Aiman's student- friendly 15-minutes meals

It can be difficult to juggle university work while ensuring you eat balanced meals. In this article, I have curated four recipes that can be made in under 15 minutes, ensuring you have adequate carbs, protein and vitamins for those hectic study nights that require quick satisfying meals.

* Oil, salt and pepper are not included in the ingredient lists.

Recipe 1: Smash burger taco

Ingredients

• 2 large tortillas
• 200g of minced meat (beef, lamb, or vegetarian option)
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 diced cucumber Chopped lettuce Cheese (optional)

Method

1. Season the minced meat with spices of your choice (I suggest coriander powder, ground cumin, garlic powder) and portion into two separate meatballs.
2. Gather the tortillas and toppings by the stove.
3. Heat a large skillet. Smash the meatballs on the tortillas before placing them meat-side down on the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until the meat is crispy.
4. Flip the tortilla and add cheese (wait 2 minutes for it to melt) and remove from skillet.
5. Add your toppings (lettuce, cucumber, tomato) and condiments to your preference and enjoy!

Recipe 2: Vegan Japchae

Ingredients

• 1 pack sweet potato noodles (250g)
• 1 pack firm tofu
• 150g frozen vegetables of choice (Suggestions: carrots or bell peppers)
• 1 onion Large cup of spinach

Sauce

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tbsp sesame oil (optional)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the sweet potato noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and wash in cold water for the noodles to stop cooking. Use scissors or a knife to cut the noodles into smaller chunks. In the meantime, blanch the spinach, squeeze out the excess water, chop and set aside.
2. Thaw frozen vegetables. In a hot saucepan, add sliced onions and thawed vegetables and stir fry until the onions turn light brown.
3. Combine sauce ingredients with 2 tbsp soy sauce and stir.
4. In a large pan, cook firm tofu until light brown and set aside.
5. In the same pan toss in all other ingredients that have been cooked along with noodles and sauce, stir fry together for 5 minutes and it is ready to serve.
   

Recipe 3: Egg and tomato

Ingredients

• Tomato cut into wedges
• 2 Eggs
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Chopped spring onion
• Soy sauce

Method

1. Add garlic to a hot saucepan and fry until golden, then add eggs. Scramble the eggs, then transfer to a bowl.
2. In the same saucepan, add tomato and cook until softened.
3. Transfer the egg back with the tomato and stir together with a dash of soy sauce.
4. Serve with steamed rice or noodles and garnish with spring onion.
   

Recipe 4: Here is my go-to lazy day Indomie recipe

Sometimes indulging in some ramen should be okay! You can add more nutrition with vegetables and protein in your meal. 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp minced garlic
• A pack of Indomie ( Mi Goreng is my go to) or any other noodles at hand
• 1 egg
• ½ spring onion chopped
• 100 g frozen vegetables of choice
• 150g minced meat (optional) or tofu (veg)
• Paprika powder (optional)

Recipe

1. Add minced garlic to a hot saucepan with 1 tsp of oil and fry until golden
2. Add vegetables and minced meat (or tofu) and stir fry until the meat is cooked.
3. Add the seasoning packet from the noodles along with paprika, pepper and soy sauce.
4. Add cooked noodles (cook according to package instructions) and stir fry.
5. To finish up, add one sunnyside egg on top of the noodles and serve!