Day 5 of Lockdown: Enjoy your time at home cooking these simple and healthy recipes

We enter the 5th day of the 21-day lockdown in the country and the number of Coronavirus cases in the country is on the rise. It is all the more important to stay at home and practice social distancing as much as we can. It is crucial that we eat healthy "Ghar ka khana" and build our immunity so that our bodies can fight any type of disease. Here we have some recipes which you can try with the available ingredients at home.

 Breakfast Meal - Poha                                                                                  

 Poha is the Maharashtrian word. It is basically flattened or beaten rice perfect for breakfast.

 Poha Recipe:

 Preparation time: 15 minutes

 Cooking time: 15 minutes

 INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

1. 1.5 cups thick poha
2. 1 large onion - finely chopped
3. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
4. 1 tsp mustard seeds
5. 2 or 2.5 tbsp peanuts
6. 10 to 12 curry leaves
7. 1 green chilli - chopped
8. 1 teaspoon sugar
9. 1 or 1.5 tbsp oil
10. salt to taste

 For garnishing:

1. 2 to 3 tbsp coriander leaves
2. Lemon juice as required
3. Grated coconut as required

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse the poha in water until it softens. They should get mashed easily.
2. Add sugar, salt and turmeric powder to it and mix.
3. Dry roast the peanuts until they are crunchy.
4. Heat a little oil in a pan and crackle the mustard seeds.
5. Add onions to it and saute well. Then, add the curry leaves and green chillies and Saute for a minute.
6. Add the peanuts and the poha and stir well.
7. Cover it and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on low flame.
8. Switch off and let it stay covered for another 1-2 minutes.
9. Sprinkle lemon juice, coriander leaves and grated coconut on the poha.
10. Stir it and serve it with tea.

 Lunch Meal - Aalo parantha

 Aloo paratha is a popular dish from Punjab, India. You can have it at any time of the day.  Serve these parathas with dahi and chutney and lots of butter on it.

 Aalo Parantha recipe:

 Preparation time: 20 minutes

 Cooking time: 30 minutes

  INGREDIENTS NEEDED

 - For aloo paratha stuffing

1. 3-4 potatoes, boiled and mashed
2. 1-2 green chillies, chopped finely
3. ¼ - ½ tsp red chilli powder
4. ¼ - ½ tsp Punjabi garam masala powder
5. ½ - 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
6. 2-3 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
7. salt to taste
8. oil or ghee as required

 - For paratha dough

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
2. ½ tsp salt
3. 1 tbsp oil or ghee
4. Water as required for kneading

 INSTRUCTIONS

 - To make the stuffing:

1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker and peel them.
2. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher. Make sure that there are no lumps in it.
3. Add the chopped green chillies, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, dry mango powder, green chillies and salt.
4. Mix it with the mashed potatoes. Taste it and add anything if it is not as per your taste.

 - Making the aloo paratha:

1. Knead the dough normally. Pinch two small balls of dough and flatten them using a little whole wheat flour.
2. Using a rolling pin, roll them in circles.
3. Place the stuffing in the centre of one rolled circle and make sure that 1 inch of space is empty from the sides.
4. Place the other circle on top of it and press to seal the edges.
5. Dust some whole wheat flour on it and roll into a round of 7 to 8 inches.

 Dinner Meal - Chole & chapatti

 Chole recipe is made with white chickpeas, freshly powdered spices, onions, tomatoes and is usually served with kulchas, bhaturas, pooris, rotis, steamed rice or jeera rice with sliced onions, tomatoes and lime. 

 Chole Recipe:

Preparation time: 9 hours

Cooking time: 45 minutes

 INGREDIENTS NEEDED

- For pressure cooking chickpeas

1. 1 cup dried white chickpeas or 200 grams white chickpeas (garbanzo beans, Kabuli chana or safed chole)
2. 2.5 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking the chickpeas
3. 2 to 3 dried amla
4. ½ tsp salt

 - For gravy

1. 1 onion, finely chopped
2. 1 tomato, finely chopped
3. 2-3 garlic cloves + ½ inch ginger, crushed
4. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
5. ½ tsp red chilli powder
6. ¼ tsp garam masala powder
7. ¾ - 1 tsp amchur powder
8. 2- 3 green chillies slit
9. 1- 1.25 cups water
10. 1.5-2 tbsp oil
11. salt to taste

 - Spices for chole masala powder

1. 2 black cardamoms
2. 1-inch cinnamon (dalchini)
3. 3 - 4 black peppers
4. 2 cloves
5. 1  tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
6. ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
7. 1 tsp cumin seeds
8. 1 tsp coriander seeds
9. 1 tsp fennel seeds
10. ½ tsp dry pomegranate seeds
11. 1-2 Kashmiri dry red chillies

 - For garnishing

1. some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
2. ½ inch ginger julienne
3. 1 onion sliced or chopped
4. 1 tomato sliced or chopped
5. 1 lime sliced or quartered

 INSTRUCTIONS

 - Soaking and cooking white chickpeas:

 1. Rinse and soak the chickpeas overnight. The chickpeas will increase in size after soaking the water. Rinse the chickpeas.
 2. To give a dark colour to the chickpeas, add the dried amla. They give it a little sourness.
 3. In a pressure cooker, add the chickpeas and 3-4 pieces of dried amla pieces. Finally, add water.
 4. Put a little salt and pressure cook for 12 to 15 whistles. The chickpeas will be softened and test it using a spoon.

 - Roast the spices

 1. In a pan, take all the spices for the chole masala powder and roast them on low flame.
 2. Stir and roast the spices till they get brown in colour. Don't burn the spices.
 3. Switch off the flame and let the roasted spices to cool down. Grind them

 - Making Chole Masala

1. The chickpeas will be cooked by now. Remove the amla pieces from it.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger-garlic paste. Saute it.
3. Now, add onions and saute till they turn light brown. Add the tomatoes & saute them till they soften
4. Add the powdered chole masala. Then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder.
5. Stir the masala and add the green chillies.
6. Add the cooked chole and salt. Then add 1-1.25 cups of the water. Stir it well and cover it.
7. Simmer it on low to medium flame. Let the gravy thicken and reduce. You may need to Mash the chickpeas.
8. Simmer till the consistency of the chhole is as per your preference.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves & ginger.
   
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