The Delectable Quarantine – A Lockdown Full Of Flavours

2020 – A year that made us learn to do almost everything from washing dishes and clothes to dusting and cooking while being locked up in our homes to keep ourselves safe from the deadly Covid-19 virus. The year gave us tough moments, but it also gave us time to bond with our families over a myriad of activities, with cooking being one of them. For foodies who could not resist the appeal of their tasting palate and the ones who wanted to cook but could not do it because of being occupied with work in normal scenarios, the lockdown brought ample time to test their hands on various delicacies that could be previously found only in bistros or restaurants. Some most famously cooked quarantine dishes are mentioned below. Have you tried them all out yet?

Moist Eggless Chocolate Cake

An absolute treat for cake lovers, this rich, chocolatey, and saccharine cake is made without eggs with glaze and ganache added on top of it. Cocoa refined with coffee adds to the flavorful retreat that made cake droolers put on an apron and a chef’s cap to make their scrumptious du jour at home with no headache of needing an oven to bake as people found out ways to bake in pressure cookers and pans. You can find the recipe here.

Momos

Since its debut, this Tibetan recipe has won hearts and is on the go-to list for street-food lovers. From the original steamed to fried, tandoori, schezwan, and many more blends, momos have been satiating the palates of foodies along with red chilli sauce and mayonnaise. Haven’t tried them yet? Find the recipe here and surprise your folks with your cooking skills.

Jalebis

Sunday mornings without jalebis are always incomplete, and since our Indian taste could not hold back its love for this sweet, crunchy snack, jalebis made a blockbuster comeback in the kitchens with sugar syrup boiling in one pan and the whole family trying their hands turn by turn to get the perfect round-shaped jalebis. If you want to relish the taste again, here is the recipe. Read and get started.

Samosas

If jalebis had an affair, it would definitely be with samosas. Since these soulmates could make your snack time appetizing, samosas got relaunched in different avatars with stuffing not only of minced potatoes but also of minced meat, paneer, peas, kidney beans, and a lot more served with green chutney and hot tea. Feeling nostalgic about the rain and samosa combination? Get the recipe here.

Gulab Jamun

Hailing from Persia and making the world its fan, this recipe not only tops the list of Indian sweets but also needs a lot of finesse to master its texture and tenderness. Popping two-three ‘jamuns’ at a time and still be left craving for more, this sugary dish became the home chef’s choice to be cooked in their kitchens. Get your recipe here to satisfy the cravings of your sweet tooth.

Biryani

Turk-Mongols or Mughals, we don’t know who actually brought biryani to India and popularized it but what we are well aware of is the fact that this one-pot meal with rice cooked in herbs, assorted spices, kewra water, saffron, and savouring pieces of mutton and chicken for non-vegetarians and grilled paneer for vegetarians is a dish that transcends the ordinary to become connoisseurs who would draw out swords in matters of taste for this delicacy. The debate of veg biryani being a pulao is up to you to decide, but we all know that this dish has gone through various transformations to satisfy the cravings of biryani lovers. Want to feel royal? Head to the recipe here and treat yourself to a wholesome flavourful meal.

Pani-Puri

‘Pani ke batashe’, ‘Puchkas’ or ‘Golgappas’ – you may find the names different and at times confusing when travelling to different states, but this street food makes the foodies go head over heels for it. With the ‘pani’ coming in various flavours of cumin, asafoetida, tangy, citric, sweet, spicy, and many more, the crispy balls of wheat or semolina, stuffed with potato or dried white peas melt in the mouth, gratifying your taste buds. The memory of eating at the street-side stalls still lingers upon the minds of foodies, but their love for this dish made them head to their kitchens to cook their favourite street food. Get indulged in the magic of the streets with the taste of panipuri at home by trying this recipe at home.

Kebabs

Succulent, soft, delicate, and juicy, kebabs have a separate fan base. From Seekh to Kakori, Galauti, and Shami, kebabs have been among the favourites who love Mughlai food. Partnered with paranthas, sheermal, or rumali rotis, this luscious food is not only available on the streets but also A-la-carte, making it evident that kebabs are the ‘Jahan Panah’ of assorted dishes. The uncontrollable appetite for this palatable snack cum main course transformed our kitchens into ‘bawarchikhanas‘. Transform yourself into the royal bawarchis and enjoy the taste of homemade kebabs by trying your hands on these recipes.

Vermicelli Upma

Bored with rava upma, people found the new vermicelli upma to bring an innovative blend to the original recipe. Sauteed with onions, tomatoes, black mustard seeds, and selected spices, this dish becomes a must-have for a wholesome breakfast meal. This snack definitely gave our moms a way to stuff our diets with veggies, and therefore, vermicelli upma deserves to be on the list that became mega-hit among lockdown recipes. If you haven’t tried out this amazing snack, then head to the recipe here and surprise your family with a yum-yum breakfast.

Dalgona Coffee

You might not like the taste of this coffee, but you cannot deny that you too must have followed the trend on Instagram and posted your Dalgona story. Made with whipping coffee, sugar, and milk, this beverage appealed to the eyes and got its name from the Korean word ‘Dalguna’, meaning sweet. Be it a coffee lover’s call or our social media challenge, Dalgona coffee made us stride towards our kitchens and try our hands at it. Get the recipe here.