If there's an ingredient that can instantly brighten up a dish with bold, irresistible flavour, it's a good sauce. A dash of tangy magic transforms everyday meals into mouth-watering delights. Each recipe we suggest below brims with comfort and just the right hint of heat, perfect when your taste buds crave something a little more exciting. Looking to spice up your meals? Know that a dash of sauce is all you need!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (halved); 2 large eggs; 1 cup bread crumbs; ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; ½ cup olive oil; ½ cup PRAN Hot Tomato Sauce; ¼ cup fresh mozzarella (cubed); ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped); salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Method

Turn the oven on to 230 degrees Celsius. On a sturdy surface, place the chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic. Using a meat mallet, firmly pound the chicken until it is ½-inch thick. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Now, coat both sides of the chicken breasts with flour. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and set aside. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs and ½-cup Parmesan cheese; put aside. Coat chicken breasts with flour and then dip them into beaten eggs. Press crumbs into both sides of the chicken after transferring it to the bread crumb mixture. Give the chicken pieces ten to fifteen minutes to rest.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Cook the chicken in heated oil for about two minutes on each side, or until browned. In the oven, the chicken will finish cooking.

Chicken should be moved to a baking dish. Put 2 tablespoons of PRAN HOT Tomato Sauce on top of each breast. Place equal amounts of provolone, mozzarella, and fresh basil on top of each chicken breast. Drizzle each with ½ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are no longer pink in the middle and the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve!

EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Ingredients

2 eggplants (cut into ½-inch thick slices), ¼ cup PRAN Hot Tomato Sauce, 1 tbsp PRAN Chilli Sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion (chopped), ½ cup mushrooms (sliced), 3 cloves garlic (minced), 3 to 4 tsp dried basil, ¾ tsp dried oregano, salt and black pepper (to taste), 1 cup cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 220 °C. Brush about 2 tablespoons olive oil onto eggplant slices, and arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until the eggplant is tender and browned.

Remove eggplant from oven and reduce temperature to 175 °C.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat, cook and stir onion, mushrooms and garlic until onion is softened. Add PRAN Hot Tomato Sauce, PRAN Chilli Sauce, basil and oregano, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced.

Season with salt and pepper. Arrange about half of the eggplant slices in a 2-quart casserole dish, top with half the sauce, and half the cheese. Repeat layering with the ingredients.

Bake in a preheated oven until hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Ingredients

For the marinade — ½ cup PRAN Hot Tomato Sauce, 500g boneless chicken (cut into pieces), 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 3 tbsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp black salt, 2 tbsp yoghurt, ½ tsp garam masala powder, ¼ tsp carom seeds, 2 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tbsp chickpeas flour, ½ tsp crushed red chillies

For the gravy — 4 medium onions, ½ cup oil, 2 green capsicums (cut into 1-inch pieces), 4 medium tomatoes (seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces), 1-inch ginger (chopped), 10 garlic cloves (chopped), 1 tbsp coriander powder, ¼ cup mawa, ¼ tsp cardamom powder, ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves, 2 tbsp fresh cream, 2 tbsp honey

Method

Place chicken in a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Let them marinate for 1-2 hours. Heat oil in a flat nonstick pan, add the chicken pieces and cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat.

For the gravy, chop 2 onions. Cube the remaining two and separate the layers. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in another non-stick pan, add cubed onion layers, capsicum and tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer into a bowl. Turn over the chicken pieces in the first pan and let the other side cook. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the second pan and add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add chopped onions and sauté. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and sauté. Add coriander powder, a pinch of turmeric powder and sauté for a minute. Add PRAN Hot Tomato Sauce and mix. Add mawa, salt, red chilli powder, green cardamom powder, fenugreek leaves and mix and continue to stir till oil begins to separate. Add chicken pieces and mix. Add fresh cream, honey and capsicum. Mix well and remove from heat.