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 four lunch recipes that you can carry in your dabba.
Mrinmayee Ranade sends in her recipe for Paneer Parathas:
Ingredients:
- 100 gm fresh paneer (cottage cheese)
- 2 cups wheat flour
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper powder
- Chopped coriander leaves
Method of preparation:
- Mash the paneer evenly
- Mix the flour in it with the other ingredients
- Use as much flour as the paneer takes to make nice, rollable dough.
- You won't need to add any oil as the paneer is moist enough.
- Roll parathas with the dough and cook on a tawa/frying pan.
- You could add finely chopped green chillies too.
- This should make 4 to 5 parathas.
Romi Chatterjee shares her recipe for Pav Bhaaji:
Ingredients:
- 4 large potatoes boiled, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 medium or 1 large carrot, grated finely
- 1 cup boiled green peas
- 1 cup caulilower florets, boiled till almost tender
- 1 large green bell pepper/ capsicum, cut into very tiny pieces
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped fine
- 4 large onions, chopped very fine
- 3 tbsp garlic, chopped very fine
- 6-8 tbsps salted butter
- 2 tbsp Pav Bhaaji Masala (avaialble at any supermarket)
- Salt to taste
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Freshly chopped corainder leaves to garnish
- 8 pavs/ small buns
Method of preparation:
- Heat a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add 3 tbsp of butter and allow to melt.
- Add the onions and fry till translucent. Add the all the other veggies and garlic. Mix well and sprinkle the Paav Bhaaji masala over the veggies. Add salt to taste.
- Cook till the capsicum is tender and then begin to mash with the back of a slotted spoon. Mash to a course texture.
- Add a tablespoon of butter, mix and cook for a few more minutes. Turn off the fire.
- Heat a griddle on a medium flame till hot. While it is heating, slit the pavs/ buns in half horizontally and butter heavily.
- Place the buns open and face down on the pan. Press down on them with a spatula and cook till golden and crisp. Flip and repeat on other side.
- Serve the pavs with piping hot bhaaji, garnished with finely chopped onion and lemon wedges.
Hada sends in a recipe for Chicken Salad/ Chicken Sandwich:
Ingredients:
- 2 boiled, finely shredded chicken breasts (boneless)
- 1 capsicum, finely chopped for sandwich or diced for salad
- 1 onion, finely chopped for sandwich or diced for salad
- 2 tbsp cheese spread
- 1 tbsp hung curds (if the cheese is to heavy, you may substitute it with the hung curds and some fresh cream)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper powder and some herbs
Method of preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients and toss well. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs, and your salad is ready.
- Take 4 slices of brown bread and stuff them with the mix, and you have sandwiches for two. An easy to prepare recipe that does not take more than 10 minutes if the ingredients are kept ready in advance.
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!