Lockdown Recipes: Easy Cooking Ideas | Cooking At Home

Missing your favourite breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner recipes and want to stay healthy during the coronavirus lockdown? Find our trending recipes for the lockdown in India right here. A culinary guide to help make your favourite dishes at home by Yummefy Recipes.

We’ve survived the 30-day mark and are counting days before the lockdown is lifted, at least partially. COVID19 has changed our lives in more ways than we could have ever imagined. In the time preceding the lockdown, we had the luxury to pick a cuisine and order in or dine out per our heart’s desire. Today, as we navigate these tough times, we turn to food once again – for comfort and for gratification of the desire to eat our favourite lockdown recipes at home. Our safest bet for a long time to come will be to stay home and cook for ourselves.

Team Yummefy has a cornucopia of lockdown recipes right from basics like masalas and easy-to-make preparations for kitchen newbies, and lockdown desserts, to more nuanced recipes for those simply looking for outstanding recipes like Yummefy’s trending recipes now. If you have a few masalas, sauces, masala gravies, and chutneys stocked up in the fridge, daily cooking becomes a breeze. Here’s how!

How to make easy homemade masalas for the pantry:

Most houses have an adequate stock of dry spices and one can rustle up these Yummefy-ed homemade masala recipes to make your lockdown cooking hassle-free and so much more delicious than the results you get upon using store-bought masalas.

Our ubiquitous Garam Masala is made with a recipe handed down for generations within the family. Whether you are making Pindi Chole, Galouti Kebab, Indian Fried Chicken or just about any Indian dish, a sprinkle of this potent and flavourful spice mix, made using the choicest aromatic spices, will do its magic.
 

Garam Masala Recipe

The Chaat Masala is another winner from our collection which takes merely three minutes to put together. This tangy spice mix has some digestive spices as well, and it will give your store-bought chaat masala, a run for its money. Try sprinkling it over your daily summertime raitas, papdi chaat, or other yoghurt-based dishes, and of course on all of the lockdown recipes snacks and chaat dishes that you prepare.
 

Chaat Masala Recipe

Biryani Masala is a must try spice mix which is the star of our pantry and you can make yours with our simple recipe which yields a fragrant masala powder. The secret lies in using the right ingredients in the right quantities, all of which have been mentioned in our recipe. You can use this biryani masala for making chicken biryani, mutton biryani, or veg biryani, and even use it for any kind of pulao or rice preparations.
 

Biryani Masala Recipe

Our Pav Bhaji Masala is for those who yearn for street-style Pav Bhaji. This masala not only helps in making a great pav bhaji but can be used as a multi-purpose masala to add a touch of extra special flavour to your aloo, gobhi, or any vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes. This is one of the trending recipes in India as everybody is missing good street food.
 

Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe

Which Basic Kitchen Sauces should you prepare during the Lockdown | Prep Work simplified:

If you’re working from home because of the lockdown and find yourself preparing more food than usual, our basic lockdown recipes will help you swim through choppy waters. May we suggest that you start with making lots of homemade paneer? Once you make this versatile ingredient, you widen your choice of dishes to make – Try Paneer Pakoda, Paneer Tikka, Aloo Paneer, Dhungar Paneer Masala or any of our paneer recipes listed right here.
 

Homemade Paneer Recipe

Another ingredient which is worthy of being made and stocked up in the fridge is pizza sauce . For those sudden kiddie or adult pizza cravings you can simply layer everything (or nothing) on the pizza base, sprinkle mozzarella, set it in the oven, and chill with a glass of wine till your pizza gets cooked.

Vegetable stock, on the other hand can be used to prepare thukpa, chicken noodle soup and any kind of soup. Besides, it adds a whole lot of flavour and oomph to almost any of your dishes from pulao and biryani to risotto.  
 

Vegetable stock Recipe

Looking for more lockdown recipe inspiration? Try our mayonnaise for sandwiches, Thai Green Curry Sauce for an aromatic weekend dinner paired with rice or noodles, or our indulgent Makhani Sauce, to which you can add chicken, paneer, or even veggies.
 

Mayonnaise Recipe

Makhani Sauce Recipe

 

4 Easy Breakfast Dishes you must try during the lockdown:

Whip up some of the Yummefy-ed breakfast dishes to take a break from your usual routine and start the day on a high note. These are lockdown breakfast recipes at their best! Try Tomato Rava Bath, a tangy treat which is not much different from a South Indian Rava Upma. This simple, one-pot dish keeps you full for a while, is vegetarian, and besides tasting great, brings a cheerful colour to your breakfast table. 
 

Tomato Rava Bath Recipe

If like us, you love eggs try our version of a desi, spicy Masala Cheese Omelette or the delicious potato and egg based Spanish Omelette. Besides, when you put the universally loved omelettes on the breakfast table you are least likely to face a kid revolting or even an adult. 
 

For those who need some cheer and like to start their day on a sweet note, Choco Chip Pancakes are your best bet. May we suggest, you save this decadent recipe for Sunday breakfast and make it a sacred family ritual? This is one of our easy trending recipes during lockdown.
 

Choco Chip Pancakes Recipe

Yogurt and Drinks:

While plain yoghurt, salted yogurt, simply spiced yogurt (cumin powder and rock salt), and boondi raita are worthy accompaniments to all summer meals, for something a little more indulgent try making our Chilled Fruit Yogurt, a lovely mix of melons, apples, mangoes and mint with hung yogurt, condensed milk, and coconut milk that impart a sweet taste and creamy texture
 

Chilled Fruit Yogurt Recipe

Or the simpler but delicious Pomegranate Raita. An easy lockdown recipe that takes no time to make.
 

Pomegranate Raita Recipe

The Maharashtrian favourite Mango Shrikhand or Amrakhand is a luscious and creamy mix of mangoes and hung yogurt which can be served as a lockdown dessert or even as a snack.
 

Mango Shrikhand Recipe

Our recipe for the Bengali favourite Mishti Doi is a toothsome yogurt based delight, which can be easily made at home, too!
 

Mishti Doi Recipe

If you like to treat yourself or your family to cooling drinks all summer long, we suggest our recipes for sweet Mango Lassi, savoury and spiced Jaljeera, ever-pleasing Watermelon Cooler, and seasonal Aam Panna which is tangy, sweet and cooling too.

Homemade Snacks and Chutneys to make at Home – Lockdown Recipes Snacks:

Snack time is when one tends to run out of ideas. Khaman Dhokla, the famous Gujarati dish is made using besan or gram flour as the main ingredient. It is light, it is delicious, and it is our favourite snack time preparation.
 

Khaman Dhokla Recipe

If you like eating clean and eating healthy Kulle Chaat or kuliya is just the recipe we have for you. This dish can be made using scooped out potatoes or even cucumbers filled with protein-packed boiled chickpeas, tamarind chutney prepared at home, and masalas.
 

Kulle Chaat Recipe

Potatoes do the trick when you have kids to please or adults who lean towards potatoes more than anything else. Hot and spicy south Indian style batter-fried and tempered Potato 65 are loved by adults.
 

Potato 65 Recipe

This super tasty Aloo Chop, the Bengali style gram flour batter fried and spiced potatoes are gone in minutes upon serving.
 

Aloo Chop Recipe

If you have run out of perk-any-snack-up condiment - tomato ketchup, during the lockdown, it is time you whip up some equally delectable condiments of your own. You will love our recipes of the hari chutney, imli ki chutney (tamarind chutney), coconut chutney, and tomato chutney.
 

Easy Healthy Dishes You Should Make:

Our varied vegetable dishes will make you wonder just in how many ways veggies can be prepared and how they taste entirely different from the other preparations. Mixed Vegetable Kootu, Avial, and Cabbage Poriyal top our list of healthy and hearty recipes. The veggies used are easily available during the lockdown in India and the South Indian style of preparation gives these veggies a unique taste. Some of these require the use of fresh coconut and others are used making coconut milk. If coconut makes you swoon, try these recipes pronto!
 

Avial Recipe

 

Cabbage Poriyal Recipe

 

Summer is also the season in which a lot of yogurt or dahi is consumed. Why not try making some Dahi Aloo? The bonus being the minimal prep time as this recipe is made without onion or garlic, hence is also great to make on fasting days.
 

Dahi Aloo Recipe

Rice Recipes:

We’ve been also making a whole gamut of comfort food recipes during the lockdown and we turn to rice dishes the most. From the tangy and savoury Tamarind Rice, which belongs to the temple food repertoire of southern India, to the delicately spiced Awadhi Vegetable Tahiri of Uttar Pradesh, most of our rice recipes are prepared depending on the ingredients we have at hand.
 

Tamarind Rice Recipe

 

Vegetable Tahiri Recipe

 

On days when we run out of fresh veggies, Kala Chana Pulao is a protein-packed delicious preparation made from black gram.
 

Kala Chana Pulao Recipe

 

The Aloo Chutney Pulao is also for days when we run out of fresh veggies, except potatoes which like most Indian households, are always found in abundance in our veggie drawers.  We combine them with our special hari chutney for a moreish preparation.
 

Aloo Chutney Pulao Recipe

Lockdown Recipes for Dinner or Lunch:

Team Yummefy makes a lot of Indian dishes which are indulgent, delicious, and when served with rice, salad, and pickle, these recipes make for a complete meal. The delicious and creamy Egg Kurma from Chettinad region of southern India is one such preparation made using tomatoes, cashews, coconut, poppy seeds and a melange of fragrant spices. This is one of our trending recipes for dinner.
 

Egg Kurma Recipe

 

If you have sour yogurt and besan or gram flour at home, Besan Kadhi, a signature Rajasthani dish with playful notes of pungent asafoetida spice, served alongside steamed rice, makes a great meal.
 

Besan Kadhi Recipe

 

We make our Punjabi favourite Rajma on Sundays. Overnight soaked kidney beans are cooked in a tomato and onion based gravy and spices. We prefer serving them with steamed basmati rice, a dollop of ghee, and onion rings on the side.
 

Rajma Recipe

Sultani Dal, a preparation from Uttar Pradesh is a gem of a recipe which elevates the humble toor dal (split pigeon peas) and transforms it into a decadent indulgence. If you thought cream and milk were only used for makhani gravies, this one will surprise you!

Desserts – How to Indulge that Sweet tooth:

Stay healthy and satiate you sweet tooth during this time with our lockdown dessert recipes. We make our Millet Kheer, a gluten-free delight using Kodo Millet and this recipe can be made on fasting days too.
 

Millet Kheer Recipe

 

The Muskmelon Payasam is another team Yummefy favourite, refreshing and cool, light and flavourful, it has chewy sago pearls with muskmelon providing the dominant flavour.
 

Muskmelon Payasam Recipe

 

Make the most of the mango season by using our recipe to turn the king of fruits into a Mango Kulfi. Just pull the kulfi out of the freezer when the craving for something cold and sweet strikes.

Or substirute this mango kulfi with a scoop of Easy Ice-cream made at home. Yes, super delicious and easy homemade ice-cream without any ice-cream maker or fancy equipment!
 

Easy Ice-cream Recipe

 

Try these recipes in your kitchen during the COVID19 lockdown, eat well, stay home, and stay safe!