Vijaya Selvaraju's Indian recipes double as dinner and lunch

Food culture reporter Dakshana Bascaramurty tested three dinner recipes from Vijaya Selvaraju's cookbook Indian Food Is Easy to see if they would hold up as tasty lunches the next day. Each recipe averages about 30 minutes of active cooking time and uses a different protein. Theglobeandmail.com first reported the story.

Selvaraju, a Toronto-based recipe developer, aims to demystify Indian home cooking. She says many people view it as special occasion or restaurant food. "I wanted to demystify, to let people know that Indian food is not all food that’s stewed for hours and hours on the stove," she said.

Cheesy Keema Quesadillas

The keema quesadilla recipe originated from Selvaraju's childhood after-school snacks. She would take spiced minced meat, or keema, cooked by her mother and combine it with cheese in a tortilla. The tested version adds spices like coriander to lamb and is served with a mint coriander chutney instead of salsa.

The quesadillas were a hit at dinner. The reporter's family enjoyed them with sour cream, chutney, and hot sauce. For lunch, they proved versatile. They were eaten cold from a lunchbox, and later reheated in the oven for a playground picnic, served with hot sauce and leftover chutney.

Reshmi Kebabs

These chicken kebabs use thigh meat marinated in yogurt and cream, then basted with ghee. The reporter cooked them in an oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, basting halfway and at the end, before finishing under the broiler for char. Green chilies were reduced for children's palates, though Selvaraju notes she only modifies chili heat, not other spices.

The oven-cooked kebabs were tender and flavourful, with a marinade featuring lemon, nutmeg, ginger, and cream. They were served as wraps with naan, chutney, and a side salad. For lunch, the chicken reheated well in the microwave for a similar wrap. Cold leftovers were also chopped into a salad.

15-Minute Egg Bhurji

This dish is a solution for nights when meat is frozen. It starts like a curry base with ghee, aromatics, chilies, spices, and tomato. Beaten eggs are then added to create a scramble. Selvaraju prefers a soft scramble, but the tester cooked it firmer to serve with parathas.

The egg bhurji was eaten scooped up with pieces of paratha. A child guest enjoyed it, though found it too spicy. For lunch the next day, it was placed inside a challah bun with mayo and Indian lime pickle. The reporter's husband said it tasted even better this way than at dinner.