What to cook during the lockdown Day 6 - meal plan with recipes to try at home

This is a strange time for all of us. It has been two weeks since we all have been quarantined at our homes. You must also feel like you are running out of ideas of what to cook. But don't worry as we have a meal plan for you to try with easy recipes that can be cooked using simple ingredients at home. 

Breakfast Meal - Sooji Upma

Upma is a South Indian breakfast dish made from Sooji or Rava. Upma is served with coconut chutney or lemon pickle.

Sooji Upma Recipe:

Preparation time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 15 minutes 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

1. 1 cup fine Rava (sooji)
2. 1 onion - finely chopped
3. 1 green chilli - chopped
4. 1 tsp chana dal (split)
5. 1 tsp urad dal (split)
6. ½ inch ginger grated or chopped
7. 2.5 cups water
8. 1 tsp mustard seeds
9. ½ tsp cumin seeds
10. 1 sprig curry leaves
11. 10 to 12 cashews
12. 1 to 2 tsp sugar or as required
13. 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
14. 2 tbsp oil or ghee
15. salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a pan or Kadai and add 1 cup sooji

2. Roast the sooji and stir continuously while roasting. The sooji grains should start to look dry and crisp. Don't let it turn brown.

3. Switch off the flame and keep it aside.

4. Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add 1 tsp mustard seeds and let it crackle. Then add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal. Fry it 

5. Add the cashews immediately and fry. Wait for it to turn golden then add the onions and Saute it till it turns golden. 

6. Add the chopped green chilly, ginger, curry leaves. Saute it and add 2.5 cups water to it. Add salt to taste. Add sugar if you like.

7. On a medium to high flame, let the water come to a boil. Then lower the flame and add sooji in batches using a spoon.

8. Keep Stirring it. The sooji grains will absorb the water and swell. Cover with a lid and allow the upma to cook for 2 minutes.

9. Switch off the flame and add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir well and serve it with coconut chutney.

Lunch Meal - Chana dal and roti

Chana dal is rich in fibre, protein. It is perfect for those who are on a low carb diet.

Chana Dal Recipe:

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

- To pressure cook chana dal

1. ¾ cup chana dal
2. 2.5 to 3 cups water
3. ¼ tsp turmeric powder

- To temper the chana dal

1. 2 tomatoes - chopped
2. ½ cup finely chopped onions
3. 1-inch ginger - finely chopped
4. 4 to 5 garlic - finely chopped
5. 1 green chilli - chopped
6. ¾ tsp cumin seeds
7. ½ tsp red chilli powder
8. ¼ tsp turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
9. 1 tsp coriander powder 
10. ½ tsp garam masala powder
11. ½ tsp dry mango powder (amchur)
12. 1 tsp kasoori methi
13. a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
14. 2 tbsp oil or ghee 
15. salt to taste
16. a few coriander leaves (cilantro) 

INSTRUCTIONS

- For pressure cooking chana dal

1. Pick and rinse the dal in running water. Soak it for an hour.

2. Drain it and add to the pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder to it and about 2.5 to 3 cups water and stir.

3. Pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more on a high flame. The dal should get cooked properly. Keep it aside.

- For making chana dal

1. Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add the cumin, wait for it to splutter. Then add the garlic, wait for it to turn golden.

2. Now add the onions to it and fry till it turns golden. Add the tomatoes, ginger and green chilli.

3. Stir and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, dry mango powder and coriander powder. Saute well 

4. Let the tomatoes cook and let the oil leave the side of the kadhai. Now add kasoori methi.

5. Pour the cooked chana dal and water to it. Add salt as required. 

6. Let it simmer for 6-8 minutes till you get medium consistency of the dal. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve with Chapattis.

Dinner Meal - Bajra Khichdi

Bajra khichdi is a nutritious khichdi usually made during the winter season. It is a staple food of Rajasthan and Haryana.

Bajra Khichdi Recipe:

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

1. 2 tbsp ghee or oil
2. 1 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1-inch ginger/ 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
4. 1 green chilli - chopped
5. ½ cup bajra (pearl millet)
6. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
7. 1 pinch asafoetida
8. 4 cups water
9. salt to taste
10. ½ cup moong dal

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take ½ cup bajra in a grinder and grind it coarsely. We do not need to make a powder. Some grains may not get crushed but it will be fine.  Put it in a bowl and add water to it. Stir well and discard the water. Repeat it two or three times. Drain the water from it and keep aside.

2. Rinse ½ cup moong dal in the water a few times. Soak it in water.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pressure cooker on low flame and add the cumin seeds. Let it splutter.

4. Now add 1 tsp ginger and 1 green chilli. Stir it for a minute and add the Bajra to it. Keep stirring it. 

5. Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and a pinch asafoetida (hing). Then pour 2 cups of water and add salt as required. Cover it and let it pressure cook for 6 to 7 minutes.

6. Remove the lid when the pressure drops and stir the semi-cooked bajra. Then, Drain the water from the moong dal and add into the pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water and stir well.

7. Cover it and let it pressure cook for 8 to 9 minutes. Open the cooker after the pressure settles on its own and stir it. If the bajra khichdi looks a little thick, then add more water and let it simmer on low flame while you keep stirring it.

8. Serve it hot with chaas (buttermilk), kadhi or fresh curd. You can top it with some ghee also.

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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

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in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic in india, many indian corporates and small companies from all the sectors are advancing help to the government and citizens. whether it is a donation in cash or kind, either masks and sanitisers, major big corporate are extending their help to the government and indian citizens.