How about making a new dish from leftovers?

Indians do not have the habit of wasting food. Now, they are diligently putting this into practice. With food items in short supply during the coronavirus quarantine period, they are adapting to a frugal lifestyle. Cooking just what is needed is the best thing to do, but sometimes there are leftovers. To save you the trouble of finding recipes, we asked a few people to share their favourite dish made with leftover food. 

CHAPATI PTATO ROLL
Homemaker Somali Bhattacharya knows the struggle of serving the same meal twice a day. However, wastage is a big no-no for her. Therefore, she shares the recipe, which is an absolute favourite of her mom, aunt and granny, and using the leftover helps her save on food expenses too. 

She says, “This way, you can also trick the kids into eating homemade food with a little twist to it. It saves you a lot of effort, and there’s zero food wastage.”

Ingredients
Leftover chapati... 2
Potato... 3
Cumin seeds... 1 tsp
Turmeric.. .a pinch
Green chillies... 2 (chopped)
Salt to taste
Oil.. .3 tbsp

Method

1. Boil and peel all the potatoes. Cut them in cubes and keep aside.
2. Add 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cumin, chopped green chillies and saute for half a minute.
3. Add diced potatoes, a pinch of turmeric, and salt to it.
4. Fry until it turns golden brown or a little crispy.
5. Turn off the heat, and put the potato mixture in a bowl. Add tomato ketchup to it, mix well and keep aside.
6. Take the leftover chapati and put a little oil on it. Put it in the pan and heat it for 2-3 min for each side.
7. Once done, take the chapati out. Add potato filling to it, roll tightly and serve hot with tomato sauce.

(Note: One can add other vegetables too.)

RICE PAPAD
Everyone must have tried Rice Papad but might have never got a chance to make it. Nitesh Kumar, a working professional, got a little time to try a few snacks for himself. Sharing the recipe, he says that it is quite easy to make. All you need is a little patience as it takes at least 24 hours to get it ready.

Ingredients
Rice... 1 bowl
Baking soda... 1 tsp
Nigella/ Black seeds.. . 1 tsp
Carom seeds. ..1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Put the leftover rice in a mixer. Grind it well.
2. Add two pinch of baking soda, a pinch of black seeds and a pinch of carom seeds.
3. Mix well. Make small balls and spread on a plastic sheet in a small circle-like shape.
4. Then move it to a large thin cloth and let it sun-dry properly.
5. Deep fry in oil and enjoy this light snack on a date with yourself during the quarantine.

TAMARIND RICE
Pulihora or Tamarind Rice is a well-known South Indian cuisine. Full of carbs, iron, zinc, and other important nutrients, this food item is rich in taste and nutrition. Veena Kulkarni shares the recipe with us.

Ingredients
Rice... 1 bowl
Tamarind.. .50 gm
Jaggery.. .10 gm
Peanuts... 20 gm
Curry leaves.. .6
Turmeric. ..1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chana dal... 2 tbsp
Urad dal... 2 tbsp
Red chillies... 2
Green chillies... 2
Sesame seeds… 1 tsp

Method

1. Tamarind water
2. Soak 50 gm tamarind in water for 30 min.
3. Squeeze and extract the pulp of the soaked tamarind. Add 10 gm jaggery to it.
4. You can increase or decrease the amount of tamarind and jaggery as per your taste.

Masala

• Heat and pan and dry roast chana dal, urad dal and red chillies until light brown.
• Add cumin, mustard and sesame seeds and continue to roast.
• When you start getting a good aroma of the spices, turn the stove off. Keep the mixture aside to cool down.
• Grind it into a fine dry masala.

Rice

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds to it.
• When it starts crackling, add peanuts, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for a minute.
• Strain the tamarind water and add it to the pan.
• Add the ground masala to it and let it boil till it gets a thick consistency.
• Once done, pour it on the rice, mix well and serve immediately.