Foodies experiment with one pot meals during lockdown

One

pot

meals have become a huge hit since the last couple of days, with access to limited resources. Instead of opting for a wide array of dishes on their table, Goans are choosing to make tasty, nutritious and simple one pot

meals

by adding grains, lentils,

veggies

and whatever else is easily available or stocked in the freezer.

While some are opting for vegetarian options like dal khichdi or veg

fried rice

, some have stuck to dishes like choris pulao or biryani. Tanushree Chandavarker from Caranzalem says, "My mom loves one pot meals. It's easy and quick and you require minimal ingredients. The other day she made spinach pulao, with spinach bought from the ladies who sit at Taleigao."
Christopher D'costa who has been making simple one pot meals like khichdi with ingredients easily available says, "I have been getting only basics like rice, lentils, and a few veggies like potatoes and cauliflower. So I try to make simple pot meal like vegetable pulao or khichdi with what's available on days where I don't feel like cooking separate dishes."


Navami Prakash who made a one pot luffa dal rice for lunch says, "Cooking during self quarantine days for me is not just for nourishment, but it also provides comfort and a little entertainment experimenting with the items you have in hand and so I've been experimenting with simple one pot meal recipes." Nishkala Arvind from Porvorim made Bissibella bath which is basically made of rice, veggies and lentils, and condiments.

Biryani is another dish people in Goa have been making, since it's a wholesome, and relished by people of all ages. Varsha Nair from Merces says, "We made biryani the other day since it doesn't require you to make multiple dishes. It's a meal in itself and can be eaten with curd and pickle."


Vaishanavi Pilankar spent an afternoon making biryani and says, "It was an improvised biryani, made with ingredients that were available. Pot meals are the best since you can make it using varied ingredients, and cook as a family." The ones who haven't been finding chicken, have been making vegetarian variants of the same.


A variety of pastas are also what's cooking in Goan kitchens. Simply made by adding available veggies and sausage or chicken stored in the freezer, this has become a quick fix for those craving gourmet food. Nadia Dias says, "I've been rationing ingredients and batch cooking food lately since it saves gas and time too. I made pasta for two days."