Due to the lack of materials and their unavailability in the market during this lockdown period, it becomes difficult for the family to cook food in a healthy manner. So, to make you less concerned about 'what to cook today', let's cook today some easy, healthy and quick dinner recipes that are not only easy to cook but does not require many ingredients as well.
The body gets tired while doing all the household chores and when you have to cook something good for your family and you do not have the appropriate ingredients for it, then your problems can get worse. Also, it is not an easy task to reduce the hunger level of the whole family with just one dish. Hence, to cook healthy for your family as well as to stay at home, you can try the following recipes for your dinner.
1. PANEER TIKKA MASALA
This is one of my favourite dinner recipes and I cook it often whenever I see that there is nothing much left in my refrigerator which can become 'a prospective ingredient' for any of my dinner recipes. Paneer Tikka Masala can be cooked during any such festival which needs a pure vegetarian meal, as it is cooked without Onion and Garlic. However, onion lovers can add it to the curry, but it is completely of the maker's choice.
INGREDIENTS FOR PANEER TIKKA MASALA - Serves 4
For Marination
Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 300gms (cut into medium-sized squares)
Yoghurt - 1.5 tablespoons
Besan (Gram Powder) - 1.5 tablespoons
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - Half teaspoon
Salt - As per to taste
For Gravy/Curry
Tomatoes - 3 medium-sized
Asafoetida - a pinch
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cooking oil - 2.5 tablespoons
Coriander Leaves - to garnish
Method for cooking Paneer Tikka Masala
To start with its preparation, it is vital to marinate Paneer pieces. To marinate, take a medium-sized bowl and put yoghurt as per the above-mentioned quantity. Now add besan, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt as per the taste. Mix it well and make a fine paste. Now dip these paneer pieces into it carefully without making them break. Make sure the paste is covering the paneer pieces properly so that the taste can get into these.
Keep this bowl inside the refrigerator for 1 hour. After this, take the bowl out of the refrigerator. Take a saucepan, and brush it with cooking oil. Once the saucepan gets sufficiently hot, put the gas on a low flame. Now start swallow frying paneer pieces on it. Just make sure that these paneer pieces (cottage cheese) turn into golden in colour from both sides. Once all pieces get properly fried take them out into a plate. You may keep the leftover paste of yoghurt and besan in the bowl itself for its further use.
The next step, which comes is the preparation of its curry/gravy. Take tomatoes and cut them into small pieces so that they can be easily ground into the fine paste with the help of mixer grinder. Once done, keep it aside. Now take kadhai (cauldron) and put it into medium flame and add cooking oil to it. Once the oil gets hot, add asafoetida, roasted cumin powder, and turmeric powder to it. Stir it once and then add tomato paste, which was earlier grounded in the mixer grinder. Keep stirring it well and you can add water to it to maintain the required consistency. Cover it with a lid for 5 minutes and keep the gas flame on low heat. You can now add that leftover paste of yoghurt and besan in this curry/gravy and stir it well. Once done, now added fried pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) into it. Stir it carefully and cover the kadhai again for just 3 minutes. Garnish it with coriander leaves and Paneer Tikka Masala is ready to serve!
You can enjoy Paneer Tikka Masala with Roti (Indian Bread), Butter Nan or with Zeera Rice.
2. Green Moong Dal Tadka
It is majorly a Punjabi cuisine. Although it looks like Dal Makhni, it is not exactly the same. With the perfect combination of ginger, garlic and Indian spices like red chilly powder and garam masala, it becomes a 'must-try' dish for every Dal aka Lentil lover. Moreover, this Indian meal is the best source of protein. Let us now look at its ingredients and the way of cooking this mouth-watering meal. And yes, you can have Moong dal Tadka with soft and freshly made Phulkas or with Roti (the Indian Bread).
Ingredients for Green Moong Dal Tadka - Serves 4
Whole moong dal (Sabut) - 1.5 bowl (Soaked in water for approximately half an hour)
Desi Ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil - 3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Finely chopped Onion - 1 medium-sized
Garlic - 2-3 (finely chopped)
Ginger grated - 1 inch
Tomato - 1 medium-sized finely chopped.
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1.5 teaspoon
Salt - as per the taste
Method for cooking Green Moong dal Tadka
Take a pressure cooker and add soaked moong dal with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt. Let pressure cooker give 10-12 whistles (as this dal/lentil takes some extra time to get boiled). Then switch off the flame and let the cooker rest until the steam gets released.
In a kadhai (cauldron), add cooking oil/desi ghee as per the quantity mentioned above in the ingredient list. Now add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Next add asafoetida, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Sauté them properly. Next add salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, and garam masala. Again, sauté them and cover them with a lid for 3 minutes. This will make tomatoes and onions tender and soft. Once it is done, add previously boiled sabut (whole) green moong dal to it and stir it properly. You may add water to make it in a suitable consistency. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes.
And TADA! your sabut green moong dal tadka is ready to be served. You can sprinkle some coriander leaves (finely chopped) for garnishing purpose. For making it more presentable, add a tadka of desi ghee (clarified butter) with red chilly powder.
3. Baigan Kalonji(Brinjals with Black caraway seeds)
So, you are not an eggplant/brinjal lover? Do not worry, try this easy and tasty recipe of Baigan Kalonji and I am sure you will fall in love with them.
This recipe adds a new twist to old and boring brinjals which are often been rejected by our kids. Baigan Kalonji are not only delectable but also associated with several health benefits. So, now let us have a look at its ingredients and its method for cooking.
INGREDIENTS FOR BAIGAN KALONJI (BRINJALS with Black Caraway ) - Serves 4
Eggplant/Brinjals - 8 small sized
Onion- 1 big-sized
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Tomato-1 big sized
Fennel (saunf) - half teaspoon
Black caraway (kalonji) - half teaspoon
Fenugreek (methi) - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Red chilli powder- half teaspoon
Mustard oil - 3 tablespoons (for cooking)
Salt - as per the taste
METHOD FOR COOKING BAIGAN KALONJI
Take eggplants/brinjals and slit them from the middle to make sure that no insect is lying inside and the stuffing can be done easily. keep them aside. Now take onion, garlic and tomato and make a fine paste of these three using a mixer grinder. Take kadhai (cauldron) and put the gas flame on medium. Put mustard oil in kadhai in the aforesaid mentioned quantity. Once it gets sufficiently hot, put fennel (saunf), fenugreek (methi) and black caraway (kalonji/mangraila). let them splutter for 1 minute and then add the fine paste of onion, garlic and tomato. Mix them well and then, you can add salt as per the taste, turmeric powder, and red chilly powder. Cook them under low flame until they get properly cooked. Now you add eggplants/brinjals to this paste. Try to stuff this cooking paste inside the slit portion of the brinjals. And once they are done, cover the kadhai with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes. Once you see that masala has started leaving oil and brinjal have also become soft and tender then it means that your Baingan Kalonji is ready to eat. Enjoy this with Paratha or with Roti.
I hope this blog has been #helpful to you in deciding today's dinner menu. If so, then do not forget to share this blog further. Leave your valuable comments and feedback on how did you liked this #DinnerRecipes. If you have any suggestions to add, then share it with me in the comment section below.
Take care!