I actually made this meal in about 30 minutes. It is a meal for one person. A real typical indian meal of lentils and chicken with some rotis. The roti dough i already had in the fridge! But the lentils and chicken was cooked in a little over 30 minutes. You can make many meals in 30 minutes with a little pre-prepared ingredients from the fridge.
The lentils are made with fenugreek leaves giving it a distinctive flavor and the chicken is my own adaptation from a typical sindhi recipe flavored with cardamom “phote men chicken”
Some hints :
always have some ginger garlic paste ready in a container in the fridge
chopped tomatoes keep for two three days in the fridge too
frozen coriander leaves are a boon , i always have some in the freezer
So now shall we start cooking ????
INGREDIENTS FOR THE LENTILS:(this makes about 2 bowls of lentils )
1 cup of whole green lentils soaked for two hours
1/2 chopped onion
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 chopped tomato
a few curry leaves
1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
a pinch of asafoetida, i did not put
a pinch of Nitu Didi pure turmeric powder
salt to taste
green chillies, chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon of oil
1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN: (this is enough for one person)
200 grams of boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 red tomato chopped fine
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
a few curry leaves
salt to taste
a pinch of turmeric and black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon or more of cardamom powder
chopped green chillies and coriander leaves
1 tablespoon of oil
HOW TO PROCEED:
Put the soaked lentils with 2 cups(or less depends on what consistency you want your lentils) of water into a pressure cook and cook for about 8 whistles OR ten minutes after coming to pressure. While this is happening lets make the tempering for the lentils. Heat oil in a pan and add the asafoetida, let it cook for a few seconds and then we add the cumin seeds and let them splutter and then the curry leaves and the ginger garlic paste. Cook till the paste starts changing color and immediately add the chopped onions and some salt. Cook till the onions start changing color and add the tomatoes and the fenugreek leaves, Cook till mashed and add the green chillies and coriander leaves. By now your lentils should be ready. Add them to this with the water remaining in the cooker and bring everything to a good boil so the flavours blend. Serve hot with a squeeze of lime.
While the tempering is being made you can also start with the chicken.
Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and grated ginger. Cook till ginger starts changing color and add the chopped green chillies and tomatoes. Add the salt, turmeric, the black pepper and cook till tomatoes are all mushy. Add the cubed chicken and cook on high fire till chicken gets cooked. Add a little water if you want some gravy. Lastly add the cardamom powder and the coriander leaves.
Serve hot
While all this is being made you can make two or three rotis.
I managed to make this all in half an hour and i am sure you can tooo!!!!
Good luck!!