We can all agree that washing up all the pots and pans and miscellaneous cooking items takes up a lot of the pre & post meal time; it’s not ideal. Wouldn’t it be better to be able to quickly wash up and then go right back to relaxing, after a long meal? This is where one pot meals come to the rescue.
What is a one pot meal?
Simply put, this meal requires only one pot. This could mean one pot/skillet/pan/baking tray but essentially everything is prepared in that one vessel. Everything that is necessary in a meal, i.e. carbohydrates, protein and vegetables are all put together into one yummy dish. They offer the pleasure of home cooking assembled with little fuss and minimal clean-up.
Why it simplifies the cooking experience:
- Cooking only one dish. Instead of spending time on cooking a main dish and side dishes (such as cooking roti, sabzi separately)
- Clean-up kept to a minimum
- Trying out a variety of cuisines made easy! Most cuisines have their variety of a one pot dish so you can cook up a variety of dishes
A one pot recipe can range from a slow-cooked meaty stew to an easy, lazy stir-fried rice or even a summery pasta, but since we’re looking at quick & easy meals, here’s a classic, speedy recipe to get you started:
Ingredients:
Ingredients
- 500 grams of chicken
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Plain yogurt
- 1 tsp Ginger Paste
- 1 tsp Garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp jeera
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 3 cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 cups soaked basmati rice/regular rice)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup Hot water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander
- 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp ghee
- 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp ghee
Instructions
- Mix the chicken with the ingredients for the marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Wash and soak the basmati rice for about 20 minutes (30 minutes for regular rice). Drain.
- Place the whole spices and the ginger garlic paste in cooking oil. Saute until they start to sizzle
- Add in the sliced onions and fry until lightly browned
- Add in the marinated chicken pieces and let the whole mixture cook for 10-12 minutes
- Add in the coriander and the min leaves and stir until aromatic
- Put in the soaked rice and pour the coconut milk and water into the pot
- Cover and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes until the rice is fully cooked
- Sprinkle garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, and ghee and stir the mixture thoroughly
Recipe Notes
And there you have it, a quick, one pot meal! Find more delicious one pot recipes here. If you try out any one pot meal, tag us @licious_foods! We’d love to hear about your cooking experiences.