-bharta-wrap/

Chicken Bharta Wrap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Sehjan Saag Moong Daal | Moringa Leaves Moong Daal

Sehjan Saag Moong Daal
Sehjan Saag Moong Daal

Daal is a part of our everyday meal in India. It allows you to experiment with different types of lentils and consistencies. With the Sehjan Saag Moong Daal, I got to play around a little more with the ingredients.

My love story with Moringa (or seaman) began much late in life but once it did there was no looking back. And why would I when these little greens are not only supremely delicious but packed with incredible health benefits especially for women. Moringa leaves are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals. One cup of fresh, chopped leaves (21 grams) contains :

  • Protein: 2 grams
  • Vitamin B6: 19% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
  • Vitamin C: 12% of the RDA
  • Iron: 11% of the RDA
  • Riboflavin (B2): 11% of the RDA
  • Vitamin A (from beta-carotene): 9% of the RDA
  • Magnesium: 8% of the RDA

(source: healthline.com)

The leaves may taste slightly bitter when eaten on their own. So here is a tried and tested recipe from my Mother in Law’s kitchen. In the Sehjan Saag Moong Daal I used split yellow moong beans and coconut (yes, more healthiness your way). Extremely easy to put together and extremely delicious. To avoid the bitterness, while cleaning the moringa leaves, very carefully pull out the leaves making sure not even the tiniest of stems get mixed with the leaves. Discard the bigger leaves and keep the smaller tender ones.

Scroll down to read the full recipe.

Moringa Leaves photography by OneWholesomeMeal | Sehjan Saag Moong Daal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moringa Leaves, Split Yellow Moong Daal and other ingredients photography | Sehjan Saag Moong Daal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Moringa Leaves with Split Yellow Moong Daal (Sehjan Saag Moong Daal)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serving Size: Serves 4

Calories per serving: 75

Ingredients

  • Cooked sehjan(moringa) leaves -A little less than 1 cup (the leaves do not reduce too much after cooking, so one cup uncooked leaves would yield little less than a cup cooked leaves)
  • Boiled Split Yellow Moong daal-1.5 cups
  • Freshly desiccated coconut - 1.5 cups
  • Panch Phoran-1 teaspoon
  • Dried red chilli- 2-3
  • Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
  • Sugar- 1 tablespoon
  • Salt-to taste
  • Oil -2 tablespoons
  • Ghee-1 tablespoon
  • Grated ginger-1.5 teaspoons
  • Green chilies-1 -2 (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cleaning Sehjan:
  2. Very carefully pull out the leaves making sure not even the tiniest of stems get mixed with the leaves Discard the bigger leaves and keep the smaller tender ones
  3. Wash, drain and keep aside
  4. Method
  5. Boil moong daal with salt and turmeric as usual(adding approximately 2 cups water to 1 cup uncooked daal) and keep aside
  6. Heat a pan and add oil
  7. When oil is hot, add dried red chillies and panch phoran, when the seeds start to crackle add the sehjan leaves
  8. Add half a cup of salt water and cover on a medium flame for half a minute, then uncover and add sugar, mix well
  9. If the pan starts to dry add some more water, mix well
  10. By now the leaves should be tender and done
  11. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. Remember to not overcook the leaves
  12. Now, add the precooked moong daal and mix well, then add desiccated coconut
  13. Let it soak all the flavours for 2-3 minutes on medium heat
  14. Finish it off with some desiccated ginger, green chilies and ghee
  15. Serve hot with a side of boiled rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/moringa-leaves-with-split-yellow-moong-daal-sehjan-saag-moong-daal/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Veggie Burger | Zucchini and Broccoli Patty

Veggie Burger
Veggie Burger

Move over meat burgers for the ultimate veggie burger is here! The Zuccoli Burger is all you want in your burger and more.

It is very rare that a vegetarian dish is so well appreciated by my boys (do not even get me started on their carnivorous preferences) but this burger was such a welcome change. Loaded with zucchini and broccoli and flavored with delicious herbs, the patty can also be your vegan meal as a healthy side with daal and rice. You can make these zucchini and broccoli patties in advance and freeze them. They are perfect for the lunchbox too. Yes, the possibilities are limitless!

How To Get The Perfect Veggie Burger Patty

  1. The critical step in this recipe is steaming the broccoli. Over steaming makes it too soft and mushy and the final blended mix almost semi-solid. So, be careful not to over steam. Follow these steps to get it right.
  2. Bring water to boil and turn off the heat.
  3. Add a teaspoon of salt to the heated water.
  4. Now add your washed and cleaned broccoli florets to it.
  5. Let it sit in the water for 5-7 minutes before you drain it under cold running water. This latter part is important to halt the cooking process.
  6. Then pat dry the florets on a kitchen towel and blitz in a blender for just a few seconds to a coarse dry consistency.

Scroll down for the full recipe.

Veggie Burger Photography by OneWholesomeMeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Zucchini-Broccoli Burgers

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 10-12 medium sized patties

Calories per serving: 50

Ingredients

  • Broccoli steamed and blended-1 cup
  • Zucchini , grated and water squeezed out well- 1.5 cups
  • Lime juice-1.5 teaspoons
  • Mexican 4 cheese mix-1/2 cup
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
  • Bread crumbs-a little more than half cup to bind the patty well
  • Raisins- 8-10 (optional)
  • Chives or spring onions chopped fine- 2 tablespoons
  • Rosemary sprigs or any herb of choice like coriander or Basil (chopped fine)-1 teaspoon (optional); if using latter two, use 2 teaspoons
  • Green chilies chopped fine (optional)-2
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoon or to taste
  • Oil-2 tablespoon to shallow fry

Instructions

  1. In a deep and wide bowl mix all ingredients well, form into palm sized patties and refrigerate for at least an hour
  2. Then in a wide thick bottomed pan, heat oil and shallow fry till nice and brown
  3. Enjoy hot as a side with rice and daal or in a burger!
https://onewholesomemeal.com/veggie-burger-zucchini-broccoli-patty/

 

[kkstarratings]

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

Bhuna Chicken | My Special Recipe

Bihari recipes by OneWholesomeMeal- Bhuna Chicken
Bhuna Chicken

One dish which I would like people to remember me for – this Bhuna Chicken! No kidding!

Bhuna literally translates into roasted but let that term not mislead you. There’s so much more to this than plain simple roasting. The recipe involves cooking the chicken in mustard oil with lots of onions and spices. Elbow grease and patience is key to this simple yet delicious dish. Do not get overwhelmed by the seemingly long list of ingredients; once you have everything on hand, its literally adding things one after the other.

Add an extra dollop of ghee and indulge in this special bhuna chicken for your weekend lunch. If you like your curries potent and flavourful and you are a chicken fan then this recipe is for you. An absolute must-try, even if I say so myself.

What Makes the Bhuna Chicken Special?

Before you dive into the recipe, here are a few things for you to keep in mind.

  1. For the chicken, I recommend the boneless thigh portion or a combination of thighs and drumsticks.
  2. The red Indian onions work best for this gravy but you could use the regular white ones too.
  3. Mustard oil works best for this recipe. If you are unable to lay your hands on mustard then use safflower oil or ghee. Indian food doesn’t taste its best with olive or canola oil.
  4. The quality of the garam masala would also impact the flavor of the dish. I always use homemade garam masala for the best results. For the recipe of my homemade garam masala, go here.

 

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Bhuna Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 150

Ingredients

  • Chicken (preferably boneless thigh portion or a combination of thighs and drumsticks)- 600 gm
  • Onion- 3 medium sized ( approximately 2.5 cups)- chopped fine vertically so you have long thin slivers. The red Indian onions work best for this gravy but you could use the regular white ones too
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1.5 tablespoons
  • Green chillis- slit into half -2 or as per taste
  • Cumin seeds (jeera)- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Whole dried red chili- 2
  • Bay leaf( Tej Patta)- 2
  • Star anise(Phool chakri)- 1
  • Black cardamom (Badi elaichi)- 1
  • Mace (Javitri)-1
  • Whole Black Pepper(kali mirch)- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala-1.5 teaspoons
  • Coriander powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Red chili powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt- 2 teaspoons or to taste
  • Mustard oil-2 tablespoons
  • Ghee- 1 teaspoon
  • Chopped coriander for garnish -2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Clean and cut the chicken to desired size pieces and keep aside.
  2. In a thick bottomed wide wok add mustard oil on a high flame till the oil is really hot . Reduce the flame to medium-low and add cumin seeds first, immediately followed by other whole spices. Stir for about 15 secs until the spices are fragrant. Then add the chopped onions and increase the flame to medium-high and fry onions till nice and brown. We are looking to cook the onions till they are golden and cooked through but be careful to not over cook and burn them. Keep stirring.
  3. Once onions are nicely browned , add ginger garlic paste and cook for about 30 secs followed by garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using) and mix well. Keep the flame on medium-high while cooking the spices and stir continuously to avoid burning. If the mixture starts to get too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon ghee or oil. When the spices are cooked through (indicated by formation of really tiny oil bubbles around the periphery of the mixture) , add the chicken pieces and mix well for 2 minutes on a high flame . Then on a low flame with intermittent stirring cook till the chicken pieces are tender. Add salt, ghee and green chilies when the chicken is 70% done.
  4. At this point you could decide if you want the curry on a dryer side ( best enjoyed with roti or parathas) or on a runny side (great with hot rice). For a runny curry, add 1 cup water, mix well, cover and cook on a medium flame until tender. For a dryish curry, do not cover and keep cooking ( yes, loads of elbow grease) with frequent stirring until tender. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or chapatis. Raw onion rings topped with salt and lime are a great accompaniment to this dish and add to the taste.

Notes

Mustard oil works best for this recipe . If you are unable to lay your hands on mustard then use safflower oil or ghee. Indian food doesn't taste its best with olive or canola oil Whenever cooking on a high flame constant stirring is a must to avoid over cooking or burning The quality of garam masala would also impact the flavor of the dish. I always use home made garam masala for best results .

https://onewholesomemeal.com/bhuna-chicken/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Zaatar Flavoured Sesame Peanut Okra

Okra
Zaatar Flavoured Sesame Peanut Okra

Okra or Bhindi as us South Asians call it, is one very common summer vegetable. It’s usually a universal favorite amongst kids and adults alike. It is also highly nutritious and is great for one’s gut too.Hence I am constantly looking for different ways to prepare this versatile veggie.

To keep track of the groceries, plan my day better and make sure the family has a variety in food to eat, I plan my meals. However, this was one rare occasion when I didn’t end up cooking what I had originally planned. I was rummaging through my pantry trying to find a packet of turmeric when I eyed the huge packet of zaatar.

I had picked it from a middle-eastern restaurant. After using it a few times in dips and such, I had conveniently forgotten all about it. A sign from heavens above maybe? Sign or not, I decided to cook my okra adding some zaatar flavor to it. And as always, my willingness to mix flavors and be adventurous in the kitchen did not disappoint. Since this fortunate change in a meal plan, I have made this recipe several times. Sharing this keeper with you.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do.

 

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Zaatar Flavoured Sesame Peanut Okra

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 80

Ingredients

  • Okra (bhindi)-400 grams
  • Tomato, chopped fine or blended coarsely-2 big sized or 3 small, approximately 1.5 cup
  • White sesame- 1tablespoon
  • Toasted peanuts coarsely pound- 2 tablespoons
  • Zaatar Spice -2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
  • Garam Masala-1/2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
  • Garlic, minced- 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander, chopped- 2 teaspoons
  • Green chilies, sliced-1 (optional)
  • Oil-1 tablespoon
  • Salt-1teaspoon or to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and air dry the okra half an hour before preparing. Once dried, chop off the pointed top and the hard bottom. Then slice the okra vertically into two and further slice each piece into half or as desired
  2. Toast the white sesame in a non-stick skillet on a medium flame with constant stirring till light brown, transfer and keep aside
  3. In the same skillet heat oil and add minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds , then add the toasted sesame and mix well. Keeping the flame on medium all the time, add tomatoes and ginger-galic paste. Cook with occasional stirring until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  4. Add garam masala, turmeric and green chilli and mix well. Cook on a medium flame for a minute then add 2 tablespoons zaatar and mix well
  5. Add sliced okra and mix the vegetable well with spices gently. Avoid stirring it too much and whenever you do, try doing it shaking the pan instead of the spatula
  6. Keep the flame to medium and cook till the okra is 70 percent done. Then add salt, mix well and increase flame to medium-high; cook for another 5 minutes stirring intermittently.
  7. Turn off the heat, garnish with the reserved zaatar , peanuts and coriander and serve hot with chapatis.

Notes

Okra is high in fibre and great for gut and also has anti-stress and anti-fatigue benefits. This is a great summer vegetable

https://onewholesomemeal.com/zaatar-flavoured-sesame-peanut-okra/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Tomato Fish Curry and Childhood Memories

Tomato Fish Curry by Onewholesomemeal
Tomato Fish Curry

Millennials belonging to a typical middle-class Indian family would agree that even non-vegetarian households do not eat meat every day. This was partly for health reasons and partly due to economic reasons. Therefore, meat curry or fish curry was a luxury of sorts reserved for the weekend revelry.

Now, whether it was meat or fish, was decided largely based on where in India you lived. If like me you grew up in eastern India, fish would score over other kinds of meat any day. More often than not freshwater fish like rohu or catla is what we commonly had at home. As both my parents had a six-day workweek, automatically Sunday was the only day the entire family would get together for lunch. This meant it had to be a complete Indian thaali experience. The star would be this spicy, tangy tomato fish curry that my mother would prepare.

Childhood Memories

A typical Sunday would start with my father returning from his morning walk, carrying fresh fish from the local fishmongers. Then we would eat a breakfast of poha while watching Rangoli (a one hour show featuring hit Hindi song numbers from the yesteryears) on the only channel telecasted those days Doordarshan. Us kids would go back to our rooms after, while my mother would get busy preparing the lunch feast. But I would always find an excuse to return to the kitchen and hover around watching her putting together one dish after the other with meticulous expertise. I would sometimes help her clean the fish or add the tempering to the hot mustard oil. It is fascinating that each time I cook this fish now it takes me back to those Sunday mornings in my parents’ house. It fills me up with nostalgia.

No matter how many times I try, I will never be half as good a cook as my mother is, but it gives me immense joy in being able to share this lip-smacking recipe with you. Do try it for a weekend lunch and if you like it, send me a silent smile 🙂

 

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Tomato Fish Curry

Ingredients

  • Rohu (or any fresh water fish): 500gm
  • Medium sized tomatoes- 2
  • Green Chilies- 2 (or as per the desired hotness)
  • Garlic-8-10 pods
  • Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
  • Whole yellow mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-2 teaspoons
  • Salt-2 teaspoons or to taste
  • Mustard oil for frying
  • Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Remove the scales of the fish and cut it into desired size pieces
  2. Rub half a teaspoon salt all over the fish and let it sit for 2-5 minutes. This helps kill the fishy smell which some find overpowering. Wash well.
  3. Rub half teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric all over the fish and fry in hot oil until both sides are done. You may choose to deep or shallow fry, it doesn’t have any effect on the taste. Keep aside on a paper towel to absorb excess oil
  4. In a blender add tomatoes, green chilies, garlic and whole yellow mustard seeds and make a smooth paste. No need to add water as water from tomatoes would be enough.
  5. In the same wok used for frying the fish, add some more oil or use the leftover oil from frying. Once the oil is hot, add the panchforan and when the spices start to crackle, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the blended mixture from the set above. Add the remaining teaspoon of turmeric powder and cook the mixture on low heat, stirring continuously. The entire process would take 10-15 minutes and you would see the yellow colored mixture gradually change to red. This step is extremely important as the yellow mustard seeds if undercooked impart a bitter pungent taste to the gravy. Low heat is critical.
  6. Once the mixture is ready, add the fried fish and mix well for a minute and add one cup water
  7. Raise heat to high and bring the curry to boil, then reduce to medium-low and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes giving the spice mixture enough time to seep through the fried fish
  8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with a side of steamed rice, papodams and tomato-cucumber raita

Notes

Calories (per portion)- 260
Nutrition-Protein punch/Iron/Vitamin C/Iodine/Potassium/Calcium/Selenium
It does wonders for your- Immunity/Muscles/Gut/Eyes/Heart/Cholesterol levels/Brain/Hair and Skin
This is “My 1 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/tomato-fish-curry/

[kkstarratings]