I have 30 minutes to make supper tonight. I’ve had a long day. I don’t want to fuss with anything in the kitchen. After we eat, I will read a couple of chapters in my library book (Lone Wolf by Linwood Barclay), take a bath, then go to bed.
How to make chicken and cauliflower sambar
Jyoti Natural Foods makes a great madras sambar. It’s a spicy tangy soup (and I don’t mean white people spicy, I mean there is actually a flavourful soup in this can).
I cube a boneless skinless chicken breast (both halves), mince some onion, and half a head of cauliflower chopped into bite size chunks. Saute the onion in a bit of vegetable oil until translucent.
Add the chicken and the soup, and start with 1/2 a can of water. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occassionally.
Then add the cauliflower. Add 1/2 a can of water, a bit more if it is too thick – remember the cauliflower will need a bit of water to cook. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook some basmati rice (for two people, 1 cup raw basmati rice, 2 cups water. Place in pot. Bring to a boil, take temperature down to a simmer. After 14 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit until you are ready to eat).
Make a salad.
Ladle the cooked chicken and cauliflower sambar over the cooked rice. Eat!
Pappadums are a tasty addition. You can easily toast them in the microwave. Yes, microwave. Take a raw pappadum and place it on a paper towel and cook it on high for 30 seconds for a high wattage microwave. My microwave is ancient, so it takes closer to a minute. Experiment with the time.
Yogurt mixed with finely chopped garlic and cucumber sprinkled with ground cardamon is refreshing, if you have the energy.
This is incredibly tasty and satisfying. It’s also another way to avoid yet another take out pizza. I mean, it’s only 30 minutes, and you don’t have to babysit it or coax it. Chop. Stir. Eat.
VINGADA 