Day 13 of Lockdown: Try your Hand at cooking with our easy to cook recipes

As we are all stuck in our homes in the wake of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, we advise you to make use of this time to pursue your hobbies and do the things that make you happy. One such activity is cooking, so for all you amazing cooks out there, we have some delicious recipes that you can cook for you and your loved ones while at home.

 Breakfast Meal - Rava Dosa

Rava dosa is a yummy South Indian dish. It is very easy to make Rava dosa and there is no requirement of grinding or fermentation.

Rava Dosa Recipe:

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 25 Minutes

 INGREDIENTS 

1. ½ cup unroasted fine sooji 
2. ½ cup rice flour
3. ¼ cup all-purpose flour
4. 1 to 2 green chillies, chopped
5. 1 onion, finely chopped
6. ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
7. 8 to 10 curry leaves, chopped
8. 1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
9. ½ tsp crushed black pepper
10. ½ tsp cumin seeds
11. 2 to 2.5 cups water or as required
12. salt to taste
13. oil or ghee or butter

 INSTRUCTIONS 

- To making batter

1. Take a bowl and add ½ cup unroasted fine Rava, ½ cup rice flour and ¼ cup maids.
2. Now add ⅓ cup chopped onions, 1 or 2 green chillies, and ½ inch ginger to it.
3. Add ½ tsp crushed black pepper, ½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera, 8 to 10 curry leaves and salt.
4. Add 2 to 2.5 cups of water to it. If need, then add more water. Whisk it till it becomes smooth and there are no lumps. The batter should be thin and flowing.
5. Cover it and let the batter rest for about 20 to 30 minutes.

 - To make Rava dosa

1. Mix the batter well and Spread a little oil on the tawa.
2. Pour the dosa batter with a ladle and make circles starting from its edges towards the centre.
3. Let it cook on a medium flame. When it looks cooked on the top, then sprinkle ½ to 1 tsp oil on its top and sides.
4. Cook till it turns golden and crisp. Now Fold it and serve hot with coconut chutney or any other chutney of your choice and sambar. 

 Lunch Meal - Aloo ki sabzi and puri

Aloo Puri is a popular Lunch dish. It is potato curry and puri served together. 

Aloo Puri Recipe:

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

Cooking Time: 50 Minutes

 INGREDIENTS 

 - For aloo sabzi

1. 2 tbsp oil
2. 1 tbsp carom seeds (ajwain)
3. ⅓ cup chopped onions
4. 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
5. 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
6. 1 or 2 green chillies - chopped
7. 1 cup chopped tomatoes
8. 2 cups diced potatoes
9. ½ tsp turmeric powder
10. 1 tsp red chilli powder
11. ½ tsp garam masala powder
12. 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
13. ½ to 1 teaspoon dry mango powder
14. 2 cups water
15. 1 to 2 tbsp coriander leaves

 - For poori: ( To make 15-18 pooris)

1. 2.5 to 3 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 tsp oil
3. water to knead the flour - as required
4. oil for frying - as required

 INSTRUCTIONS 

 - Make the aloo sabzi

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the carom seeds and fry them. Then, add the chopped onions and saute it.
2. Now, add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute it for a minute or two.
3. Then, add the chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy.
4. Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida and red chilli powder. Mix it properly. Then add the diced potatoes.
5. Add the salt and mix well. Now, add water to it and pressure cook it for about 3 to 4 whistles or till the potatoes are cooked.
6. Open its lid and let it simmer. Press some of the cooked potatoes using the spoon on the sides of the cooker.
7. This is done for a thicker consistency of the curry. Now switch off the flame.
8. Sprinkle a little garam masala powder and mango powder. Mix it well and garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Serve the aloo sabzi hot with delicious pooris.

 - To make poori

1. Knead the flour into a stiff dough using water and oil and small balls of the dough. Roll these balls into 4 to 5 inches of circles.
2. Now, Heat oil in a Kadai for deep frying the pooris. Fry the pooris in oil until they are puffed and turn golden brown in colour.
3. Remove them into paper napkins that will soak all the excess oil.
4. Serve the hot pooris along with the aloo sabzi, and some sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Dinner Meal - Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is a popular Indian dish made of soft cottage cheese cubes in a smooth spinach sauce with spices.

Palak Paneer Recipe:

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

 INGREDIENTS 

1. 5 to 6 cups roughly chopped spinach
2. 1 or 2 green chillies - chopped
3. 1 or 2 garlic cloves - roughly chopped
4. ½ inch ginger - roughly chopped
5. 3 cups water for blanching spinach
6. 3 cups water for an ice bath
7. 1 onion - finely chopped
8. 1 tomato - chopped
9. 4 to 5 garlic cloves (lahsun) - finely chopped
10. ½ tsp cumin seeds
11. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
12. ½ tsp red chilli powder
13. 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) 
14. ¼ or ½ tsp garam masala powder
15. 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
16. 200 to 250 grams paneer
17. ⅓ to ½ cup water or as required
18. 1 or 2 tbsp cream - low fat 25% to 35%
19. 2 tbsp oil or ghee or unsalted butter
20. 1 tsp Kasuri methi leaves 
21. salt to taste

 - For garnishing

1. 1 to 2 tsp cream or butter for topping
2. ½ inch ginger - julienne
3. lemon or lime wedges or slices

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse the palak properly in running water. Make sure that you discard all the stems.
2. Boil 3 cups of water in a pan and add ¼ tsp salt to it and stir it. When the water starts to boil, switch off the flame. Add the palak in the hot water and let the leaves sit in the hot water for about a minute or two.
3. After a minute, take the leaves out of the water and put them into a bowl that has ice-cold water in it immediately.
4. This method is used to preserve the green colour of the spinach leaves. You only need to add 8 to 10 ice cubes to 3 cups of water and let the spinach leaves be in the cold water for about a minute.
5. Drain the water and put the palak in a blender along with chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies and make a smooth puree. Keep it aside.

 - To make the masala

1. Heat oil or ghee or butter in a pan and add the cumin. Let it splutter. Now add the tej patta or bay leaf.
2. Add the finely chopped onions and saute it till the onions turn golden brown in colour.
3. Now add the finely chopped garlic and Saute for about a minute or two.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and saute till the tomatoes are soft.
5. Once the masala starts to release from the sides of the mixture. Then add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida/hing. Stir well.

 - Making palak paneer

1. Add the palak puree to this mixture and mix properly.
2. Now add ⅓ to ½ cup of water to it or as required. Stir.
3. Let it simmer for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the spinach gets cooked. Add salt to it as required.
4. After the gravy or sauce becomes thick in consistency, stir it and add garam masala powder.
5. Stir and add the paneer (cottage cheese) cubes as well.
6. Stir it and let it simmer on a low flame till the cubes of paneer cubes are soft and cook for about a minute.
7. Finally, add 1 to 2 tbsp low-fat cream and switch off the flame.

 - To garnish the palak paneer

1. Pour the palak paneer in the serving bowls and top it with a little butter or cream. Add a few drops of lime or lemon juice on it with ginger julienne and serve hot.

previous

congratulations as youve survived almost two weeks of lockdown. it is really important to stay at our homes during this difficult time and practise social distancing all the time

next

coronavirus pandemic will have a greater impact on the world economy. if we talk about the indian economy, the aftermaths of coronavirus pandemic are still not known.