Cooking is the heart and soul of any Indian kitchen. And of course, that also means that most of the day goes into cooking, especially when you want to make something that’s indulgent.
But, what if there was a way to make all the things you want… without enduring the heat of the kitchen? And no, we don’t mean ordering in. We are talking about making them in a microwave oven!
Wait… aren’t microwave ovens only good for heating food? That’s where you’re wrong. Meet the Häfele’s J34MCST Combi Steam Microwave Oven.
This is a one-of-a-kind built-in microwave with an innovative steam function, making it perfect to make anything as complicated as gajar ka halwa to something as indulgent as Mac n Cheese, in a matter of minutes.
Don’t believe us? Keep reading to find out more!
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1) Easy Microwave Recipe: Gajar ka Halwa
Yes, you read that right. We know that Gajar ka Halwa is one of the most complicated Indian sweets that generally takes a few hours to prepare.
So, can you really make it in a microwave? With the Häfele’s J34MCST Combi steam microwave oven, you can! Its convection microwave setting is perfect for dishes like halwa which requires some serious no-nonsense cooking.
Ingredients:
Grated carrots - 1½ cups
Ghee - 2 tablespoons
Milk - 5 tablespoons
Sugar - 4-5 tablespoons
Mawa - 4 tablespoons
Elaichi - a pinch
Almonds - to garnish
Method:
1) Pour the ghee into the microwave safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds on the highest setting
2) Add the grated carrot to the ghee, mix well and microwave for 2 minutes on the same setting
3) Add the milk, sugar and mawa to the bowl, mix well and microwave for 12 minutes, stirring the mixture every 2 minutes
4) Once done, add the elaichi powder and give it a stir
5) Garnish with almonds and serve it warm
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2) Microwave-Friendly Recipe: Tandoori Paneer Tikka
Irresistible, delicious, and healthy, tandoori paneer tikka is the one dish that no one can say no to. But how to make this delectable dish at home without an actual tandoor? Simple! By using the grill rack on the Häfele’s J34MCST. Its grill function gives you the perfect tandoori style cooking, minus all the extra heat!
Ingredients:
For the marinade -
Hung curd - ¼ cup
Ginger garlic paste - ½ tablespoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Dhaniya-Jeera powder - 1 teaspoon
Chaat masala - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - ½ teaspoon
Mustard/ cooking oil - 2 ½ tablespoons
Besan (gram flour) - ? cup
Salt - To taste
For the marinade -
Paneer - 300 gms cut into 1 inch cubes
Onion - 1 cut into 1 inch cubes
Capsicum - 1 (remove all the seeds) cut into 1 inch cubes
Tomato - 1 (remove all the seeds) cut into 1 inch cubes
Coriander - Chopped
Lemon juice - To garnish
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 200oC
2) Mix all the marinade ingredients together and whisk till it’s smooth
3) Fold the paneer and veggies in the marinade and make sure everything is coated well. Let it all marinate for at least 30 minutes
4) Soak the skewers in water (this helps avoid them burning in the oven) for 30 minutes
5) Alternate the paneer, onions, tomatoes and capsicum on the skewers, ensuring the paneer is in the middle of the skewers
6) Line a deep pan with aluminium foil and place the skewers on the pan, brushing them with oil
7) Place the pan on the grill rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes, brushing the skewers with oil every 5 minutes
8) Allow the skewers to cook for an extra 10 minutes, till the paneer and veggies get a tandoor like roasted appearance
9) Serve hot with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice!
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3) Quick Microwave Recipe: Khaman Dhokla
Perfect for breakfast or as a quick snack, khaman tops the list every time. But who wants to wait around in the kitchen staring at the clock waiting for the exact minute to turn off the gas? Luckily, the steam cooking function and the precision timer on the Häfele’s J34MCST, are here to help.
Ingredients:
Besan (gram flour) - 1 cup
Rava (semolina) - 1½ tablespoons
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Ginger paste - 1½ teaspoons
Green chilli - 2 teaspoons
Baking soda - 1 ½ teaspoons
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 1 ½ tablespoons
Water - 1 cup
For the tadka:
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida (hing) - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds (rai) - ½ teaspoon
Sesame seeds - ½ teaspoon
Method:
1) Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the baking powder
2) Grease a cake pan and set aside
3) Add the baking powder to the khaman dhokla batter and transfer immediately to the cake pan
4) Cook the batter at 100% power for approximately 6-8 minutes. To check if the dhokla is done, use a toothpick
5) Remove the dhokla from the pan and cut into squares
6) For the tadka, put the oil, mustard and sesame seeds and green chillies in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 1 minute and pour it over the dhokla
7) Serve hot
4) Easy Recipe: Mac and Cheese
There’s nothing more comforting than cheese! But really, making mac and cheese on the gas is not only time consuming, but also quite boring. Luckily, the microwave + convection function on the Häfele’s J34MCST is just perfect to make something as indulgent as mac n cheese.
Ingredients:
Elbow macaroni - ½ cup
Water - ½ cup
Milk - 3 tablespoons
Cheddar cheese - ½ cup
Salt - To taste
Pepper - To taste
Method:
1) Combine the water, macaroni and salt in a microwave safe bowl
2) Mix well and cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally
3) Add the milk, cheese and pepper and stir
4) Microwave for another 30-40 seconds and stir once again
5) Serve hot!
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5) Microwave Recipe: Gobhi Dahiwale
Sometimes you just can’t be bothered to stand in front of the hob to make anything, much less a warm, comforting dish like gobhi dahiwale. But with the steam, microwave and convection feature on the Häfele’s J34MCST cooks the cauliflower to perfection every time.
Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 500 gms
Curd - ¼ cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Jeera - 2 teaspoons
Ginger - finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
Salt - To taste
Turmeric - ½ teaspoon
Garam masala - ¼ teaspoon
Green chillies - finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Method:
1) Mix the ghee, cumin and asafoetida together in a microwave bowl. Cover the bowl and microwave at 100% for 2 minutes
2) Once done, add the curd and ginger to the bowl and whisk well till its smooth and has no lumps
3) Cover the bowl once again and cook at 70% power for 2 minutes
4) Add the coriander, salt, turmeric, garam masala and green chillies to the mix
5) Add in the cauliflower and mix everything well together
6) Cover the bowl once again and cook at 70% power for 2 minutes
7) Serve hot and enjoy!
Say goodbye to the heat of the kitchen and say hello to start cooking all your favourites with the Häfele’s J34MCST Combi steam microwave oven!