Easy & Healthy Recipes To Get You Through Lockdown

May 05, 2021

It’s all about staying calm, eating healthy and hoping that the pandemic will spare us soon!

With the pandemic creating a mayhem, people all over the country have been forced to retire from everyday routine and stay cooped in the safe confine of their homes. But staying home certainly doesn’t imply going astray from your fitness goals and chowing down chocolates, chips and other junks lying in our pantry. Utilize this lockdown period to make healthy choices and eat food that are wholesome, nutritious and boosts our immunity. Afterall we need all the strength and energy to battle the all-pervasive Covid 19 for ourselves as well as our loved ones. Thus, when you see yourself gravitating towards the very-easy and highly alluring 2-minutes noodles or chocolate cookies, halt and head towards your kitchen to rustle up some quick, easy and super healthy recipes.

Here are some miser in calories and lavish in flavour recipes, made using easily available pantry items and minimal efforts:

1. Ancient & awesome Khichdi

Made under 30 minutes, this traditional recipe is protein-packed, super comforting and so easy to prepare. This flavorsome meal is filling, inexpensive and more importantly provides all the essential nutrients that we need to combat this dreadful pandemic.

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled yellow moong dal

1 cup rice

½ tsp turmeric powder

10 black peppercorns

2 ½ tbsp ghee

Steps:

Wash and soak dal and rice together for at least 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Combine the dal and rice with turmeric powder, peppercorn, salt and 41/2 cups of water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
Open the cooker when the steam escapes.
Serve the khichdi hot with kadhi, papad and curd.
Additionally, you can also add the tempering of cumin seeds, curry leaves and chopped garlic.
If you want and if you have you can add as many veggies as you want

2. Spicy & succulent curd sandwich

There’s nothing like a good ol’ sandwich to pass this passive time. And when it is a sandwich that is refreshing, moist and completely nutritious, then you certainly will forget the ominous time that we all are encountering.

Here’s the simplest way to prepare this succulent treat:

Ingredients:

Hung Curd or Greek yogurt. (You can prepare hung curd by draining the water)

Bread

Vegetables – spinach, carrots, onion, and l bell peppers

Spices –salt and pepper, chili

Butter

Herbs –You can use mint, cilantro, basil, thyme, or rosemary, or a combination of all

Cheese slice

Steps:

Take the hung curd and all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Mix everything well until well combined.
Next, take 2 bread slices. Place one slice of cheese one bread and spread the mixture generously on top. Cover it with another slice over it.
Heat a tawa or grilling pan. Add some butter.
Place the sandwich and apply some ghee over it. Toast one side of bread by pressing gently on low flame (Keep the flame low to medium all the time to get the sandwich crispy and evenly cooked).
Flip the sandwich and again roast it until light brown on low to medium heat.
Serve it with ketchup or dip of your choice.

3. Easy, breezy & filling Paneer

There’s nothing as heartening, humble as well as extravagant as paneer or cottage cheese. It can easily adapt into any form and serve you as a main dish or sidekicks. Here, we are creating a piquant, easy and perfect rendition of this much-loved ingredient that can be prepared in only 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250g

Yogurt - 2 TBSP

Tomato Puree - 4 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 3 TBSP

Steps:

Marinate: Cut Paneer pieces in cubes. In a separate bowl mix yogurt and tomato puree and to that all the spices. Mix everything well and then dump Paneer pieces. Coat them well.
Next, in a pan add some oil. When oil is medium hot, add Paneer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pan. That’s it. You are done.

Team it up with rice, roti or paratha and a lavish, healthy meal is made.

4. Wow Watermelon salad

Beat the heat and also stay upbeat with this super refreshing salad. Seasonal fruit meets a healthy twist to make a heavenly snack that you can savour anytime of the day.

Ingredients:

8 heaping cups of cubed seedless watermelon

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili flakes

Steps:

Cube the watermelon: Cut the watermelon into 1" thick slices. Remove the rind and cut the slice into 1" strips vertically and then turn your knife (or cutting board) and cut the strips into 1" cubes. Set aside.
Prep the remaining ingredients:Remove a handful of mint and cilantro leaves from their stems and finely chop them. Juice 1/3 cup of fresh lime juice.
Mix & munch: In a large bowl, starting with the watermelon, add all the prepared ingredients along with the salt and chili flakes. Gently mix all the salad ingredients together. Cover the bowl and let it chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge, gently stir the salad one more time and serve!

So refreshing!

5. Omelet(O) in a Mug (M) & so good (G):

We bet there can’t be any recipe as easy as this. You can have it as breakfast, snacks and even add on to your dinner for that extra punch. Here’s presenting the easiest version of your favorite omelette.

Ingredients

for 1 serving

2 eggs

½ bell pepper, diced

2 slices ham, diced

¼ cup fresh spinach (10 g), chopped

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Preparation

1.Combine all ingredients in a microwaveable mug.

2.Cook for 2-3 minutes, making sure the egg doesn’t bubble over. Stir halfway through the cooking process.

BY Brands

BY MATERIAL

Easy & Healthy Recipes To Get You Through Lockdown

1. Ancient & awesome Khichdi

2. Spicy & succulent curd sandwich

3. Easy, breezy & filling Paneer

4. Wow Watermelon salad

5. Omelet(O) in a Mug (M) & so good (G):

Enjoy!

Leave a comment