The 30-minute gourmet dinner!

It's a working woman's, correction -- every woman's, fantasy. In it, she herself plays a very little role: someone else does the shopping, a master chef cooks dinner to the specifications, a bearer garnishes and serves and then... she, the royalty, just arrives, sits and enjoys steaming hot yummy food!

Reality isn't this kind -- even ordering food takes a phone call and an hour's wait!

Everyone wants to eat well, but time is more expensive than money. But busy days don't necessarily have to mean eating out or takeaway every single day!

All it takes is 30 minutes of your time. And, the food won't be the run-of-the-mill dal-chawal either!

In fact, I have scounged out some delicious recipes culled from cuisines the world over that will take just 30 minutes to put together, but have the taste to make your evening go fantastic!

Thai magic

Usually stereotyped as spicy, Thai Cuisine actually strives to achieve harmony between of the four basic flavours: hot, sour, salty and sweet and an occasional fifth, bitter.

A rare example of fusion cuisine going right, Thai cuisine has evolved through the melding of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Portuguese and Dutch cuisines.

Thai cuisine's reputation shines through curries. Thai curries generally burn intensely, but briefly and are traditionally eaten with steamed Jasmine rice; an indigenous aromatic rice that Thais prize. If you don't have it, plain steamed rice will do as well.

Thai Curry

Serves: 2

Time taken: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp Curry paste (Red or Green)

250 gms assorted vegetables (Mushrooms, babycorn, white gourd, whatever you have)

250 gms chicken (Optional)

Handful of basil leaves

3-4 sliced chilies

2-3 pea brinjals (optional)

250 ml 1 pack coconut milk

PAGE_BREAK

How to make:

• Sauté about 3 tbsp of Thai curry paste in a pan.
• When fragrant, add coconut milk
• Allow to boil for a minute
• Add cubed chicken pieces and OR vegetables (beans, carrots, cauliflower -– whatever you have handy).
• Allow to boil for a minute
• Add shredded basil leaves
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Vietnamese for the voracious!

Vietnamese food is the true 'light cuisine' of Asia. It makes the best of abundant fresh herbs and greens to flavour delicate soups and stir-fries, grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles.

Rarely does any dish have added fats. Pho is one out of a multitude of Vietnamese soup noodle dishes, arguably the most widely known.

Usually a slow simmered beef noodle soup with a rich, clear broth achieved from hours upon hours of boiling bones and different herbs and often garnished with bean sprouts, lime wedges and other herbs.

The following recipe is a quick version. Vegetarians can use vegetarian stock cubes and substitute the chicken slices with mushrooms of tofu.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Time taken: 30 Mins.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the broth

3 stock cubes

2 ltrs water

1 inch piece fresh ginger, crushed

5-6 cloves garlic crushed

1 green chilli crushed

2 teaspoons salt

1 packet noodles

250 gms boneless chicken sliced thinly OR Fresh button mushrooms OR Tofu sliced thin

PAGE_BREAK

To serve with

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

Handfull of fresh coriander and basil stalks

Limes, cut into wedges, for garnishing

Fresh chillies sliced thin

Sriracha or other chili sauce, for serving Optional

Fish sauce, for serving (optional)

ow to make:

• Place water to boil with salt, stock cubes, ginger, garlic and chillies.
• When the broth is boiling add noodles and allow to cook until soft.
• Add sliced chicken / mushrooms OR Tofu and allow to cook through.
• When done, divide noodles into 4 bowls, top with cooked chicken /mushrooms or Tofu, and ladle broth over.
• Serve the soup immediately, with the fresh cilantro, basil, mint, bean sprouts, lime wedges and jalapeno peppers in baskets on the table for each person to garnish their own soup, as desired.
• Add chili sauce or fish sauce, to taste, if desired.

Middle-Eastern melody

Middle-Eastern pan-fried chicken

This is a quick way to get your protein without any fuss. Add a quick tossed salad and good bread to complete the meal.

Time taken: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 kg boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bitesized cubes

4-6 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dried

1 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, fresh

1/3 cup olive oil

PAGE_BREAK

How to make:

• Place everything except the oil in a bowl, mix well, cover and leave in the refrigerator to marinate the night before.
• When ready to cook, bring meat to room temperature.
• Place a non stick pan on the flame and heat on a low flame.
• When hot, add one tsp of oil and swirl to coat pan.
• Lay chicken pieces in the pan cover and allow to cook till one side is golden and brown speckles have appeared on it.
• Spoon marinade over it and flip over basting with the reserved marinade regularly.
• Cooking time will depend upon size of poultry pieces but do not let meat become dry.

The Chinese chow

The cuisine doesn't need any introduction in India! Here's a simple Chinese rice recipe.

Chinese chicken fried rice

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Chinese fried rice with eggs and chicken is a great meal option. If you have time and inclination, you can serve it with vegetable stir-fry or just Kimchi to perk up.

Ingredients:

3/4 cups of diced, cooked chicken

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 egg whites, slightly beaten

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cup cooked white, red or brown rice

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp chopped green onions

Dash of white pepper

PAGE_BREAK

How to make it:

• Mix chicken, cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Heat non-stick frying pan until very hot.
• Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
• Rotate to coat all over.
• Add the lightly beaten eggs and cook until eggs are cooked through but still moist, stirring all the time to ensure small pieces like a bhurji.
• Remove from pan and reheat pan until very hot.
• Add 1 tsp oil.
• Add chicken, mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir fry.
• Then add rice, stir fry
• Add soy sauce and chicken mixture and cooked eggs.
• Stir-fry another 30 seconds and serve hot.

Herb frittata with tomato chutney

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 2

Slow cooking infuses this omelette with the aroma of the herbs and the garlic bits in contact with the pan get deliciously crisp and crunchy.

The tomato chutney is the perfect foil to stop the omelette getting too herby.

Ingredients:

For the omlettes

4 eggs, beaten with salt

1 - 2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup fresh herbs chopped fine (whatever you have, coriander, green garlic, green onion or a mixture of all of them).

1 tbsp green chillies chopped fine

For the tomato Chutney

1 tsp oil

2 tomatoes grated

1 inch piece ginger grated

2 – 3 slices of green chilli

Pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

How to make:

• In a bowl combine the green garlic, coriander and chilli and mix well.
• Add the egg and mix well again.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and add the egg mixture.
• Turn flame to lowest and cook till set.
• Top with Tomato chutney and serve.

For the chutney

• While the omelette is cooking, place another pan on flame.
• Heat oil, add the chilli and allow to splutter.
• Add grated tomato pulp and cook until liquid is released.
• Let liquid evaporate and add ginger sugar and salt.
• Cook until the ginger is cooked and its aroma is released.