Don’t hold back proteins during winter when every meal should be a robust celebration to behold. Here are a few sure-fire recipes that come up trumps every single time you get down to business in your kitchen:

Pot Roast

Ingredients

2tsp kosher salt

2tsp fresh cracked pepper

2tsp garlic powder

1kg beef chuck arm or rump roast

1tbsp canola oil

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 large onion – quartered

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup maple syrup or beetroot juice

3tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups beef stock

3 large cloves garlic – smashed

2 cups cremini mushrooms – halved

6 small carrots – peeled and halved

500g baby potatoes – halved

2tbsp cornstarch

Method

Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub onto all sides of the beef and sear on all sides on a skillet drizzled with oil. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker, and add the thyme, quartered onion, and bay leaf around the roast. Now, reduce the heat for the skillet and add maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic cloves to deglaze the pan. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Now add the vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes) around the roast and pour the liquid from the skillet and the beef stock over everything. Cover and slow cook till beef is tender. (This could take 2-4 hours as slow cooking is crucial to the taste).

Once cooked, cool and set aside. To make the gravy, ladle 2 cups of the slow cooker liquid into a medium saucepan and boil on high heat. Add a slurry made with of 2tbsp cornstarch with 3tbsp water and whisk it into the boiling liquid. Once the gravy thickens, remove it from heat. Serve the pot roast and veggies, topped with gravy. Add more salt and pepper to taste. This dish provides one of the most delicious proteins during winter.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

500g readymade meatballs (chicken/beef/lamb)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

3tbsp tomato paste

1 red onion

1tsp minced garlic

1tsp minced ginger

2 green chillies – slit

½tsp red chilli powder

½tsp cracked black pepper

2tsp lemon juice

2tbsp oil

Salt, to taste

1tbsp chopped coriander or scallions – for garnish

Method

In a fry pan, drizzle a little oil and sear the meatballs on all sides for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. To make the sauce, in a sauce pan, heat 2tbsp oil and saute the onions for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies and fry for a minute.

Then add the chilli powder, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and salt. Mix well and cook on medium-low flame for 2-3 minutes, till tomatoes become soft. Add 1 cup water, mix and continue to cook covered on medium-low flame for 4-5 minutes. Now, add the meatballs and black pepper, cover and cook on low flame for 5-6 minutes. Turn off heat and garnish with chopped coriander/scallions.

Spaghetti and Shrimp

Ingredients

300g medium shrimps – peeled and deveined

1tbsp olive oil

2tbsp butter

4 cloves garlic – minced

250g cherry tomatoes – halved

¼ cup chicken broth

1 dash Italian seasoning

2 cups fresh baby spinach

Salt & pepper, to taste

250g spaghetti

Method

Boil the spaghetti in salted water as per instructions on pack. Cook it al dente.

Meanwhile, add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to lose their shape – 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp to the pan, followed by the spinach. Reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring or tossing until they’re cooked and spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Toss in the drained spaghetti. Enjoy warm.

Fish Tahiri

Ingredients

For marination:

500g any firm white fish – kingfish/hamour/sherry

4-5tbsp lemon juice

½tsp carom seeds

1tsp red chilli powder

½tsp turmeric powder

1tsp salt

1tsp coriander powder

1tsp ginger-garlic paste

Oil for frying or grilling

Whole spices:

5 cloves

1tsp carom seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 black cardamom

5 green cardamom

2 star anise

1tsp black peppercorns

For rice:

500g basmati rice – soaked in water for 20 minutes

1tsp salt

¾tsp turmeric

½tsp red chilli powder

1tbsp coriander powder

2 medium onions – sliced

2 medium tomatoes – chopped

1tbsp ginger-garlic paste

3tbsp oil

3-4 green chillies

Chopped coriander – for garnish

Method

Marinate fish with all the marinating spices and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. To prepare rice, in large pot, heat oil. Add whole spices and sliced onions and saute on medium flame till the onions turn light golden. Add chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, coriander powder and red chili powder. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a cup of water and cover the pot. Allow the tomatoes and onion to soften up for about 10 minutes. Add half cup water if curry dries up.

In another pan, add oil and shallow fry marinated fish on high flame, flipping once when one side turns brown. When done, remove and set aside. Add the used oil from the pan to the curry base..

Turn on the flame for the curry pot and cook for another 2 minutes. Add soaked rice and water to the pot. Make sure the water level is about an inch over the rice. Add green chillies, cover and cook on medium flame for 10-12 minutes, till rice is tender and liquid has evaporated.

Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a flat spatula or a fork. Serve the rice onto plates topped with pieces of the fried fish, garnished with coriander.