Back to Basics: Simple Recipes For Dinner Home Chefs Must Try

While the aesthetically plated food at a fine dining restaurant looks appealing, there’s nothing better than the ‘maa ke haath ka khana.’ To get back to basics, here are some easy recipes, close to home, that every home chef must make for a satisfying meal.

With the buzzing food options like gourmet, fusion meals, and food trends, it’s easy to overlook the comfort and nutrition of a homemade meal. And even though you might resort to takeouts to head to restaurants to try something new, you’d always come back to home-cooked food. Not only do you get a freshly prepared meal with lots of love, but it also saves you from preservatives, adulterated ingredients, and extra sugars and flavouring agents.

If you’re a home chef or a beginner in the kitchen, you must always be on the lookout for simple recipes that are nutritious and feel like home. And if you’ve been through days which included staring into the fridge to look for a quick fix to your growling stomach, this is just the right article for you. Making the most of easily available ingredients, here are some recipes that will be your lifeline for busy days.

Anda Bhurji

Do you remember how many times your mother must’ve whipped up anda bhurji quickly when running late to serve dinner? Since it’s super easy to make and gets you closer to completing your protein intake, egg bhurji is a must-try for both beginners and experienced home chefs alike. You can start by whisking two eggs with your usual mix of spices, chopped onion, green chillies, tomatoes, and coriander leaves. Once you get a consistent mixture, heat a kadhai and pour the contents. Scramble and stir the bhurji till it is evenly cooked and you’re all done.

Pairing suggestions: Anda bhurji goes well with toasted pav, grilled bread slices, or even a chapati.

Chokha Bhaat

Chokha bhaat is a traditional Bihari dish that consists of mashed potatoes (chokha) paired with steamed rice (bhaat). It’s one of the simplest yet most satisfying dinner options you can try. While the traditional chokha consists of mashed potatoes cooked in North Indian spices, every home has its unique addition, like eggplant, a garnish of raw onion, or an additional punch of lemon. You can serve chokha bhaat with litti, ahcaar, and papad.

Make it better with: To make chokha bhaat a balanced meal, serve it with a bowl of dal and a side of curd.

Bhindi Masala

Typically for people who love to add something spicy to their meal, bhindi masala is a must-try. Ready in under half an hour, all you need to do to make bhindi masala is rinse the okra under running water, let it dry, and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Next, chop the okra into small pieces and set them aside. You can then heat some oil, add jeera, spices, and chopped onion. Cook till the onion turns translucent, and then add the chopped bhindi. Let the sabzi cook on medium heat for about fifteen minutes, and serve with a hot roti.

Pro hack: The trick to making bhindi masala lies in getting the texture right. After rinsing bhindi, it should be dry and crisp, and not slimy.

Jeera Petha

Petha, also known as ash gourd, is a nutrient-rich vegetable that can be easily incorporated into everyone’s diet. From pethe ki sabzi to halwa, the vegetable is extremely versatile. But as for a dinner option, the simplest recipe you can try is jeera petha. Slow-cooked with chopped jeera, ginger, garlic, and basic spices like turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper, and salt, your sabzi will be ready within half an hour.

Best pairings: Pair jeera petha with a spicy curry-based sabzi, rice, or roti for an elaborate meal.

Bharwa Karela

One of the other traditional Indian dinner options that feels close to home is bharwa karela. While you might just pick out the masala from the bitter gourd, try eating it whole to get the maximum nutritional benefits. To make it at home, you’d need a lengthwise slit karela and the stuffing made with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, gram flour (besan), a little water, and a blend of spices. You can remove the seeds of the karela, fill them with the masala, shallow fry, and serve hot.

Cooking hack: Tie the stuffed karela with a thread before shallow frying to keep the contents intact. You can take the thread off before serving.

Kadhi Pakora

The best way to use up the curd going sour is by making kadhi pakora. The classic Punjabi kadhi features a thickened curry made with besan, curd, and a rich blend of herbs and spices like curry leaves, cloves, methi dana, dried chillies, red chilli powder, and many more. The addition of crunchy pakoras, typically onion fritters, makes the dish complete. You can serve it with jeera rice, roti, or even paratha.

Tip to remember: Make a tempering with curry leaves, mustard seeds, dried chillies, and your other go-to spices, and add it on top of the kadhi before serving.

Raw Banana Sabzi

Popularly made in the Southern parts of India, where there are plenty of raw bananas available, this sabzi is not to be missed for all home chefs. The stir-fry can be quickly prepared for a satisfying family meal, or it can even be added to an elaborate spread for your guests. All you need to do to make raw banana sabzi is chop the fruit into really thin slices. Then, you can heat some vegetable oil or ghee and stir-fry the raw banana slices with a mix of spices. To add some extra flavour and enhance its nutritional value, you can mix in mixed vegetables like chopped onions, tomatoes, carrots, peas, etc. Garnish with coriander leaves and some shredded coconut, and the sabzi can be paired with paratha or phulka.

Satvik twist: While the traditional recipe includes the addition of ginger and garlic, you can also skip them for a Jain or satvik version and serve it even while fasting.