Grand Feast made Lazy Pt. II: Microwave Peas Pulao

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Hey friends! Lazy Panda is back with the second recipe for the grand feast: Microwave Peas Pulao! Make sure you get fine Basmati rice for this preparation as it really enhances the smell and taste of the dish! Here goes the detailed recipe!

Recipe #2: Microwave Peas Pulao
Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 17 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

4 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)

4 cloves (laung / lavang)

2 bay leaves (tejpatta)

3 green chillies,chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped onions (Else if you are too lazy to chop onions like this panda, try cutting 2 onions into quarters and grinding them in the mixer to make a paste)

1 cup long grain rice (chawal) (basmati) , cleaned and washed

3/4 cup green peas

salt to taste

Lazy Panda Version

For The Garnish

few fried sliced onions and a mint (phudina) sprig

Method

1. Put the ghee in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds.

2. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, green chillies and onions, mix well and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring once in between after 1 minute.

3. Add the rice, green peas, salt and 2 cups of water and mix well. Cover and microwave on high for 15 minutes, stirring twice in between after every 5 minutes.

4. Serve garnished with fried onions and mint sprig.

Reference: http://www.tarladalal.com/Mutter-Pulao-%28-Microwave-Recipe-%29-33908r

Grand Feast made Lazy Pt.I: Microwave Palak Paneer

Lazy Panda Cooks

Recently when my in-laws visited this lazy panda wanted to surprise them (and not shock them!) with my newly developed culinary skills. After much thought I zeroed upon few recipes that I could try.The ingredients were commonly available kitchen spices and cooking time for each was below 45 mins. Thus I began preparations for my grand feast. The 5 recipes I chose were:

For Starters:

• Kali Mirch Chicken Kebab
• Honey Mustard Chicken Kebab

For Main Course:

• Peas Pulao
• Palak Paneer
• Kadhai Chicken

It seemed like a challenging target at first but I tried to plan how to multi-task to finish off all 5 items within 3-4 hours. It was easier than I thought! I'm sharing all the recipes along with my personal tips and suggestions. As for me, the dishes came out looking and smelling heavenly and this panda became an overnight STAR! :D The in-laws could not stop raving about my hidden culinary talents and the dishes were healthy and lip-smacking at the same time!

Recipe #1: Palak Paneer

Preparation Time: 12-15 mins

Cooking Time: 8-10 mins

Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:

Palak (Spinach) - 500 gms.

Paneer (Home made cheese) - 200 gms.

Tomato - 3-4

Green Chilli - 1-2

Ginger - Garlic Paste - 2 table spoon

Oil - 2 table spoon.

Cumin - 1/2 tea spoon.

Heeng - 1 pinch (Optional)

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tea spoon

Coriander Powder - 1 tea spoon

Red Chilli Powder - 1/6 tea spoon (optional)

Cream or malai - 2 table spoon(optional)

Sugar - 1/2 tea spoon

Garam Masala - 1/4 tea spoon

salt - 2/3 tea spoon ( as per the taste)

Description:

Lazy Panda Version

1. Separate the spinach from its stems and wash it two times in a big pan.

2. Wash and cut tomatoes into big pieces, take out the seeds from green chilli and cut it into small pieces. Mix tomatoes, chilli and ginger-garlic paste altogether in a mixer and make a paste. Take out this paste in a small bowl.

3. Cut the Paneer into 1-inch square pieces, apply salt and 1 table spoon oil to the pieces and Microwave on High for 5 mins till slightly golden.

4. Put the washed leaves of spinach in a microwave safe bowl, cover it with the lid and microwave it for 4 minutes 

5. Take out the bowl from the microwave. Cool and blend it in the mixer to make a paste.

6. Take a microwave safe bowl, put some oil into it, add cumin, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and microwave it for 2 minutes without covering it.

7. Now take out the bowl after 2 minutes and add tomato puree/paste and again microwave it for 3 minutes.

8. Add spinach paste, cream, paneer slices, salt, sugar, garam masala into the microwaved tomato paste and microwave it for 3 minutes.

9. Palak Paneer is ready. Garnish it with cream and serve it with fresh hot chapatis, parantha or rice.

Reference: http://nishamadhulika.com/en/581-palak-paneer-recipe-in-microwave.html

Wait for the next lazy recipe: Microwave Kadhai Chicken on LazyPandaCooks!

2- Minute Microwave Mug Omelette: Beginners' Delight

YAWWN! I am a lazy panda and I don't like cooking much. Especially cooking on open fire is a pain for me. Thus microwave is the knight-in-shining-armor for me! I usually look online for quick and easy microwave recipes which can be done and dusted within 15 mins to an hour at max and requires easily available tools and ingredients. Usually when we return home from office we feel really hungry. It is then too early for dinner but we are too tired to cook any snacks. But ordering junk food daily or keeping the stomach empty for long hours isn't really great for either our health or our purses. Thus just for starters, I thought of searching for some easy recipes for evening snacks that can be made in a jiffy! So I zeroed upon the 2-minute Microwave Mug Omelette. I made it as an evening snack but it is quite effective for a healthy breakfast too! It is easy-peasy to cook and tastes yummy! And you get to serve it in the mug that you cook it in. So no extra dishes to clean! Yayy!

Reference Recipe Pic (above) & Lazy Panda Version (below)

Ingredients for One Mug Omelette:
1 large egg
2 Tbs milk
salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tb Oil/ Molten Butter

Add-ins: (if you want to do this for several days in a row, have all your add-in ingredients prepped and ready to go in a partitioned Tupperware or Ziploc bags and just toss into the omelette as you wish.)
raw onions diced tomatoes
green peppers 
finely diced jalapeno
shredded cheese (cheddar, etc..)
crumbled cooked sausage
diced cooked ham
cooked crumbled bacon
I used onions, tomatoes, sausage and shredded cheese as my add-ins

Directions: 
In a bowl beat one egg, a splash of milk, salt and pepper well.  The milk makes the omelette soft and fluffy. Then add the add-ins of your choice and mix well. Spray or spread oil or butter inside a microwave safe mug or bowl then pour in the omelette mixture. Top with some extra shredded cheese and put in the microwave in Microwave mode at HIGH for 2-3 minutes (depending on your microwave wattage).  I put it in for 21/2 minutes.  Serve hot. Enjoy. 

Reference: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/2-Minute-Microwave-Mug-Omelet-477673