We invited Get Ahead readers to share quick-fix office recipes with us -- easily-prepared foods that takes less than an hour to whip up before you head to work in the morning. We've been flooded with responses and as part of an ongoing series, present three lunch recipes that you can carry in your dabba.
Archana Chegu from Bangalore sent in this recipe for Carrot Rice:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rice
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 2 chopped onions
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1/2 tsp red chillie powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 bayleaf
- 4 cups water
- Salt to taste
Method of preparation:
- Heat a little oil and ghee in a pressure cooker. When it is hot enough, add the bay leaf and cardamom pods.
- After a minute, add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till onions are slightly browned.
- Add grated carrots and green peas and mix well.
- Next, add salt, turmeric, red chillie powder, garam masala and mix well.
- Finally, add the rice and water.Place the cooker's lid on and cook till done.
- Transfer to your lunch box. Your Carrot Rice will taste great with Onion Raita.
Here's how to prepare Easy Chilli Chicken by Gopal Ramtri:
Ingredients:
- 8 boneless pieces of chicken
- 8-10 green chillies
- 2 onions (finely sliced or grated)
- 2 tbsps cornflour
- 3-4 tsps soya sauce
- 3 tbsps oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method of preparation:
- Pour a cup of water into a pan and heat; boil chicken for five minutes with the lid on. Drain the chicken and empty into a bowl.
- Add soya sauce, cornflour and salt to the chicken and set aside.
- Slit the green chillies obliquely into half-inch pieces
- Heat cooking oil in a pan, add green chillies and fry till lightly brown. Set aside.
- Add onions to the same cooking oil and fry for few minutes. Add the chicken mixture and place the lid on for about four minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pan, add fried chillies and fry till crisp and brown (the soya sauce mixture must stick to the chicken, leaving the oil clear).
- Serve with a light vegetable noodle preparation or Chinese fried rice.
And here's how to cook up Besan Ka Chilla (Chickpea Pancakes) with Pudina Chutney, by Sasmita Sahani:
Ingredients:
For Besan Ka Chilla:
- 5 tbsps gram flour (besan)
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 small onion
- 1 small tomato
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp chillie powder
- Salt to taste
- Oil as per requirements
For Pudina Chutney:
- 50 gm mint leaves (pudina)
- 1/2 a coconut, cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsps tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp fried cumin seeds (jeera)
- 4 green chillies
- Salt to taste
Method of preparation:
For Besan Ka Chilla:
- Mix the water, salt and chillie powder with the besan to create a medium-thick batter.
- Then add the cucumber, onion and tomato to it, mixing well.
- Heat a griddle (tawa) and use cooking oil to grease it.
- Using a round serving spoon, pour some batter onto the griddle and cook on a low flame. Flip sides till both are browned. The batter is enough for 5-6 spicy chilla.
For Pudina Chutney:
- Grind all the ingredients together and your chutney is ready!
Do you have any quick-fix preparations that you'd like to share with us and other readers? It has to be something appetising and easily whipped up (in under an hour). Simply mail in your tiffin recipe ideas to getahead@rediff.co.in and we'll publish them right here on rediff.com
Channel your inner chef and help people economise without compromising on their meals!