How many of us fall in the category of busy working women who come home tired and yearn for those days when our mothers kept the thali before us? All that we had to do was to dig in and relish watching TV simultaneously followed by a good night’s sleep.
Gone are those luxurious days and now being in my mother’s shoes myself I have no other option but to cater every beck and call of my family. Of course, there are many days when I am in my greatest moods of novelty experiments! On those days, I end up getting showers of compliments but that generally takes place on holidays or weekends.
Quick and Easy Recipes within 15 Minutes Flat:
Weekdays, I try to keep it simple without stressing myself and living up to everybody’s taste at the same time keeping it healthy.
Here I have listed 10 quick and easy recipes for working, busy moms or wives:
#1. Simple Dal fry:
Pressure cook toor dal or tuvar dal with salt, turmeric and Tomato (optional) up to 1-2 whistles,
For tadka:
Heat oil as per required in the kadhai. Add cumin seeds.
Soon after they crackle, add onions and sauté. Finally add chilli powder. Mix with the pressure cooked dal, let it boil for 2 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.
#2. Pasta:
Pressure cook pasta up to 1 whistle, drain and keep it aside.
Cut vegetables whatever available at home like tomatoes, onions, capsicum, french beans, carrots etc and of course ginger.
Heat oil/butter in a kadhai. Add the chopped vegetables along with the spices you desire to have (I prefer turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper and salt).
Saute until it is cooked. Mix it with the boiled pasta and sauce.
Garnish it with cheese and oregano.
#3. Aloo-Gobi:
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, ajwain seeds.
Add the cut potatoes and cauliflower, followed by coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and garam masala.
Cook for up to 1 whistle and here we are ready in a jiffy.
#4. Mutter Paneer:
Pressure cook green peas up to one whistle with a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste.
Heat oil in a kadhai, add cumin seeds, chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic paste.
Add coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garam masala and add the mixture to the green peas and cubes of paneer. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes and enjoy.
#5. Aloo – Baingan:
Wash and cut brinjals, potatoes and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds.
After they splutter, add the chopped vegetables followed by coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, salt and garam masala.
Cook over medium flame and switch off the gas before the cooker hoots. It will be ready in 5 minutes in very less oil and no excessive gas consumption.
Enjoy with rice or hot chapattis.
- Potato cheese mash for babies and toddlers
#6. Moong Curry or Whole Green Gram Curry:
Wash and soak moong or whole green gram or cherupayar overnight.
Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles with salt and turmeric.
Heat oil in a kadhai, sauté chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger with coriander powder, and chilli powder.
Mix it with moong; add water to get the gravy consistency.
Let it boil for 5 minutes and it is ready to be served.
- Read : Whole green gram sundall for babies and kids
#7. Egg Rice:
Cook rice and keep it aside. In a kadhai, heat oil and ghee.
Add chopped onions, tomatoes, carrots, green peas, 3 to 4 pods of clove, cinnamon sticks with salt, biryani/pulav masala.
Add 3 to 4 green chillies and sauté for 5 minutes.
Break eggs and scramble it. Let it cook and finally add rice.
Toss and serve.
In the picture I have used boiled rice after removing the starch.
- Egg pudding for babies and kids
- 8 egg recipes for babies and toddlers
#8. Kadhi :
Beat besan, water and curd into a medium consistency with a pinch of turmeric and salt as per taste.
Heat oil in a kadhai. Crackle mustard/cumin seeds along with 3-4 pods of clove, cinnamon stick, dry red chillies, curry leaves.
Pour the beaten curd and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or pulav.
#9. Chicken Curry:
Pressure cook chopped tomatoes, potatoes, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, chilli powder, salt, turmeric, garam masala, curry leaves and chicken pieces.
Add water for the gravy consistency. Cook up to 1 whistle.
Heat oil in a kadhai, add chopped onions and sauté till they turn golden.
Mix it with chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Your chicken curry is ready.
Serve hot with rice or chapattis.
- Chicken soup for babies and kids
- Sweet potato, apple and chicken mash recipe for babies
#10. Kadoo aur Chawli ki sabzi or Pumpkin White Beans Curry:
Pressure cook kadhoo (pumpkin) and chawli (white beans) upto 2 whistles with turmeric and salt.
For tadka, heat oil in a kadhai, add mustard seeds, dry red chillies and mix with the pressure cooked kadoo and chawli.
You can also add coconut for further enhancing the taste.
#11. Dal palak:
Everything remains the same of dal fry, just that we need to add chopped spinach while we pressure cook dal along with salt and turmeric.
- Spinach soup for babies and toddlers
- Palak poori for toddlers
- Vegetable soup with spinach and sprouts
Hope you liked this post on easy and quick recipes for busy moms. I guess these recipes are apt for bachelors and hubbies too
Share your jhat-pat recipes with us and let us all get acquainted to quick cooking and earning beaming faces.
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