Tag: Quick-Fix Meals

If you do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, OneWholesomeMeal has got your back. These quick-fix meals require minimal prep. Also, we make sure that quick means healthy. So you do not compromise on nutrition.

These quick-fix meals are from different cuisines. Plus, we have vegetarian and vegan options. Have a look and try these recipes today.

Kimchi
Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice
Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Chicken Keema with Black Chickpeas

Chicken Keema
Chicken Keema with Black Chickpeas

If you ask me which is the one legume that I cannot live without, it has to be Black Chickpeas. There are so many possibilities with this gem and if you notice my feed, I use it in all forms, raw, whole and sprouted. This time, it was with the chicken keema.

We are back from our annual pilgrimage to India. The trip home has left us all very well endowed and I do not mean the pockets. Thanks to all the eating in India, we are now trying to cut carbs in our dinner. Remember, low carbs doesn’t have to mean sad meals and punishing yourself. This chicken keema with black chickpeas is a good balance of healthy and tasty. It is a filling dish and can be had on its own or with a side of hot rotis and parathas.

Another suggestion is to have it along with plain dosa. Or you can give your masala dosa a new twist. Try it as a dosa filling instead of the usual carbs-rich potatoes in the masala dosa. I have an interesting recipe coming up on that as well. So, stay tuned. Until then enjoy this portion of heaven-guilt free!

 

Chicken Keema

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Black Chickpea-Chicken Keema

Ingredients

  • Minced chicken breasts or thighs- 250gm
  • Black chickpeas soaked overnight-1/2 cup
  • Green Peas-2 tablespoons (optional)
  • Medium onion finely chopped-1
  • Medium tomato finely chopped-1
  • Cumin powder-1/4 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala-1.5 teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Bay leaf- 1
  • Cinnamon sticks- ½ inch
  • Black and green whole cardamoms- 2 and 4 pieces each
  • Star anise- 1 whole flower
  • Mace- One small portion
  • Black pepper- ½ teaspoon
  • Cloves- 4 pieces
  • Ginger-garlic paste-2 tablespoons
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Red chili powder- ½ teaspoon or as per taste (optional)
  • Green chilies chopped fine-2 (optional)
  • Chopped coriander- 2 tablespoons
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or as per taste+1/2 teaspoon
  • Oil- 1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Wash and boil the black chickpeas with one-cup water and ½ teaspoon salt until they are soft. Drain water (retain it for using it later) and keep aside
  2. Heat one-tablespoon oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, black and green cardamoms, star anise, mace, black pepper and cloves. Stir for half a minute, and keeping the flame on medium, add onions and ginger-garlic paste. Keep stirring until the onions are nicely brown, then add tomatoes, cumin powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and red chili powder, green chilies and mix well
  3. Turn the flame to medium-high and cook the onion-tomato-spice mixture well you see oil oozing out. If at any point the mixture starts to stick to the pan, add a few teaspoons of the reserved water from boiled chickpeas
  4. Add minced chicken and 1.5 teaspoons salt and give it a nice mix to ensure equal distribution of salt
  5. Once mixed well, add boiled chickpeas, green peas (if using) and 2 tablespoons of the reserved water from boiled chickpeas. If you desire more gravy, then you could add more water
  6. Turn off heat, garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot as is or with a side of hot roti or paratha

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 50 Nutrition- Good fat/ Protein punch/Iron/Vitamin B6/Magnesium/Zinc It did wonders for your-Muscles/Hair/Quality of sleep/Immunity/Cold and Sore throat/Anaemia

https://onewholesomemeal.com/chicken-keema-black-chickpeas/

[kkstarratings]

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

Roasted Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeño Poppers
Roasted Jalapeño Poppers

The best kinds of recipes are born in times of desperation, don’t you agree? These little jalapeño poppers were born on one such day.

When there are barely any ingredients in the refrigerator and yet growling bellies need to be stuffed, one can begin to get very creative. After all, necessity is the mother of all invention – to satiate my hunger was the necessity and these roasted jalapeño poppers were my creative invention.

I threw in pretty much everything that I had in the fridge – eggs, feta cheese (Mexican cheese works well too), baby corn, onions, tomatoes, and even raisins. Boy oh boy were the results impressive! The jalapeños are stuffed with veggies and a lot of cheese. You are free to experiment with the veggies and cheese. This is another proof that yummy meals do not have to be tedious and indulgent always. Please note that you will need an oven for this preparation.

The poppers make for a great snack. Furthermore, I am quite confident a wine connoisseur might even appreciate these as nibbles with his Merlot. Try it at your next dinner party. Let me know how your guests liked it in the comments section below. Scroll down for the full recipe.

 

Jalapeño Poppers

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Roasted Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients

  • Jalapeno peppers, sectioned vertically- 10 (wear gloves while handling jalapenos to avoid stinging)
  • Eggs, medium sized- 2
  • Baby corn, chopped coarsely- 6
  • Onions, medium sized, chopped fine-1
  • Tomato, medium sized, chopped fine-1
  • Raisins or sultanas - 2 teaspoons
  • Feta cheese, crumbled- 3 tablespoons or as required
  • Salt-1 teaspoon (adjust to taste as Feta is a salty cheese)
  • Oil-2.5 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees centigrade; line a baking dish with foil and keep aside
  2. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and add onions
  3. Stir until the onions are translucent and add tomatoes
  4. Stir for another minute and break the eggs into the pan stirring continuously like making scrambled eggs
  5. Add baby corn, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the baby corn is 80% done
  6. Add salt and mix well
  7. Turn off the heat and keep aside
  8. With a brush smear some oil both on the inside and outside of the peppers. This helps in even grilling
  9. Spoon in the prepared mixture into the peppers, top with crumbled feta and grill at 200 degrees for around 20 minutes or until the edges of the jalapenos start to soften

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 60 Nutrition- Fiber/ Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, K It does wonders for your- Gut/Headaches/Arthritis/Sinus Infection This is “My 3pm/8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/roasted-jalapeno-poppers/

[kkstarratings]

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

Kimchi Besan Cheelas | Kimchi Flavoured Vegan Omlette

Kimchi Besan Cheelas
Kimchi Besan Cheelas | Kimchi Flavored Vegan Omelette

What does an Indian do when she has had an overdose of Indian food but misses home none the less? An Asian twist to the rescue! She makes kimchi besan cheelas (vegan omelette) and devours them.

This is a super easy fusion between the Indian cheela and the Korean kimchi pancake. They are both individually so delicious possessing very unique tastes to the countries they originate in. However, there is a similarity that helps fuse them together. I am surprised it took me so long to try it!

The kimchi besan cheelas is a simple recipe and they are a complete meal. I added some peas to the batter and topped with toasted coconut flakes before serving it. One small tip, courtesy my sweet Korean friend – the older the kimchi is the better and tangier flavor it will give the pancake. I do not make my kimchi at home, so I let the store-bought kimchi sit in my fridge for a month (that is all I could persevere).

These are perfect as an afternoon snack or a lunch box meal for the kids. And yes, they taste delicious with a hot cup of masala chai. Scroll down for the full recipe.WholesomeMeal

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Kimchi Flavoured Vegan Omlette (Kimchi Besan Cheela)

Ingredients

  • Besan (chickpea/gram) flour- 1 cup
  • Onion, chopped fine-1 small
  • Green peas-2 tablespoons
  • Green chilies, chopped fine-2 (optional)
  • Coriander, chopped fine- 1.5 tablespoons
  • Kimchi, chopped to small pieces- 3 tablespoons or to taste
  • Caraway(ajwain) seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste; based on how salty the kimchi is you would need to adjust the salt added
  • Toasted coconut flakes as topping-2 tablespoons
  • Water-1.5 cups; squeeze the water from the kimchi and use it for making the batter too
  • Oil-4 tablespoons for shallow frying

Instructions

  1. In a deep bowl, add besan and stirring continuously add water gradually to make a smooth batter
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well
  3. Heat one tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan and swirl the pan to evenly spread the oil
  4. When the oil is hot, reduce heat to low and add 1 tablespoon batter to the pan and using the back of a spoon spread out the batter evenly to make a circle
  5. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook till brown; flip it over, add another tablespoon oil and cook the other side till done
  6. Serve hot topped with toasted coconut flakes and a side of dates-tamarind chutney or ketchup

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 145 Nutrition- Protein/Iron/Magnesium/Potassium/Vitamin B-6 It does wonders for your- Muscles/Sleep/Nerves/Anemia This is “My 1pm/3 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/kimchi-flavoured-vegan-omlette-kimchi-besan-cheelas/

[kkstarratings]

 

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Black Chickpeas Curry | Toori Chana Sabzi

Black Chickpeas Curry
Angles Luffas Black Chickpeas Curry

With summer coming to an end, I am enjoying the last of the angled luffas (or as known in some parts of India toorai or jheenga). And today I am excited to share with you my favorite preparation with this vegetable, the black chickpeas curry.

Isn’t it amazing how nature’s produce is in sync with the body needs each season? Summer produce is all about vegetables high in water to keep the body hydrated. The winter veggies are slightly warming with lower water content.  While on the other hand, the autumnal produce is a gentle transition from summer to winter. The angled luffa is an excellent example of a summer vegetable with high water content.

This black chickpeas curry tempered with garlic and panchforan with a dash of onions and chilies makes for a perfect quick fix and light meal. Its slight sweetness makes it a favorite with kids too. The black chickpeas are packed with protein and other nutrients which is an added advantage. You can eat this curry with warm phulkas or even with rice. I hope you like this traditional Bihari dish.

Try it for yourself and let me know how you liked it. Scroll down for the full recipe.

 

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Angled Luffa-Black Chickpeas Curry (Toorai-Chana sabzi)

Ingredients

  • Angled luffa (toorai/jhinga), skin peeled and cubed- 2 cups
  • Medium-sized onions, sliced fine- 2
  • Garlic, chopped fine- 4
  • Black chickpeas (soaked overnight)- ½ cup
  • Dried red chilies (optional)- 2
  • Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste
  • Oil-1 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add panchforan. Once the seeds start to splutter, add garlic and sauté for a minute on medium heat until fragrant
  2. Add sliced onions and sauté until translucent, then add the chickpeas with turmeric powder and salt and sauté for another minute
  3. Add the cubed angled luffa , mix well and put the pressure cooker lid on (no need to add water as this veggie releases a great amount of water anyway as it cooks) and increase the flame to high. Please see here for the right technique to use a pressure cooker safely (http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker)
  4. Once the pressure sets in (marked by a whistling sound of the cooker), reduce the flame to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes
  5. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for all the steam to release completely before opening the lid
  6. Turn on the heat and cook on medium-high heat stirring intermittently till most of the water evaporates and a semi-solid consistency is achieved.

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 100
Nutrition- Vitamin A/ Vitamin C/Vitamin B Complex/Iron/Magnesium/Copper/Fiber/Protein
It does wonders for your- Eyes/Skin/Type 2 Diabetes/Arthritis/Heart/Anemia/Muscles
This is “My 1pm/ 8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/black-chickpeas-curry-toorai-chana-sabzi/

[kkstarratings]

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

Spiced Pumpkin Cutlets from Odisha

Pumpkin Cutlets
Spiced Pumpkin Cutlets

There are recipes and there are universally accepted recipes, which three generations enjoy equally. Spiced pumpkin cutlets is the latter.

In my family, the only way pumpkin is accepted is when it is in the form of these cutlets. This is a recipe quite popular in Odisha and was passed on to me by my mother in law. It is an added bonus that they are a complete meal by themselves. I also have a mom-tip. These cutlets are great finger food for babies, especially if you practice Baby Led Weaning. Make sure you exclude the cashews to avoid choking and of course the chilies. As for all you calorie counters out there, don’t worry. I have got you covered. You can replace the potato in the cutlet with sweet potato.

While I do serve these cutlets for dinner most times, these pumpkin cutlets are great lunchbox meals for your kids and also make for the perfect accompaniment with a cup of masala chai. Serve them hot with a mint-coriander dip or tamarind-dates dip and enjoy!

Super easy to whip up, I don’t think you need more reasons to give this recipe a try. Scroll down for the detailed recipe.

Pumpkin Cutlets

 

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Spiced Pumpkin Cutlets

Ingredients

  • Half small pumpkin (chopped in cubes and boiled)- Around 1.5 cups
  • Medium sized potato (boiled and mashed)- 1
  • Bread crumbs- 2 tablespoons or more to achieve a binding consistency
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1.5 tablespoon
  • Coriander powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Amchoor (raw mango powder)- ½ teaspoon
  • Garam masala (curry powder)- ½ teaspoon
  • Red chilli powder (optional)-1/4 teaspoon
  • Chopped green chillis (optional)- 2
  • Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves- 2 tablespoons
  • Semolina (sooji)-1/4 cup
  • Himalayan or rock salt- 1.5 teaspoon or to taste
  • Cashews halved vertically-6-8
  • Oil for shallow frying- 4 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Boil the pumpkin in a pressure cooker or a wok with some water until soft. Drain away the water (you can retain the water for making veg stock) and mash the pumpkin to a smooth paste and let it come to room temperature.
  2. Mix the mashed pumpkin with the mashed potato and the remaining ingredients (except semolina and cashews) to make a semi-solid mixture. While adding bread crumbs be cautious to do it gradually as too little wouldn't help bind and too much would make the cutlets taste like just bread.Shape the mixture into palm sized discs 1-1.5 cm thick. At this point you can pop them into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes so the cutlets harden a bit making them easy to fry.
  3. Place the semolina (sooji) on a flat surface so it spreads evenly and coat the discs evenly with it on both sides
  4. Pressing gently, place the cashews in the center of the discs and shallow fry in a non-stick pan on medium heat flipping half way through till both sides are evenly brown
  5. Serve hot with a side of mint-coriander dip or tamarind-dates dip

Notes

Calories (for 2 tikkis)- 90
Nutrition- Vitamin A/ Beta-carotene/Vitamin C/Vitamin E
It does wonders for your- Heart/Eyes/Skin/Blood Pressure
This is “My 3pm/1pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/spiced-pumpkin-cutlets-from-odisha/

[kkstarratings]

 

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Chicken Wings Made Two Ways

Chicken Wings
Chicken Wings Made Two Ways

While the recipe today is chicken wings, let me first tell you why I am not making any this week at home.

Durga Puja or Dusshera celebrations have now begun across most of India. The Steel City of Bokaro, where I grew up, was a melting pot of various cultures – a mini India which gave us a chance to understand and celebrate various cultures. Durga Puja was one of the biggest!

Apart from a mini-break from school, it used to be a huge social occasion with lots of fun, festivities, and good food. Pandal hopping from one sector (residential colony) to the other was eagerly looked forward to. Puja and Diwali is a time when I miss my city the most. My mother would fast and we would eat only vegetarian (but yummy none the less) food. It is a tradition I have been miserable at following but I try. For instance, in these ten days, I cook less meat in the house. Trust me it is not easy with the brood and their father all being hardcore carnivores.

The boys are missing their meat and I wish I could make my life easier and cook these chicken wings. I have two ways of doing it – hot and spicy for the adults and sweet for the kids. As a result, I have a stress-free mealtime. Here is the recipe.

Chicken Wings

 

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Chicken Wings (Two ways)

Ingredients

  • Chicken wings- 10-12 pieces each for both styles of preparations (separated at the joints and tips removed. See here for tips- http://thecookful.com/how-to-cut-chicken-wings/)
  • For the hot and spicy sauce:
  • Butter- 3 tablespoons
  • Hot Sauce (any kind would do, I used a mixture of Thai hot sauce and Maggi hot and sweet chili sauce)-4 tablespoons
  • Chopped garlic-2
  • Salt-1/2 teaspoon or to taste depending on the salt level of the hot sauce used
  • Pepper-1/2 teaspoon
  • For the sweet honey sauce:
  • Butter- 3 tablespoons
  • Honey- 4 +2 tablespoons
  • Soy sauce-1 tablespoon
  • Sriracha sauce- 1 teaspoon
  • Chopped garlic-2
  • Pepper-1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. To make both the sauces follow similar procedure- Melt butter, take it off heat and stir in in the remaining ingredients and set aside
  2. For the hot and spicy wings-Place the prepared chicken wings in a deep bowl and using half the sauce marinate the wings overnight or for at least 2-3 hours in a refrigerator. Reserve the remaining sauce for later
  3. Keep the marinated wings out of the refrigerator half an hour before baking
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with foil. Place the marinated wings on the tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes
  5. After 20 minutes take them out and pour the remaining sauce over making sure it evenly coats both sides using tongs
  6. Now, broil them for another 10 minutes, flipping them half way to make the skin crispier. If you do not have the broiler option you could just bake them for another 10 minutes at 350 degrees
  7. For the honey sauce wings- Using 2 tables of honey, glaze the wings on both sides and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes
  8. After 10 minutes pour the prepared sweet honey sauce over the wings, making sure both sides are evenly coated and bake for another 20 minutes or until the wings are cooked through
  9. Serve hot with a side of salad/carrots/celery

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 250 (for honey sauce wings), 200 (for hot sauce wings)
Nutrition- Protein punch/Good fat/ Vitamins B-3, B-6, E/Magnesium
It did wonders for your- Skin/Hair/ Bones/Heart
This is “My 1pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/chicken-wings-two-ways/

[kkstarratings]