Cooking might seem very daunting but it is genuinely a life hack that is most essential for students. As a home cook you can work under a relaxed and comfortable environment and also satisfy your taste buds with simple dishes.
Be it a day away from home or a midnight snack, knowing how to cook always comes in handy! So here are a few handpicked dishes that I regularly make, that are cost effective and also easy to make.
RAMEN AND EGG
Instant noodles is THE most simplest Asian dish that I have come across, and with a few additional toppings can be versatile and time saving too!
Ingredients:
Top Ramen Curry (Highly recommend for this combination but any instant noodles can be used)
Eggs
Coriander or Parsley
Onion
Cheese (optional)
Sesame oil (preferred, vegetable oil can also be used)
Method:
Boil water in a vessel and add in instant noodles and tastemaker.
Once the noodles is ready, add raw chopped red/white onion, a handful
Add a slice of cheese, if not cheese you can substitute with a splash of lemon and yoghurt
Fry your egg sunny side up with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper
Place the egg on top and a handful of coriander or parsley to finish
Mix it all up and there you have it, a quick and easy alternative to regular noodles!
SHAKSHOUKA + BASICALLY ANYTHING
Originating from Tunisia, North Africa, this elegant dish can be mixed up with basically anything. It's a reduced spiced tomato side dish that I found comes handy be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. Additionally it is super healthy too, packed with flavor and protein.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 5/6 in number
Garlic - one whole bulb + garlic powder(optional)
Eggs - 4/5 in number
Seasoning and garnish : Salt, pepper and coriander/Mint
Onion & Bell pepper ( optional ) - 1 each
Spices - Chili powder / Paprika, Garam masala, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Cayenne (optional)
Olive oil (preferred, vegetable also can be used)
Method:
Boil tomatoes till skin peels off and blend in mixer. Alternatively you could also use chopped tomatoes with a table spoon of ketchup. Keep this puree aside
Heat pan and oil, garlic and sauté till brown
Add in sliced onions and bell pepper and sauté till cooked well
Add in your tomato puree and keep cooking till oil separates and gets a bit thicker
Time to spice things up, add 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin powder, 1/2 tablespoon of coriander powder and a pinch of garam masala(optional, I personally like to make it more Indie)
Cook well until the raw smell goes away, and then add in salt pepper sufficiently. Another small tip would be to add a pinch of sugar to balance the sourness of the tomato and the heat from the chili
Now comes the most interesting part, make small pockets in the pan to place the eggs
Crack the egg into a small bowl rather than directly onto the pan to avoid a mess, and into the pocket it goes
Repeat this process for how many ever eggs you require, and do not forget to season the eggs as well
Finish off with a fresh bunch of parsley, coriander or mint. You could also add in a few pieces of sea salt to enhance the taste!
The best part about this dish is that you can eat it with rice, toast, porridge, roti or just simply plain. It can also be stored up to a week if you use oil generously. Healthy and tasty, it is a life saver when you want to eat something fulfilling anytime of the day.
KIMCHI FRIED RICE
This one's for all you Korean food lovers, Kimchi is an absolutely adaptable dish, as most of you would already know, it is a fermented form of radish or cabbage with chili. Kimchi has gained immense popularity in recent times owing to the K-pop boom and rightly so. You can buy packaged kimchi in any Asian grocery store and I definitely would suggest you to buy in bulk because once you get used to the taste you can never give it up!
Ingredients:
Kimchi - veg or non veg according to preference
Meat (according to preference) - pork belly
Vegetables - Beans, Carrots, Onion, garlic and spring onions, leeks(optional)
Eggs
Rice
Vegetable oil
Method:
Par boil rice and keep aside
Heat pan with oil and add 3-4 cloves of smashed garlic, sauté till brown
Add in onions and leeks(optional), cook till golden
Add in veggies and toss in high flame.
Add in chopped kimchi
If adding meat, add stir fried pork belly at this stage into the pan
Quickly stir the rice into the mixture and season with salt and pepper
No Korean dish is complete without an egg, you could fry or make a sunny side up and add it on top
Garnish with a handful of green onion cut into large pieces and some sesame seeds
This dish is my personal favorite as I can modify it with as many veggies and ingredients as I want. You can use Bok choy, lentils, mushrooms, chayote, zucchini and so many more variations that each taste equally amazing. My secret to making the best fried rice is to add a pinch of ramen tastemaker, shh this stays between us!
Cooking is not at all difficult, all you need to do is take the first step and you will have conquered more than half the way. Hope you guys try these out and do stay tuned for more such yummy and quick recipes!
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