One pot meal to save your day ( days)

I absolutely love simple and easy to prepare one pot meal. I love how its can be an amalgamation of veggies, meat and you can use all sorts of pastas and rice to make them. All that you need to do for these one mot meals is to choose what flavors you want to play with.

Additionally,Some of the simplest and easiest one mot meals would be with either an alfredo sauce, arrabiata sauce, pesto sauce or a desi sauce. When it comes to desi sauces, you an either have a fiery one pot meal or a mild one with just whole spices.

This one particular rice pot meal is my go to dish on days when I have succumbed to being a Jill of all trades. I use meat or veggies depending on my mood. Conversely you can choose to substitute it with either soaked beans, cottage cheese or simply make do with potatoes. Another benefiting factor is that you can let it cook while you juggle other chores. Here is what you would need for this one pot meal.

Recipe for One Pot Meal

Prep Time – 15 mins Cooking Time – 35 mins Total Time – 50 mins.

Ingredients

• 500 grams of cleaned and washed chicken/ meat/veggies.
• 3 cups of rice – 650 – 750 grams.
• 2 big onions finely sliced.
• 3 green cardamoms.
• 4 cloves.
• 6 to 7 Black peppercorns.
• 1-inch cinnamon stick.
• 2 big tomatoes finely chopped.
• 2 green chillies finely chopped.
• 1 tbsp ginger- garlic paste.
• 1 tsp chopped ginger.
• 1 tsp chopped garlic.
• 1 tsp turmeric powder.
• 1 tsp chilli powder.
• 1 tbsp coriander powder.
• 1 tsp cumin powder.
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder.
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1tsp pepper powder
• 1 cup curd.
• Salt as per taste.
• Chopped Coriander and Mint Leaves for Garnish.
• Oil for cooking.

Method

I usually prefer marinating the meat for some time before cooking. This helps in tenderising the meat and helps the flavours seep right in. Also put the rice to soak till you cook the chicken or veggies.

Take the chicken or your choice of veggies in a bowl. Add half cup curd, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp pepper powder. Mix well and let it marinate while you sauté other items.

Now in a heavy bottomed pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil. Add in all the whole spices (cardamom, black pepper corns, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon stick) Let it leave some aroma. Keep the flame on medium to avoid them getting burned. Now add the finely sliced onions. Sauté for 1 min and add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Sauté well again. Sauté the onions until they turn brown.

Once the onions turn brown, add the chicken and sauté really well. You need to sauté until the raw smell of the chicken goes away. If you are using vegetables, you need to toss them until they turn a little tender. You do not need to overcook the veggies.

Once the chicken has been fried really well and the raw smell disappears, add in the powdered spices. Start by adding, turmeric, followed by chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Sauté it really well till it gets mixed in the chicken. Fry all the spices and the chicken for 2 mins. Now add in the chopped tomatoes and salt.A Mix them well. Cook the tomatoes, until they are mushy. Now add the remaining curd and mix everything really well.Cook it for another 5 minutes.

Once the chicken and the spices, start leaving oil, add the dry mango powder and mix. Now, add the drained and soaked rice. Remember the rice swells up on soaking. Mix the rice and the chicken well for 1 minute. Now add 3 glasses of water. Let it come to a boil again. Stir it well. Now let it boil on medium heat. Once the water reduces to more than half of its original quantity, add the coriander and mint leaves. Mix it well and cover the pot. Let it cook on a slow flame till the rice gets completely soft.Your one pot meal is ready.

You can serve it as it is or with a salad. We like to have it with a little salad tossed in curd known as raita or with some pickle.

Tips

Cooking time for meat and vegetables would differ. So adjust accordingly.

It also depends on what vegetables you are using as some vegetables cook easily and some take time. A combination of carrot, beans,corn, potatoes and peas works really well.

You can reduce the quantity of curd in marination when using vegetables.

If you decide to use pasta, make sure you boil it first and skip using curd completely

You can skip the rice completely and turn it into a gravy to go with bread or chapati.

You can even garnish with birista which is fried onions.

Hope you enjoy making this easy one pot recipe. Do tag me on Instagram if you try it