How To Make Easier, Quicker Meals With One Pot Dishes

We can all agree that washing up all the pots and pans and miscellaneous cooking items takes up a lot of the pre & post meal time; it’s not ideal. Wouldn’t it be better to be able to quickly wash up and then go right back to relaxing, after a long meal? This is where one pot meals come to the rescue.

What is a one pot meal? 

Simply put, this meal requires only one pot. This could mean one pot/skillet/pan/baking tray but essentially everything is prepared in that one vessel. Everything that is necessary in a meal, i.e. carbohydrates, protein and vegetables are all put together into one yummy dish. They offer the pleasure of home cooking assembled with little fuss and minimal clean-up. 

Why it simplifies the cooking experience:

• Cooking only one dish. Instead of spending time on cooking a main dish and side dishes (such as cooking roti, sabzi separately) 
• Clean-up kept to a minimum
• Trying out a variety of cuisines made easy! Most cuisines have their variety of a one pot dish so you can cook up a variety of dishes

A one pot recipe can range from a slow-cooked meaty stew to an easy, lazy stir-fried rice or even a summery pasta, but since we’re looking at quick & easy meals, here’s a classic, speedy recipe to get you started: 

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

Simple, rich, and super tasty--this recipe will keep you full for hours.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Indian

Prep Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

Marinate:

• 500 grams of chicken
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Plain yogurt
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 tsp Garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp garam masala

Whole spices (use whatever you have in in your pantry)

• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 3 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves

One pot preparation:

• 3 tbsp Cooking oil
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 cups soaked basmati rice/regular rice)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup Hot water
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1 tsp ghee

Course Main Dish Cuisine Indian Prep Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients Marinate: 500 grams of chicken 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp Plain yogurt 1 tsp Ginger Paste 1 tsp Garlic paste 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder 1 tsp garam masala Whole spices (use whatever you have in in your pantry) 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp jeera 1 stick of cinnamon 3 cardamom pods 5 cloves One pot preparation: 3 tbsp Cooking oil 1/2 cup sliced onion 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 2 cups soaked basmati rice/regular rice) 1 tsp salt 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup Hot water 1 tsp garam masala 1 tbsp fresh coriander 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves 1 tsp ghee 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves 1 tsp ghee

Instructions

1. Mix the chicken with the ingredients for the marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash and soak the basmati rice for about 20 minutes (30 minutes for regular rice). Drain.
3. Place the whole spices and the ginger garlic paste in cooking oil. Saute until they start to sizzle
4. Add in the sliced onions and fry until lightly browned
5. Add in the marinated chicken pieces and let the whole mixture cook for 10-12 minutes
6. Add in the coriander and the min leaves and stir until aromatic
7. Put in the soaked rice and pour the coconut milk and water into the pot
8. Cover and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes until the rice is fully cooked
9. Sprinkle garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, and ghee and stir the mixture thoroughly

Recipe Notes

And there you have it, a quick, one pot meal! Find more delicious one pot recipes here.    If you try out any one pot meal, tag us @licious_foods! We’d love to hear about your cooking experiences.