30-Minute Meal Ideas to Cook on Busy Weeknights for Your Family

by Rohit Bumrah Writter

There are days when we have enough time in our hands and there are days when we are in the hurry. Especially workdays can get hectic to cook a full meal for your family. You might order takeaways these days. Just a little meal prep over the weekends can save you some extra time. You can cook food grains like rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and store in airtight containers. You can make stir-fry veggies or curries and serve it with Daawat rice, which is the best basmati rice in India. Check these 30-minute meals ideas for those busy weekdays:

Asian Stir-Fry Veggies

In a bowl, mix soy sauce, red chili flakes, brown sugar, honey, miso paste, pepper, salt, and corn starch. Chop some broccoli, bell peppers, shitake mushrooms, snow peas. Sauté minced garlic and ginger in sesame oil. Add the vegetables and stir fry them for 10 minutes until tender. Slowly stir in the sauce and cook for another 10 minutes. Finish with some freshly chopped coriander. To make the spiced rice, add star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom in boiling water. Add rinsed brown rice and steam as per package instructions. Ladle the brown rice in a bowl and top it with the stir-fried veggies. This is a flavoursome and quick Asian dish and tastes great with steamed basmati rice or noodles.

Gnocchi in Tomato & Basil Sauce

You can use premade gnocchi available in most supermarkets. You can also make it fresh at home using leftover boiled potato and flour. Gently knead the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Cut out gnocchi and cook in salted boiling water. In a pan, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add chopped cherry tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the gnocchi and finish with chopped fresh basil leaves. Finish with a grating of parmesan and serve hot.

Mushroom & Cheese Quesadilla

In a skillet, sauté garlic and chopped mushrooms in olive oil. Add some fresh sprigs of thymes and cheddar cheese. Add salt and crushed pepper to taste. In a grill pan, add tortilla bread to toast. Add the mushroom mix and fold the quesadillas. Press the top with a spatula and cook until the cheese starts melting. Cut into triangles and serve hot with coriander chutney. Serve the quesadilla with some refreshing watermelon mojito.

Halloumi & Veggie Wrap

Slice zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, and portobello mushroom into thin strips. Brush the veggies with olive oil, salt & pepper, and roast in a grill pan. Cook until veggies get the char marks. Grill cubed halloumi slices in the pan. To make the tzatziki dip, mix some Greek yogurt, lime juice, zest, chopped mint, a pinch of salt and pepper with a fork. Warm the pita bread in a toaster oven. Add the veggies, and halloumi in the pita and drizzle the tzatziki dressing.

Make these healthy and delicious recipes for your family instead of ordering takeaways.