A great trick to transform rich, lengthy braise dishes into quick midweek meals is to use leftovers. In my kitchen, in the case of carbs such as rice or potatoes, I follow a strict and fast rule: cook twice.
If a recipe calls boiling potatoes, cook twice as many. When I’m dumping rice into the cooker for rice, I’ll prepare the equivalent of six portions instead of just three.
This will give you the opportunity to have a 20-minute head start the next day, meaning you’re halfway through tea. It’s double, twice the effort and hassle.
To make a quick and easy fried rice, mix yesterday’s rice into a hot wok along with unscented oil, some kimchi, and spring onion. To make a fast tortilla, chop the leftover potatoes that you’ve boiled and fry them in olive oil to brown. Then, make sure to add a whisked egg before you cook under the grill.
Carbs are particularly tolerant when recooked. The time that you can save cooking could be spent on crisping, which makes them make a delicious snack. The reason is that the natural sugars convert to starch once they’ve been cooled in the refrigerator, which could be beneficial in those seeking to lower the GI from starchy foods as well as in your quest to create crispy golden bits like in this recipe that combines golden potatoes and basmati biryani, a weekday double carb beauty.
But, take note of caution. It is recommended to consume rice in the first 24 to 48 hours after the initial cook. You can extend this time frame if you divide it into smaller portions, mar the date, and then freeze it flat, much like your own pouches of cooked rice. If you’ve been using a microwave version, making your own can save you the cost of a month. They can be stored on the shelf for six months.
The best way to enjoy cooked potatoes is within 3 to 4 days after cooking; however, they are even stored for as long as a year! They are the perfect roast potatoes, too. Simply prepare an oven tray with the oven’s 200C. Then, you can apply a generous coating of oil and toss the potatoes around before placing them in the oven for about 40 minutes while giving the tray a few shakes until the potatoes turn crispy golden brown. Be prepared for the most sparkling crack that will ever appear on your dinner table.
Masala mushy peas topped with golden potatoes and basmati
While we’re on (in!) the freezer, consider the masala mushy puffed peas as fresh peas “dal.” Although traditional recipes require dried peas split, we aren’t drying or breaking the peas green but taking them out of the freezer.
After you’ve cooked them the way you would with mushy beans and then spiced them just like you would with masala dal. It’s an extremely simple 20 minutes of cooking, accomplished in the time required to combine the crisp rice and potato. Brilliant!
For the golden basmati as well as potato
1 1/2 cups basmati rice (or 3 cups leftover rice)
600g potato raw or cooked
1 cup olive oil
20g butter
One red onion peeled, then finely cut into rings
Two tablespoons panch phoron (to create your own ), mix 1 tbsp each of nigella seeds in their whole form cumin seeds, fennel seeds, brown mustard seeds, and one teaspoon ground fenugreek or fenugreek seeds; store them in an airtight container)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
5cm pieces of ginger chopped
One teaspoon of ground turmeric
One teaspoon salt
To make masala Mushy peas
One onion brown
Five cloves garlic peeled
5cm piece of ginger, peeled
Six coriander stalks, including stems, roots, and leaves, were washed thoroughly.
2 tbsp olive oil
One teaspoon of ground cumin
One teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon mild chili powder
One teaspoon of ground black pepper
One teaspoon of ground turmeric
1/2 1 tsp garam masala
Two teaspoon salt
1/2 1 tsp sugar
1 227g coconut cream in a tin 1 cup reserved to garnish
1 cup vegetable stock
500g of frozen baby peas frozen in a bag
Baby spinach 50g washed and spun
Lime wedges and natural yogurt to serve
For Golden Basmati and Potatoes, if using rice that is not cooked, cook them according to the instructions on the packet. If you are using raw potatoes, boil for about 25 minutes or until tender.
As the potatoes boil in a medium heavy-bottomed pan that has a lid, slowly warm the butter and oil to a medium-low temperature. Include the onions, panchphoron, and sugar, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, and salt and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and shiny. Switch off the heat tra, insert the mix into a bowl, and keep the pan with the oil for the golden basmati and potatoes.
While the onion cooks, make masala easily, in a food processor, chop the garlic, onion, coriander root, and stems, as well as the majority of the leaves, until they are well-combined into a smooth paste. (Reserve the coriander leaves as a garnish, and put them in a bowl filled with chilled drinking water so that they remain cool and lively.)
In a heavy-based pot in a heavy-based saucepan, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium-high flame, and then add onions and the spices ground into it along with sugar and salt. Then simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently or until it is heavily fragrant and the raw onion flavor is cooked off.
Incorporate the coconut milk (reserving 1 cup to use as garnish) and bring it to a boiling point, then add the red stock, reduce the temperature to medium, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas, rinse and drain, and bring to a boiling point, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 minutes. Mix in the leaves of spinach and simmer for a minute or until the spinach is wilted. Take the saucepan off the stove and let it cool.
As the peas cool, then return to the rice and potatoes. The potatoes should be rinsed (if cooked by boiling). Add one teaspoon of olive oil to the oily pan and set it over an oven at a moderate temperature. Stir in the potato and mix well to coat. Then mix in the rice, stirring to combine. With a spatula or wooden spoon, smooth the rice on the sides and bottom of the pan. Cover with a lid, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the rice and potatoes begin to brown at some edges. Pour the onion mixture back into the pan, stirring to mix until it is brilliant sunshine-colored.
Return the peas to the saucepan. Utilizing a stick blender, gently blend the mixture to get a consistent yet still chunky texture (be mindful when mixing because the mixture can be hot and could explode). Adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
For serving, rinse the coriander leaves that you have left. Place golden potatoes and basmati on a serving plate and sprinkle over the mushy peas. Pour over the yogurt and reserve coconut cream. Sprinkle with coriander leaves, and serve by adding lime wedges.