Hate cleaning up? One-pot meals for cold days

It’s a new year. Overcast skies, a new work week and procrastination seems so much more inviting, especially when it comes to weeknight dinners. We want it delicious, we want it nutritious, we want it cost effective and need the clean-up to be quick. As Maverick would say, there's a “… need for speed.”

And Gulf News Food gets that, so here are 5 one-pot or one-sheet pan recipes that would definitely make any inner chef proud and spare you the kitchen sink spend time.

From Yemen, all you need for this recipe is rice, potatoes and meat, spices such as cinnamon, fennel, cumin, dried lemon or loomi, red peppers, curry powder, cardamom, red peppers, black peppercorns. Saffron and yoghurt are used to prepare the marination and caramelised onions are an important component. But, don't tell the chef, you can store-buy birista or give it a pass, although it does impart a sweet, caramel flavour. Here is the recipe to try.

In India, khichdi is a popular rice and lentil mix, cooked with just turmeric and salt. However, to make this one-pot meal interesting we have a recipe that uses masala or spices tempered in ghee or clarified butter, perfect for a cold winter night. Try this spiced rice-lentil dish here.

This video recipe will take you through a step-by-step guide to making this Iranian rice-based meal. It uses long-grained rice and marinated chicken flavoured in saffron. Here is the recipe to try.

A classic main course Spanish dish made with rice, vegetables, saffron, seafood and chicken, it is best eaten warm. The word paella is named after the wide pot that it is cooked in. Want to try the recipe? Click here

This 45-minute dish uses ground lamb, stock and rice. It also uses sumac powder, which has a tangy taste and is derived from berries of a wild bush. Try the recipe here.

Do  you have a favourite one-pot meal recipe that you want to share? Write to us at food@gulfnews.com