I studied in the same school all my life. From 4 to 18. And I was always quite proud of it, honestly. When you spend fourteen years at the same place, it becomes your home. I knew the place at the back of my hand. I could probably walk through the entire campus blindfolded. And after six years of graduating, I still have dreams that are set in school — in the classrooms, or libraries, or the football fields.

But the one thing that really bothered me about school was the lunch they gave us. Don’t get me wrong - it wasn’t bad. It was just the same thing, every week, for years! And of all those things, RAJMA CHAWAL would make my blood boil. So once I graduated from school, I swore I’d never eat rajma chawal again. Little did I know that being in Bangalore would change that.

California Burrito (a very good Indian version of a Chipotle) was a crowd favourite. My friends and I would go often, and pig out on the food. They served a variety of dishes - burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and they were all delicious! But what I loved about it the most was how customisable it was. I think that’s what’s special about Mexican food. You can literally toss anything in with a few spices, and it’s bound to taste amazing.

The burrito bowl stemmed from the same thought. At the start of the lockdown, because I wasn’t going to the gym, I was eating a lot of salads — which often had kidney beans, because “health”. They were always in my refrigerator. And for some reason, mom once made enough rice to feed the entire neighbourhood. So in an attempt to finish up food, we decided to make burritos. Which then changed to burrito bowls. Which now, somehow, are known as my burrito bowls! I know it’s quite an intimidating recipes. When you look at the number of components, it seems like there’s lots to do. But honestly, you can put anything you want into it, or even omit anything. I once used leftover pulao for rice, and just picked out the veggies from it (my brother still doesn’t know about it). There have been so many times that I’ve forgotten to make pico. I never have sour cream, but I just whip up some yoghurt with lemon juice. And with the same components, you can make burritos and tacos too! Turn this burrito bowl into whatever you like — it’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy. And don’t forget to tag me when you make it, so I can see your rendition of it!

Glimpses from the week

Ingredients

For the chicken

500g chicken thighs boneless

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

Lemon zest (optional)

For the veggies

1 cup of the assorted bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 cup of mushrooms, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

For the beans

1/2 cup of kidney beans, soaked overnight and cooked in the pressure cooker for two whistles

~300 ml of water

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

A pinch of cumin powder

2 tablespoons of your favourite hot sauce (Sriracha is ideal)

2 teaspoons of onion powder

2 teaspoons of light brown sugar (or any other sugar)

Salt to taste

For the assembly

1/2 cup basmati rice, cooked

1 tablespoon of hung yogurt or sour cream

Nachos (optional)

Method

1. Add all the marinade ingredients into a bowl along with the chicken. Mix well and wrap with clingfilm and stick in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Best to leave it for at least 12 hours.

2. For the veggies, slice thin and cook on medium heat. Add the mushrooms first and let them sweat. Once they reduce in size, add salt and cumin to taste. Further, add the bell peppers and cook until the veggies turn jammy. Keep aside.

3. For the pinto beans: In a saucepan on medium heat add the beans and water and begin to simmer. Progressively add the following: 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and continue to mix, add a pinch of cumin powder, hot sauce, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, and some light brown sugar to balance out the heat. The process from here onwards is very simple. Keep stirring for about a minute and then cover and let the beans come to boil. Reduce the heat and let the beans turn into a thick gravy. About 15 minutes.

4. For the chicken: Now for the chicken place a skillet or griddle on medium to high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and add your marinated chicken skin side down. Cook for at least 5-6 minutes on each side until you achieve a nice deep brown color and the chicken is firm when pricked with a fork

5. Assemble! In a large bowl, add a bed of rice followed by beans, veggies, thin-sliced chicken in clockwise order. Add some sour cream or hung yogurt in the centre along with some nachos for an added crunch.