Easy recipes for travel or busy schedules

Since we got a vacation home in Lake Tahoe, our travel frequency has increased. Once or twice a month we are on a weekend trip with family or sleep over at a friends house.

Eating outside is nice for a change, but on eating on regular basis is not our preference. So here are some quick and easy recipes for fast cooking during vacation or bus schedules.

Many of these can be partly prepared before hand and frozen or stored away in containers.

Lemon Rice:

Peas Pulov:

Travel - Masala Box

Be it camping, weekend trips, vacation homes or RVing - ready to go Masala box

What's inside my Masala box:

I used a simple files storage box - Easy to store & carry

Peek inside:

What's actually inside:

Stuff like Rice, Dhals, Semiya, Sooji, Moong Dhal etc I pack them in zip lock cover and carry them in a separate bag. Since these persish faster, prefer to pack them as I need it.

For longer trips I like to carry coconut milk tins, tomato paste tins, tin corns, etc - based on what recipes I plan to prepare. Tins are longer shelf life, easy to carry & stock them.

Pancake mix, maple syrup small packs, fruit jams sachets could be good addition too.

Pudina Rice

Ingredients

4 spoons Oil or 1/4 cup Butter
1 bunch - pudina leaves separated
7 Green chillies (based on your spiciness preference)
1/2 bunch - Green coriander leaves
2 spoons Garlic - Ginder paste
2 whole - Star ananas flower
1 inch - chakka
3 - lavangam
1 medium size Onion (chop into thin long slices)
1 cups frozen peas
15 cashewnuts
1 can coconut milk
Dry menthi powder
3 cups basmati rice
salt

Procedure


step 1:
Making green paste:

Take a small non-stick pan, add green chillies and fry. When it starts to change color, add separated & washed pudina leaves and fry. Add a pinch of salt to pudina leaves - it helps keeping the green color

Paste together the above mixer with Coriander leaves to a smooth paste. Avoid adding extra water unless needed

step 2:

Take a kadai, add oil or butter. After oil is header add the whole spices - star ananas, chakka, lavangam. After frying them briefly add onions and fry until golder brown. Now add garlic ginger paste and fry on low flame until you have raw taste gone. Add cashewnuts and fry. Add the green paste prepared in step 1 and fry on low flame. After the paste is fried and raw smell is gone now add the frozen peas. And fry for 5 more mins

[You can also prepare step 2 & ahead of time. You can also freeze it in for later use. If you freeze it, microwave it for 2 mins before using it]

Step 3: In a rice cooker wash the basamati rice and drain out all the water. Now add 1 can coconut milk and add remaining warm water you will need 6 cups in total for 3 cups rice. Add the masala prepared in step 2 and mix. Crush the kasturi menthi in your pams and add it. Add salt to taste. Turn on the rice cooker and let it cook completely.

Serve warm with Yogurt raita.