Category: Lunch | 1pm Meal

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Methi Pulaao | Fresh Fenugreek Leaves

Methi Pulaao recipe by OneWholesomeMeal
Methi Pulaao

Fresh Fenugreek or Methi leaves are my other winter favorite after carrots.

These leaves were available abundantly in winters growing up in India. My mother would make it a part of our meals one way or the other. She would add it to lentils, or in rice, make a vegetable stir-fry, or parathas flavored with it. You name it and my mother had it covered! She would even dry a big batch and stock for summers as these greens can be found only in winters.

Methi is one of the greatest gifts from Mother Nature to us. Not only does it taste divine but has a gazillion health benefits from hair to skin to heart and bowels. This is definitely one green, which needs to be included more in our diets. So, I try and make the most of it when it is available in winters, and this time I have also started to dry and stock for the summer.

The pulaao has been a massive hit in the household ever since we first tried it. I add loads of fresh vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, and peas to make this a one-pot meal for the kids. Here is the recipe for you to try:

Methi Pulaao

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Methi(Fresh Fenugreek Leaves) Pulaao

Ingredients

  • Long grained Basmati rice- 1.5 cups
  • Fresh Methi leaves, cleaned and chopped- 2 cups
  • Garlic- 10-12 pods
  • Green chili- 3 or as per taste
  • Other vegetables like mushroom, carrot, green peas- ½ cup
  • Turmeric- ½ teaspoon
  • Ghee-2 tablespoons
  • Cashews, halved- 6-8
  • Raisins or sultanas- 10-12
  • Cumin seeds- ½ teaspoon
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste
  • Water- 2 cups (this amount would vary depending on the brand and age of Basmati Rice you use. Ideally the ratio (rice:water) is 1:2.5 for plain cooked rice. However for pulaao one would like slightly stiffer rice with grains which do not stick, hence 1:1.5 is a good ratio. If you are unsure of the amount of water while cooking pulaao, add 1:1 to begin with and you could add additional tablespoons while the rice is cooking. It takes some practice to know which brand of rice uses what amount of water and it is always tricky while making pulaao as you would not drain the water because that would mean draining away the entire flavor too. I recommend testing out your brand of rice a few times beforehand to determine the exact amount of water it completely absorbs to cook to a pulaao consistency.

Instructions

  1. Soak the rice in half an hour before cooking and set aside
  2. Blend garlic and chili to a coarse paste and set aside
  3. In a wide, deep and thick bottomed wok add ghee on a high flame and when hot add cashews, reduce flame to medium and roast till light golden brown and set aside. Stir continuously to avoid burning
  4. In the same wok add cumin seeds and stir till they start to crackle, then add the garlic and chili paste. Cook on medium flame stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes till garlic is golden
  5. Add turmeric powder and mix well
  6. Add chopped methi and cook on a medium flame until the leaves are almost cooked. This would take around 5-7 minutes.Add other vegetables and saute for a minute or two
  7. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the above mix, giving it a good stir
  8. Add water, salt, half a tablespoon of ghee (optional) and cook till done
  9. Serve hot with a side of yogurt or hot chili garlic oil

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 175 Nutrition- Antioxidants/Beta-carotene/Fiber/Vitamin K/Potassium/Protein It did wonders for your-Diabetes/Cholesterol/Heart diseases/ Gut/ Skin/ Immunity/ Hair This is “My 1 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/methi-fresh-fenugreek-leaves-pulaao/

[kkstarratings]

 

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Kimchi
Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Thank you, Kimchi for making brown rice flavorful in this one-pot meal.

The KISS rule is totally wasted on me! Now, that I have your attention, I meant the Keep It Simple Stupid rule silly J There are days I go into the kitchen thinking, “Just plain rice boiled with veggies today. A one-pot meal in the rice cooker. That’s it!”.

But then I see the chicken stock peeking from the refrigerator door. Oh and the paneer sitting in the chiller feeling neglected. There is also some rosemary about to breathe it’s last. And kimchi which is fermenting away for the last few months. Suddenly, the simple boiled rice with veggies is not so simple anymore. Well! Though there are a lot of ingredients, it is still really simple to put together. The flavors are just so amazing that one wonders, “Did I just throw everything together into the rice cooker?”.

Also, I am not a big fan of brown rice and hence the need to “complicate” things. Also, the lack of time to make a complete Indian meal points me in the direction of a one-pot meal. You can of course create the same dish with white rice; sticky jasmine rice would taste best. But it is okay to eat healthy-ish once in a while, isn’t it?

Kimchi Rice

Kimchi Rice

 

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Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Ingredients

  • Brown rice (preferably pre-soaked for 30-45 mts)-1 cup (I used brown basmati rice, you could use any or even regular basmati or sticky jasmine rice; remember to adjust the water/stock accordingly based on the kind of rice used)
  • Chicken or vegetable stock-2.5 cups (if you do not have stock at hand, you could use plain water)
  • Chopped kimchi- ¼ cup
  • Kimchi juice- ½ cup (If your kimchi is not fermented enough, you could add some rice vinegar to it to increase volume)
  • Paneer (cottage cheese) cut into cubes and sautéed until light brown-1 cup
  • Green peas- ¼ cup
  • A few sprigs of rosemary
  • Star anise- 1
  • Garlic, chopped fine- 1 teaspoon
  • Oil for cooking kimchi- 1 tablespoon
  • Sesame oil- 1 teaspoon (optional)
  • Salt- 1 teaspoon or to taste
  • Spring onions, chopped fine and baby tomatoes for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add brown rice, stock, paneer, green peas, salt, rosemary and star anise to the rice cooker and cook as usual. You could add as many vegetables as you like- carrots, green beans or even mushrooms (mushrooms would need to be cooked with kimchi separately in the next step and not added to the rice while it is cooking with other vegetables)
  2. In the meantime, heat oil in a deep heavy bottomed pan, add garlic and sauté for about 30 secs on medium high flame and then add chopped kimchi and stir until almost done. This should take not more than 2 minutes. You do not want the kimchi to cook completely as it would cook some more with the steamed hot rice
  3. Add the cooked rice with vegetables and kimchi juice to the semi cooked kimchi and give it a nice stir. At this point you could add 1-teaspoon sesame oil for flavor but this is completely optional based on your palette. Cover and let it sit on a low flame for 2 minutes, adjust salt and serve hot topped with spring onions, baby tomatoes and a side of fried egg. I love to drizzle mine with some garlic chili oil for added flavor

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 175 Nutrition- Manganese/Selenium/ Naturally occurring oils/Fiber/Antioxidants It did wonders for your-Cholesterol/Heart diseases/ Gut/ Obesity/ Arthritis This is “My 8 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/kimchi-flavoured-brown-rice/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Chicken in Creamy Sauce | Indian Style

Chicken in Creamy Sauce
Chicken in Creamy Coconut-Tomato Sauce

Remember the vegan take on Methi Malai Matar? Well, today I bring to you the chicken version with this Chicken in Creamy Sauce.

The thing is I loved the methi malai matar and just couldn’t have enough of it. I know, I know I am tooting my own horn, but once in a while isn’t that okay?  Coming back to the dish I loved ;-), I decided to try to “put some meat in it” this time. While the veg version continues to remain my favorite, the rest of the clan preferred and very quickly took to this version with chicken in creamy sauce. This is an indian style recipe and the dish goes great with phulkas or hot rice.

Try this simple chicken recipe. With just a few spices, it gives your usual chicken curry an uplift. I am sure your family will enjoy this variation and you will too!

Chicken

Things To Keep In Mind

For the chicken, I recommend you use the drumsticks or thigh with the skin removed. Make sure to cut the meat into desired size pieces if using the thigh portion. For the creamy texture, you may use coconut milk or cream. Even whipping cream will do the trick.

 

 

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Chicken in Creamy Coconut-Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • Chicken drumsticks or thigh, skin removed- 400 gms (if using thigh portion, cut the meat into desired size pieces)
  • Garlic, minced- 6 pods
  • Tomato, chopped fine-2
  • Coconut milk/cream or whipping cream-200 ml
  • Fresh or Dried Basil – 6-8 leaves or ½ teaspoon
  • Oregano- 1 teaspoon
  • Curry leaves- 6-8 pieces
  • Butter-1/2 tablespoon to shallow fry the chicken
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or to taste+ ½ teaspoon
  • Pepper-1/2 teaspoon
  • Oil-1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. In a heavy bottomed pan heat butter. Once the butter is hot reduce heat to medium-high and add the chicken pieces. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until the meat is light golden brown and 80% cooked. Turn off the heat and place the pieces on a paper towel to absorb excess butter
  2. In the same pan add 1-tablespoon oil and add curry leaves and minced garlic when the oil is hot. Stir on medium-high heat for around 2 minutes until the curry leaves and garlic are fragrant, then reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes
  3. Cook, stirring intermittently until the tomatoes are soft, then add oregano and basil. Mix well and stir in the coconut cream
  4. Give it one final mix, bring to boil on high flame, then reduce heat, cover and simmer till the chicken pieces are cooked through. If the mixture starts to get thick, you could add some hot water

Notes

Calories (per serving/per drumstick)- 150 Nutrition- Good fat/ Protein punch/Vitamin C It did wonders for your-Heart, Skin, Hair, Bowels, Immunity This is “My 1pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/chicken-in-creamy-sauce-indian-style/

[kkstarratings]

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

Mutton Keema Cutlets With Chutney

Mutton Keema
Mutton Keema Cutlets

Come winter and fried food becomes hard to resist and if it involves meat and even more mutton keema, it is harder for the carnivores to stay away.

While I am all for cruelty-free eating and almost bulldoze the boys into eating more vegetarian at home, I believe complete (forced) abstinence for those who love their meat is kind of unfair. What do you think about it? So, occasionally my kids get to indulge in family favorites like these Mutton Keema Cutlets. This one does take some effort to put prepare and together but trust me, they are completely worth it. Marinating is what decides the taste of these cutlets. I did mine overnight. Remember you need to marinate it for a minimum for 4 hours.

The flavors are just perfect making it very very hard to resist. You can make two versions – one with potato and other with chana daal (split chickpeas). Both taste equally amazing although the potato lovers might not agree ;). Scroll down for the detailed mutton keema cutlets’ recipe for your next weekend binge.

You may also check out my other cutlet recipes. Try the raw banana cutlet or spiced pumpkin cutlets if you are vegetarian.

Mutton Keema CutletsMutton Keema Cutlets

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Mutton Keema Cutlets

Ingredients

  • Mutton (goat meat) minced- 500gm
  • Medium-sized boiled potatoes-2; alternatively you can use 3 tablespoons chana daal pre-soaked for a couple of hours and then drained
  • Medium onion, chopped fine- 1
  • Green chili, chopped fine- 2 (optional)
  • Coriander leaves, chopped fine- 4 tablespoons
  • Grated ginger-1.5 teaspoons
  • Minced garlic-2 teaspoons
  • Coriander powder-1 teaspoon +1 teaspoon
  • Cumin powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala- 1teaspoon +1/2 teaspoon
  • Asafoetida (hing)-1 pinch
  • Cumin seeds-1/4 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Red Chili powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste
  • Bread crumbs- 1 cup
  • Egg, beaten lightly-2
  • Oil-6 tablespoons for shallow frying

Instructions

  1. In a deep glass bowl, mix the minced mutton with 1-teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon red chili powder. Mix well, cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours. I let mine sit overnight. Marinating is a great way to get the flavors going even before the actual cooking and also helps kill the smell of red meat which some find impalpable
  2. When ready to cook, place a heavy bottomed skillet on high flame, add one-tablespoon oil. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds, asafetida and reduce the heat to medium as soon as the seeds start to crackle
  3. Add grated ginger and minced garlic and stir until fragrant, then add onions and cook until translucent
  4. Add minced meat, 1-teaspoon coriander powder and 1-teaspoon garam masala and mix well. Add half-cup water and cover on a medium-high flame. Stir occasionally until the water dries up and the meat is cooked through. At this point the meat starts to look crumbly and dry
  5. If using split chickpeas, add it along with the meat while it is cooking. If using potatoes, mash them well and add to the pan once the meat is cooked through and water has dried up. Add salt, mix well and turn off the heat right away. Add chopped coriander leaves, green chili and mix
  6. Bring to room temperature and if using split chickpeas, blend in the food processor just enough to grind the chickpeas well. Over-grinding would result in excessive smooth texture cutlets, which we do not want. In this case add chopped coriander and green chili after the grinding process
  7. Form the mixture into medium sized balls and flatten between your palms into discs. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes to stiffen it up a bit
  8. Now, spread the breadcrumbs on a flat surface and place the lightly beaten eggs right next to it. Add 5 tablespoons oil to a non-stick pan on high heat. One by one dip the discs into the beaten eggs, next, coat evenly with breadcrumbs and then shallow fry till both sides have browned well. Serve hot with a side of ketchup or coriander-mint chutney

Notes

Calories (per cutlet)- 110 Nutrition- Niacin, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc, Protein, Vitamin B12, Selenium It does wonders for your-Energy/Immunity/Muscles/Nerves This is “My 1pm/3pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/mutton-keema-cutlets/

[kkstarratings]

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

Cheesy Corn Parcels | Rice Paper Rolls

Cheesy Corn
Cheesy Corn Parcels

These cheesy corn parcels promise to be a mess-free meal for the kids!

If you are as OCD about cleanliness as I am, you know how hard it is being around kids during mealtimes. My constant struggle hence is to come up with meals, which are as mess-free as possible. And that’s how these Cheesy Corn Parcels came to be!

The “parcel” consists of fire-roasted corn (you could use boiled corn as well), shaved and sprinkled generously with four cheese mix (I used store-bought mix with mozzarella, cheddar, provolone) and a dash of cream cheese, without paprika for kids and with for adults. This I wrapped up in rice paper mini parcels. And of course some minced garlic, lime and freshly chopped coriander for that explosion of flavors. Want it tangier, go ahead and add some chaat masala! Really, there is no right way to do it, just play around with flavors of your choice and wrap it all up. Easy-peasy!

I like to call it the (happily ever after) marriage between the Mexican Street Corn and the Indian Masala Corn. But the star in this recipe is the cheesy mix for sure! It does things to the corn, which one can never imagine. And when all packed up, they make for a wonderful (and pretty looking) appetizer at your party table.  Try it for yourself 🙂

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Cheesy Corn Parcels

Ingredients

  • Fire roasted (or boiled) corn/sweet corn, shaved off the cob- 1 ( See here a simple technique to shave corn)
  • Four cheese mix (I used store bought mix with mozzarella, cheddar, provolone)- 3 tablespoons
  • Cream cheese (at room temperature)- 1 tablespoon (optional)
  • Minced garlic- 3
  • Lime-1 teaspoon
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped- 1 tablespoons
  • Baby tomatoes (seeds removed) chopped fine- 4-6
  • Himalayan or Rock Salt-1/2 teaspoon or as per taste
  • Paprika/Red chili flakes-1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Rice paper rolls (to be used as per package instructions)-10 (See here how to use rice paper rolls)

Instructions

  1. Roast the sweet corn on stovetop until done. Alternatively you can also boil the corn, drain the water and at dry with a kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture. Any moisture will make it difficult to make the parcels
  2. In a wide and deep (preferably wooden) bowl, add all ingredients except salt and the rice paper roll and give it a good mix with a spatula and keep aside. Add salt just before filling into the parcels. The cheese used would be salty too so be careful to adjust the overall salt accordingly
  3. Stuff the mixture into softened rice paper sheets and make a mini parcel. I used thin strips of cornhusks to tie my parcels. Serve immediately

Notes

Calories (per parcel)- 35 Nutrition- Fiber, Protein, Vitamins B, C, Magnesium, Potassium, Carbohydrates It does wonders for your-Energy/Gut/Immunity/Sleep This is “My 1pm/3pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/cheesy-corn-parcels/

Cheesy Corn

[kkstarratings]

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

Raw Banana Cutlets With Raisins

Cutlets
Raw Banana Cutlets

And my obsession with cutlets (a.k.a tikkis) continues.

I mean what else does one do? It is quite a balancing act to feed two kids who have very varied tastes when it comes to food. Of course, this does not hold good for junk food of any kind, shape or color! And like this was not hard already, how about doing for three meals a day! If you have kids you know the war that ensues at mealtimes, right?

But I think I have finally found a saving dish. At my home, tikkis never disappoint! One can control the spice quotient without compromising on the taste and camouflage as many veggies as you like within it. Thus making them a complete meal. The other benefits being, the kids feed themselves with minimal mess! Now, isn’t that a blessing? While I make these cutlets, I always hide some raisins or sultanas inside and make it into an edible “treasure hunt” for the kids. Not sure how much they enjoy it though, but it definitely keeps them guessing.

This time it’s the turn of the raw bananas to get mashed into yummy cutlets. Another easy-peasy recipe for you. Let me know how the kids enjoyed this “treasure hunt”!

 

Cutlets

 

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Raw Banana Cutlets

Ingredients

  • Raw banana, medium-sized- 3 (approximately 200gms)
  • Big Potato, boiled and mashed- 1
  • Small onion, chopped fine- 1 (optional)
  • Freshly grated coconut- 2 tablespoons (pre-packed desiccated coconut can be used too)
  • Coriander leaves, chopped fine- 2 tablespoons
  • Green chili chopped fine-1 (optional)
  • Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
  • Amchoor (raw mango powder)- 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala-1 teaspoon
  • Ajwain (caraway seeds)-1/2 teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds- ¼ teaspoon
  • Curry leaves- 6-8
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
  • Raisins/Sultanas- 10
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or to taste
  • Oil-2 tablespoons for shallow frying

Instructions

  1. Cut the banana into half (with skin on) and boil in hot water, covered for approximately ten minutes. Drain the water, peel the skin and discard. Once the banana comes to room temperature, mash it well and keep aside
  2. In a wide heavy-bottomed pan add oil, then add cumin seeds and curry leaves when the oil is hot. Once the seeds start to splatter, add ginger-garlic paste, stir well for a minute and add the mashed banana and potato followed by all the powdered masalas, caraway seeds, onion, coconut, green chili and coriander and mix well for another 5 minutes on low heat
  3. Turn off the heat and add salt and raisins and give it one final mix
  4. Once the mixture has cooled down, shape it into desired shape and shallow fry until golden brown

Notes

Calories (per cutlet)- 45 Nutrition- Fiber, Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Carbohydrate It does wonders for your-Energy/Gut/Immunity/Sleep/Nerve and Liver function This is “My 1pm/3pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/raw-banana-cutlets/

[kkstarratings]