CHEESY POTATOES

Fried potatoes don't always have to mean chips, but this bowl brings in cheese and chips in a new combo avatar.

Ingredients

3 large potatoes, diced

Half cup diced Dhaka poneer

1 cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup almonds, dry roasted

200g of lettuce

2 tbsp dry roasted cumin seeds, or jeera and nigella seeds, or kalojira

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

Method

Dice the potatoes and fry them in minimal oil, constantly stirring the pot to get them evenly browned. Roast the jeera and kalojira in ½ a teaspoon oil. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and toss them around.  Serve it within ten minutes of tossing to avoid wilting the lettuce.

LEAFY MEAT BOWL

Trying to find a great way to eat all that leftover Qurbani meat? This recipe uses my favourite green – kolmi shaak, with sesame seeds playing a cameo to the umami your senses will reach with the addition of soy sauce.

Ingredients

½ cup boiled boneless beef

1.5 cups stir fried water spinach or kolmi shaak

½ cup chopped green mango or hog plum (aamra)

¼ cup diced onions

150g lettuce

1 tbsp dry roasted sesame seeds

Dash of soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

Method

Boil the meat with salt, pepper, 2 cloves chopped garlic and pinch of apple cider vinegar. Stir fry the kolmi with 1 teaspoon of diced garlic and a dash of soy sauce for about 2 minutes. Mix all the ingredients together and you may add some more roasted peanuts or any other nuts in there to add some depth.

NUTTY EGGS

Fruits and nuts are your best friend in these trying times to keep those vitamins and essential body minerals up. This combo brings in my favourite antioxidant – raisins!

Ingredients

1 cup diced boiled eggs

1 cup diced apples

½ cup stir fried spinach

¼ cup raisins (black ones ideally) and ¼ cup chopped walnuts (you can use any other nuts)

1 tbsp yoghurt and ½ tsp mustard sauce or 1 tsp roasted mustard seeds

Method

Stir fry the spinach with 1 teaspoon of diced garlic, salt and pepper for about 3-4 minutes. Splatter the mustard seeds in about ½ teaspoon of olive oil and mix everything up, adding the mustard towards the end. 

CHICKEN & RICE BOWL

Ideal for an alternative to the proverbial fried rice we all love making to rehash leftover rice. This bowl needs a bit of real cooking but it still helps you construct a meal that uses up ingredients and still packs a tasty punch!

Ingredients

200g chicken boneless (cut into long strips)

1 cup boiled long grain rice

1 cup grated carrots; ½ cup grated cabbage

¼ cup tahini sauce

150g lettuce

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or ¼ cup lemon juice)

Method

Marinate the chicken in ¼ cup lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of garlic paste, salt, pepper and a pinch of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, for about 30 minutes. Oil with a brush; oil the chicken properly, then lather it with bread crumbs. Lay the chicken out on an oiled baking dish and bake till crisp for about 25 mins.

Cup them up into smaller, bite sized pieces. Boil the rice with ½ teaspoon of oil, pinch of salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. You may use pre-cooked rice or leftovers. Roast about ½ cup sesame seeds till they are brown then blend them with olive oil, salt, few squeezes of lemon juice, till it reaches a rich smoothness. Mix all the ingredients up and enjoy the crunch of the lettuce and chicken, the heaviness of tahini and the tartness of the vinegar.

LENTIL SALAD

I learned to eat lentils in a salad during my stay in Greece and I always go back to trying out different ways of using green moshur daal.

Ingredients

2-3 carrots, grated

1 cup boiled green lentils or moshur daal

1 cup diced tomatoes

½ cup corn kernels, boiled

½ cup diced capsicum

¼ cup grated cabbage (you could use red cabbage)

¼ cup onion diced

1 large hog plum or aamra, grated

¼ cup peanut sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Method

Dry roast the veggies as this is the rainy season, it's best to avoid completely raw food. To make the peanut sauce, blend about 200-250g peanuts into a smooth mix. Take out as much as you need and mix in some salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Boil the lentils with 1 whole garlic and mash it up with the rest of the daal. Fry the aamra in a dash of oil or you can keep them crunchy for the extra texture.

Mix all the ingredients and enjoy the burst of flavours!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Food and styling: RBR