Are you a proud member of the self-proclaimed home chefs club? Do you think your cup noodles and boiled eggs qualify as ‘gourmet’? Well, it’s the third year of the memorable 20s and this year is all about upgrading yourself and learning some basic life skills. And even though you can sort of survive on Maggi and omelettes, it can’t hurt to know a bit more, right? You don’t have to create Masterchef-level dishes, but you should know enough to give you decent, half-healthy options for a week. So, here are some easy and quick Indian recipes for people who just can’t cook!

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1. Egg Bhurji

Ingredients: 

4 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 tsp finely chopped green chillies

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

2. Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

3-4 curry leaves

2 green chillies, slit lengthwise

1 piece of ginger, grated

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

1 tsp turmeric

Juice of 2 lemons

2 cups cooked basmati rice, or leftover rice

Salt to taste

Method:

Take a pan and heat some oil in it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chillies and fry the mixture until the splattering stops. Next, add the ginger and peanuts and fry for another minute. Turn off the heat and add the turmeric powder and lemon juice and mix till the mixture is well combined. Now, add the rice, coriander powder, and salt to taste, and mix thoroughly. There it is, an easy and quick recipe for an Indian dish that is fuss-free and tastes absolutely delicious.

3. Dahi Chicken

Ingredients:

500 gm chicken, cut into small pieces

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp red chilli powder or flakes

3 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 cup curd

1/2 cup cream

1 tsp pepper powder

2 tsp kasoori methi

2 green chillies

Juice of 2 lemons

1/2 cup water

Method:

Place a pan over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil to it. Once hot, add the ginger-garlic paste to it and stir till the raw smell goes away and it turns slightly brown. Add the chicken to it and cook it for 5-7 minutes till the chicken starts to show some brown spots. You can add a little water if you feel the chicken needs to cook more. Next, add the salt, pepper, red chilli powder, and green chillies, and mix for a minute before adding curd to the pan. Let it cook for another 5 minutes till the curd releases all the water and coats the chicken completely. Now, add cream, kasoori methi, and lemon juice, give it a good mix and serve hot.

4. Jeera Aloo 

Ingredients:

2 tsp oil

1 tbsp jeera

1–inch ginger (finely chopped)

2 green chillies (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 

1/2 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp amchur 

A pinch of hing

Salt to taste

2 boiled potatoes (peeled & cubed)

1-2 tbsp water

2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method:

5. Kachumber Salad

Ingredients:

3 spring onions

1 beetroot

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 large cucumber

1 large carrot

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Method:

Wash, peel, and cut your vegetables into small cubes and halves, and add them to a big bowl. To this, add the spices, lemon juice, and coriander leaves, and mix well till everything is combined. Serve this refreshing and tangy salad with any dish or have it as it is for a quick and healthy snack.

6. Mutton Keema

Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp garam masala

Salt, to taste

500 grams mutton keema

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, and once hot, add cumin seeds and fry for about a minute till they stop spluttering. Next, add the onions and saute them till they turn golden brown, for about 5 minutes. To this, add ginger and garlic paste and cook for about a minute. Next, add the coriander, cumin, garam masala, and salt to taste and saute, stirring almost continuously, until the oil begins to separate from the masala. Add the mutton keema and cook for 5-7 minutes till it turns brown, and then, add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft. Once done, turn off the heat, add lemon juice, mix well, and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve this mouthwatering, easy and quick Indian dish with naan or plain rotis.

7. Chilli Cheese Toast

Ingredients:

5 slices of brown bread

1/2 cup mozzarella grated

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ginger, grated 

Salt as required, optional

Crushed black pepper as required

Butter, salted and softened, as required

Method:

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