by Sonal Katyal
It was a long day. Sore back, fatigue, and the body is now asking for a chill night. Then you hear a sound, “Rumble Grumble!” Clearly your stomach didn’t get the message. It needs to be fed now. You close your eyes and remember all the work and number of dishes that you will have to go through to stop that rumbling. Huh!
It’s two days to deadline. Time is obviously against you. When did time fly? (Really!). You look at your draft and then you look around the room. Okay, you still have fresh clothes, the table still has some space left so clearing can be postponed. All chores can be dealt later. But then, something feels odd. What is it? Emptiness sinks in. No, it’s not the mountains calling. It’s your tummy calling. But can you afford 1-2 hours of cooking with the deadline staring you in the face?
Ever been in one of the above situations? As a student, eating out might not be the best solution always. And meal deals might not help too. So, for situations like these, I bring you some fun recipes, that can satisfy your hunger and can be made quick! The ingredients can be handy for many recipes so do consider adding them in your grocery list. These are dishes I learnt in India, but the ingredients are easy-peasy to find! I am a vegetarian, so all of these are without any meat, but I can guarantee they are delicious and filling!
Pizza Sandwich
Ingredients:
For 2, you need:
4 slices of bread
Mozzarella cheese, amount as per your preference
Your favourite pizza toppings (I like onions, tomatoes, bell peppers), chopped – total veggies 1/3 cup
Pizza sauce, 3 Tbsp
Mayonnaise (if you like)
Pizza seasonings (oregano, chili flakes or Italian seasoning or mixed herbs)
Butter (slightly melted or spreadable version)
Let’s make it: Grate some cheese. Dice your favourite toppings in small cubes. I like tomatoes, onions, and bell pepper. You can also add olives, paneer, spinach, or any other pizza topping you love. For onions, I like using red onions but cook them slightly to make them taste better. Mix all the toppings in a bowl. Add your favourite pizza herbs. I like chili flakes and oregano. You can go for mixed herbs or Italian seasoning herbs as well. Then add some ready-made (or homemade if you have some on you already) pizza sauce. If you want a very cheesy sandwich, you can add some of the grated cheese at this step as well. Some people also like to add mayonnaise. Then mix everything. Take a slice of bread and put some of the pizza mix on it. Add some grated cheese on the top. Cover it with another slice of bread and press it slightly to close the sandwich. Spread some butter on top of the sandwich. Heat a flat pan. Once hot, put a little butter in it. Then put the sandwich with the buttered side facing up (you already have some butter on the pan for the non-buttered slice). Cook for 1 minute. Then flip it and repeat if required. Make sure the bread is cooked nicely on both sides. You can also use an oven or sandwich maker. Once done, the bread will turn crispy and the cheese would have melted. Transfer it to a plate and slice it into two halves (rectangles or triangles, that’s your choice). Enjoy as is or with your favourite pizza dip.
Paneer Sandwich
Ingredients:
For 2, you need
4 slices of bread
Oil/Ghee (Indian clarified butter)
1/2 cup Crumbled Paneer (Indian cooking cheese – you can get this at many supermarkets like Tesco or any South Asian store) 1/2 cup is roughly 1/2 of the regular 200 gm block you get in the market
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds (You can get this in the spice section of supermarkets like Sainsbury’s or Tesco or any South Asian Store
1/3 cup finely chopped onion (I use red onion, but you can use brown as well)
1/3 cup finely chopped tomato
½ tsp grated ginger or ginger paste
One green chili (optional)
Salt
1/3 tsp red chili powder (optional)
¼ cup finely chopped capsicum (optional)
Let’s make it: Take a pan and heat a table spoon some oil/ghee in it. Add the cumin seeds. Let them crackle. If you like chilies and spicy stuff, add a whole or half a finely chopped green chili. Then comes ginger. Make sure you don’t burn it and try to prevent it from sticking to the pan by stirring in between. If using ginger paste, be careful; it splutters. Personal safety first. (Tip: If I use a paste, I lower the gas or switch it off for that bit, keep my face at a safe distance and use a long handle spoon). Then add some finely chopped onions. Stir and let them cook. After the onions are cooked (they change colour), add the tomatoes and let it cook again. Then add some salt according to taste and half a tsp of chili powder. If you don’t like spicy, you can skip this or add very little. At this step add finely chopped capsicum if you like or feel free to omit. Then add some crumbled paneer and cook it for a minute. You get paneer as a block in the market, so you will need to crumble it. I do it by hand but choose your tool as per your comfort.
Take a pan and add some butter to it. Then put a slice of bread on it. Add some of the paneer mixture and cover it with another slice of bread and press slightly to close the sandwich. After a minute, flip it over. Cook on both sides till you feel the sandwich is done. You can also use an oven or a sandwich maker. Remove from the pan, slice into half, and enjoy with ketchup or as it is!
Bonus: If for any reason you have garam masala (an Indian spice, which is a blend of different spices) in your shelf, add just a pinch of it when you add the paneer. The sandwiches taste awesome even without it. This masala just gives that extra kick.
Chickpea chaat/salad
Ingredients
Boiled chickpeas (home boiled of from a can)
Chopped (small) onions
Chopped (small) tomatoes
Chopped (small) Cucumber
Pomegranate seeds
Black pepper
Salt
Lemon/Lemon juice
Chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Tamarind sauce (optional)
Mango powder/Chaat masala (an Indian spice that you can get in Indian store. This one tastes great with raw fruits like sliced apples, bananas, and pears)
Cubed (small) boiled potatoes (optional, just in case you have some in the fridge)
I have not listed the amount, because this is like a salad. You can add the quantity as per your preference, just don’t overdo it. For example, if I am taking ½ cup of chickpeas, I will add 1.5 -2 tbsp each of cucumber, tomatoes, onions.
Let’s make it: Open a small can of boiled chickpeas and transfer the required quantity into a bowl. Heat them in water as per the instructions on the can (usually takes 3-4 minutes). While this is happening gather other ingredients (time management!). Drain the chickpeas and let them cool while you chop and prepare other stuff. In a mixing bowl add the chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and the pomegranate seeds. Then add the chickpeas (check whether you are happy with how soft they are). Now add some black pepper powder, a pinch of salt and mix well. Finally squeeze some lemon, then sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves, and mix again. This recipe tastes even better with some tamarind sauce. Usually, the ones you get in Edinburgh are slightly thicker than homemade ones. You can take a teaspoon of it and make it thinner with some water before adding it to your chickpea mix. Usually there is a little water from the cucumbers and chickpeas, so I just add the thick version itself, and it mixes easily. I also like to add chaat masala (a salad Indian spice mix) or mango powder to this mix. If for any reason you have some boiled potatoes at home or have some extra time to boil one, then you can add some cubes boiled potatoes as well.
Tip: I use red onions for this. The ones I find in the local supermarket taste a bit strong when eaten raw. So, after chopping them, I let them sit in some cold/iced water for a few minutes and drain them before adding. That tones the pungent and strong taste down. Since this needs at least 10 minutes (or more if you have more time), I chop the onions before starting any other preparation and add them in the last.
Healthy All-in-One Salad
Ingredients
Salad leaves
Pumpkin seeds,
Pomegranate seeds
Walnuts
Paneer/Feta cheese
Apple
Olive oil
Salad peppers
Black pepper
Your favourite salad dressing
Lemon/Lemon juice
Let’s make it: Take your favourite medium sized bowl. Add your favourite salad leaves (My favourite is the baby salad leaves you get in the stores). Toss some pumpkin seeds. If you have pomegranate seeds, what are you waiting for? Toss them in. Break 3-4 walnuts into smaller pieces. Add them in. Dice an apple into small pieces and add it to your salad party. Cube some paneer and then slightly toast it in some oil or ghee (Indian clarified butter). Add this toasted paneer into your salad. If you don’t have paneer, use feta cheese. If you have some sweet salad peppers (bell peppers), you can dice and add them too. Add some black pepper. Add your favourite salad dressing. I like olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Squeeze some lemon on the top. Mix it like you mean it! Ta-da! A very tasty, crunchy, filling salad dinner is ready! You’ve covered seeds, nuts, fruits, greens, protein, citrus – everything! The paneer helps you fill up. Don’t overdo it though – add only how much your tummy can handle. I like to add 7-10 small cubes.
Besan Chilla (Savory Indian pancakes made with gram flour)
Ingredients
For 2 you need:
1/2 cup Gram flour (you can find it in the Indian/world sections of most supermarkets or in any South Asian store)
Salt
A pinch of turmeric
¼ tsp grated Ginger
¼ tsp Carom seeds (Ajwain) (can be found in any South Asian store)
1/3 of a small tomato – finely chopped (optional)
1/3 of a small onion – finely chopped (optional)
One small green chili (optional)
1 tbsp coriander leaves
Water
¼ tsp red chili powder (optional)
Grated paneer (optional)
Patience – Gram flour takes time to cook
Let’s make it:Take the gram flour in any medium or large bowl. Add a bit of salt. I recommend 1 tsp, but you can taste the batter later and decide for yourself. If you have ajwain (carom seeds), add ¼ tsp. Then add a pinch on turmeric powder and mix all the ingredients. This dish can be made without tomatoes and onions but adding them makes it more delicious. Take a hand chopper, or the good old knife and finely chop 1/3 of small onion and a small tomato. Remember to chop finely otherwise it will not make a smooth batter. Grate a small piece of ginger and a green chili. Add all of these in the bowl. Add nicely washed coriander leaves. You can chop them or put them as it. Your life, your style.
Now heat a flat pan (any pan you would use to make a pancake/omelette/crepe etc). This is medium-high heat level. While it is heating, put water in the bowl with everything and mix nicely. First add 2-3 tablespoons. If the batter is too thick, then you can add more water. The consistency of this batter should be flowy, pourable, but thick. There should be no lumps. You should be able to make a roundish pancake out of it. It shouldn’t be runny like the time of your current deadline. Taste the saltiness and add more salt if you like. If it is too salty, add more of the gram flour. I like to add 1/4 tsp of red chili powder as well, but you can skip if you don’t like spicy flavour. If your pan is nonstick, you should be okay without oil. If it is not, then grease your hot pan with some drops of oil. When the pan is hot enough (if you put a drop of water on it, it starts dancing), pour a ladle full of the batter in the centre of the pan and then swish swoosh, spread it. Make a roundish shape and go as thin as possible. Lower the heat to medium low. And drizzle a bit oil on the top and sides of this chilla. In a few minutes, the sides will start to come off. It’s time for the fun flip. Flip it, don’t slip it. Press it down a bit with your spoon/spatula (whatever you have) and let it cook on the other side. Do you see brown spots coming on the chilla? Yes, then stop! Check if it is cooked on both sides. Once done, remove it from the pan and transfer it to your plate. Make the second one and more (if you have batter left). Switch off the gas and switch on the fun. You can enjoy this pancake as is, or with ketchup or tamarind sauce or coriander chutney, whatever is available. Remember, this pancake is a dense pancake, not a fluffy one. I also like to add paneer on it. I grate some paneer and sprinkle it after pouring the batter. This way it sticks to the chilla and when you flip it, the paneer gets cooked as well.
Looking for more adventure?
If you have some bread left over, another quick recipe is BREAD UPMA (aka Bread poha). There are many variants of it. Go ahead, find the most appealing. My favourite is https://www.tarladalal.com/bread-upma-south-indian-style-bread-upma-40530r
Enjoy cooking and eat well!
