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What is a Mug Recipe?
Advantages of Mug Recipes
Though at first glance, mug meals and cakes may give off the distressing cooking-for-one-is-lonesome vibe, which directly contrasts with the Instagram-ready cake culture, a closer examination of the mug meals' popularity shines a light on our society's relationship with food. The manner in which we humans adapt to changing times and conditions reflects most strongly in our food habits, food being closest to our very survival. Listed below are some of the major reasons why mug meals hit off so well and are bound to grow more popular amongst Gen-Z as much as millennials.
Versatility: A Boon for Working Moms and Ever Hungry Kids
The key to surviving life today is efficiency. In a time-starved society such as ours, people began adapting their eating habits to their work-life, finding ways to reduce spending time in the kitchen and elsewhere. Now rather than arranging our life around food as we did 30 years ago, our food habits - both preparation and consumption, have to accommodate our work styles.
With the advent of the WFH culture, these priorities only grew sharper. In times as stressful as these, mug meals proved to be a boon to a wide range of age groups and lifestyles. Be it the full-time working mom who must juggle both home and office duties, or the anxious students craving a late-night snack, mug meals fulfil everyone's needs. So easy to prepare that even a child can cook them, and so effortless, that they require zero planning. What's more, almost all mug meals don't take more than 15 minutes to prepare!
In short, mug recipes fit the requirement of every person and family unit possible, busy families, single parents, professionals and students alike.
Portion Size: Zero Wastage and Negligible Calorie Gain
While everything seems to aid the rise of mug recipes, one growing movement threatened it. The growing dedication to health awareness and fitness obsession amongst consumers could have stomped out mug meals, but for their portion sizes. This small, limited portion size of the mug meals is their most definite redeeming factor as well as their strongest advantage over every other food fad. Since mug meals usually require ingredients in barely half or one-fourth the usual quantity needed to prepare a regular-sized dish, the chances of wastage are also drawn to nil. This gives you the freedom of committing (and learning from) those inevitable, small mistakes we first-timers make without feeling guilty for having dumped a fortune down the drain.
For even the calorie-conscious foodies, this is a boon, as fewer ingredients and limited portion size mean lower consumption rate and negligible calorie gains, while also nipping those cravings in the bud.
This feature is particularly advantageous for hostellers, bachelors and single professionals who must find creative ways to handle their late-night hunger sprees. Due to its small size and effortless recipes, mug meals easily replace other more harmful hunger appeasing food items like preservative-laden chips, noodles, etc.
Variety: The Growth of Experimental Cooking
Another major trend the pandemic set in was the advent of “Experimental Cooking”. With maids and every other household assistance on leave due to COVID, many working Indian women and men had to try their hand at cooking. While the boomer club found it easy to accommodate, the Zomato-accustomed millennials and Gen-Z struggled with not just learning to cook 'the right way' but also treating themselves with the various regular food delivery services ensured.
And this is where mug recipes helped a ton. Easy-to-follow, mug recipes offer novices the chance to experiment with different ingredients and understand their preferred textures and tastes when it comes to different cuisines. Due to their simplicity, even complete novices or first-time cooks don't find it hard to try their hand at various cuisines at almost zero cost.
In a way, mug recipes also provide the much-needed variety in day-to-day meals. So, while for breakfast, you may enjoy a cup size Grecian cuisine of delicious Lasagne with your regular bread and butter, for lunch, you can be prepared to enjoy a well-baked cup size Mexican pizza.
Self-Care: The Culture of Pampering Thyself
While 'self-care was a big hype even before the pandemic struck, the post COVID times seemed to have only aggravated this need. With family members all cramped up under one roof contrasted to living different lives in different parts of the country, people around the globe experienced a greater need for mental peace and equanimity practises. Yoga grew, and so did the demand for meditation services. Concepts like 'me time' snaked their way into every conversation, reflecting in every hashtag imaginable on social media platforms.
What does this have to do with our food consumption? Quite a lot, as you'll see.
The quick, customisable mug meal is not just an easy fix for a busy day, it represents our freedom to indulge ourselves 'on our own terms', lacking the community and connection traditional meal quantities bound people to. While a full cooked meal requires considering an additional number of people's needs, a mug meal only needs you to consider your own, since the size can cater to only one person.
Inventions such as these also allow people to 'pamper themselves' 'on their own terms, which is nowadays considered an integral part of self-care. Our lifestyles too encouraged the culture of dining alone. Due to busy, suffocating work lives, it has become more common to cook for one and eat in front of a laptop screen, rather than amongst family members at a dining table. And mug recipes fit into these needs like puzzle pieces.
Top 10 Popular Tasty Mug Recipes
Here, we have curated a selection of the top 10 most popular and commonly used mug recipes. The assortment is a compilation of a variety of cuisines and can be prepared during any time of the day for any mealtime, be it lunch, dinner or evening snacks.
5-Minute Chocolate Fudge (Dessert)
Need a self-care break from the office hustle but have no time to spare? Whether to pamper your beloved spouse or yourself, this 5 Minute Chocolate Fudge allows you to travel to heaven and beyond in just a span of 5 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 pieces of chopped milk chocolate
- 2 to 3 marshmallows
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix the egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, stir well.
- Add in melted butter and chocolate.
- Add in the remaining chocolate chips.
- Add half of the mixture on top of the graham crust, then add a few marshmallows.
- Add the remaining batter on top.
- Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with graham crumbs!
4-Minute Mug Cinnamon Rolls (Breakfast)
This recipe can help you create cinnamon rolls for 2 so that you can even share with your bestie.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp. whole milk
- 2 cups pancake mix (180 g)
- All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. water
Instructions:
- Prepare the filling: In a bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Create the dough: In another bowl, mix the egg, vanilla, sugar, salt, and milk until combined.
- Next, add the pancake mix to it and stir well until mostly combined.
- Knead the dough until it gets a smooth texture.
- Roll the dough into an 8 x 6 inch rectangle.
- Spread the filling over the dough.
- Starting with any longer edge, roll the dough tightly into a log and cut in half.
- Paint 2 mugs insides with oil.
- Place 1 cinnamon roll in each mug.
- Add 1 teaspoon of water into each mug.
- Microwave each roll separately for 2 minutes.
- Enjoy!
3-Minutes Mug Pizza (Snacks)
Need pizza in a flash but too lazy to order and wait? Or bored out of your wits by the local pizza provider? Whatever your dilemma, this 3-minute recipe has the perfect cure for you:
Ingredients:
- 2 unbaked canned biscuits
- 1 tbsp. marinara sauce
- 2 pinch garlic powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 pinch dried basil, divided
- 2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese
- 10 mini pepperonis
Instructions:
- Add the biscuit to a mug.
- Microwave for 45 seconds, till the biscuit puffs up.
- In a bowl, add marinara sauce, garlic powder, salt and a pinch of basil and mix well.
- Add the sauce over the cooked biscuit, then sprinkle the cheese and pepperoni.
- Loosely cover the mug with a paper towel or a plastic film and microwave for 1 minute.
- Enjoy!
2-Minute Mug Omelette (Breakfast)
This 2-minute mug omelette recipe is the answer to all your healthy breakfast dreams! Just follow the instructions below, and in just 2 minutes find yourself relishing a fresh omelette, full of nutrients yet low in calories!
Ingredients:
- Cooking Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsp. roasted red peppers finely chopped
- ½ cup spinach
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. cheese
- 2 tsp. sliced onions
- ½ tbsp. pepper
Instructions:
- Coat the coffee mug with cooking oil.
- Add eggs, and keep mixing with the fork until the yoke is completely combined with the egg white.
- Add the roasted red pepper, spinach, cheese, onions and pepper.
- Stir well.
- Microwave the cup for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the mug and let it cool for a minute or two.
- Enjoy!!
Vegan Mac and Cheese (Lunch)
The ultimate snack for hostellers, this instant mac and cheese are extremely simple to make and absolutely delicious to taste. Read on to understand the recipe and try it out to enjoy it even more!
Ingredients:
- 1 packet elbow pasta
- 2-3 tbsp. pre-shredded cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ to ½ cup milk and water
Instructions:
- Add ⅓ cup of noodles to your cup along with a ½ cup of water.
- Microwave this mixture until all the water has evaporated.
- Add your milk and cheese to this, and microwave for another minute or two.
- Stir well until all the ingredients have blended well into a creamy sauce.
Blueberry Breakfast Muffin (Breakfast and Dessert)
A gluten-free, high protein freshly prepared blueberry muffin in just a minute? Impossible, isn't it? Inspired by the Starbucks Blueberry Muffin, this low-calorie and tested vegan delight is a must-have to pamper that sweet tooth. Read our curated simple and straightforward recipe that will help you devour this muffin in no time:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsps. coconut flour
- 2 tbsps. almond flour
- 1 tbsps. granulated sweetener
- ¾ tsp. baking powder
- 1 small pinch cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsps. mashed banana
- 2 tbsps. milk
- 4 tbsps. blueberries
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the flour, sweetener, cinnamon and baking powder and mix well.
- Then add the egg, mashed banana, milk and mix until fully combined.
- Add the blueberries.
- Microwave for about 1 minute and your delectable blueberry muffin is ready.
Egg Fried Rice (Lunch)
Did you know that you could prepare egg-fried rice in a mug? With this mug recipe, prove us right!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
- 3 tbsps. frozen peas
- 1 tbsps. chopped red pepper
- ½ tbsps. sliced onions
- 1 pinch bean sprouts
- 1 pinch shredded cabbage
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. five-spice powder
Instructions:
- Pour the rice into a mug of your choice.
- Mix the peas, onion and cabbage with it.
- Cover the mug with a plastic film.
- To avoid scalding yourself with the steam that comes out of the mug after getting microwaved, puncture two holes into this film.
- Microwave for 1 minute 45 seconds.
- Meanwhile, beat the egg and mix in the seasonings (sesame oil, onion powder and five-spice powder).
- After taking the cup out, pour the egg mixture into it, and stir well.
- Cover the mug with the film again, and microwave for another 1 minute 30 seconds.
- Take the mug out, and give everything a good stir.
Microwaved Lasagna
Is lasagna ready in just 2 minutes? No large pans and no washing dishes like you served an army rather than prepared a dish? Too good to be true right? Hang on and try this recipe out and allow those taste buds to judge!
Ingredients:
- 1 pasta lasagna sheet
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsps. olive oil
- 2 tbsps. pizza sauce
- 3 tbsps. cheese
- 2 tbsps. grated cheddar cheese
Instructions:
- Break the lasagna sheet and place them in a mug.
- Add water and olive oil until completely submerged.
- Microwave for 3 minutes until the pasta softens.
- Drain the cooking water
- Add 2 tbsps. pizza sauce.
- Add pasta, spinach and cheese in layers, till the mug is completely filled.
- Sprinkle the grated cheddar on top.
- Microwave for another 3 minutes.
Blueberry French Toast
Feeling lazy but need something fulfilling and tasty in the name of breakfast? A blueberry French toast with a record preparation time of 1 to 2 minutes can be your fix for your early morning cravings!
Ingredients:
- 2 slice bread
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsps. milk
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 blueberries
- 1 tsp. maple syrup (optional)
Instructions:
- Divide the bread slices into cubes.
- In a bowl, combine egg, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Place half of the bread cubes and blueberries together in a mug.
- Place the rest of the bread, blueberries, and the egg mixture into the mug.
- Microwave for 2 minutes.
- Drizzle maple syrup on top.
- Enjoy!
Coffee Cup Quiche
One of the easiest recipes on this list by far, a coffee cup quiche is just the thing you need to start your busy day with.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsps. milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ bagel
- 1 slice bread
- 2-3 tbsps. cream cheese
Instructions:
- Mix the egg and milk together with a fork in a coffee cup
- Once together, add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Tear a slice of bread into dime-size pieces and add.
- Mix cream cheese.
- Microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds.
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Enjoy Immediately
Let’s face it. You’re busy. Too busy to mess around with complicated cooking after a long day. That’s when you can really appreciate this totally microwaveable mug meal. The most important rule of mug recipes is to eat immediately. These handy tips will help you perfect any of the many amazing mug recipes out there.