Traditional Indian recipes are recognized for their heavenly combination of spices, grains, and vegetables. Rich in veggies and low in fat, with the inclusion of lean meat in non-veg meals, the Indian diet is wholesome. For instance, chickpeas are packed with fiber and proteins, raita is a source of calcium, spinach and tomatoes are superfoods. Most of these ingredients are natural and have medicinal properties and a lot of health quotient. Even serving plates made of banana leaves are a sustainable alternative. Several western countries are now turning toward India to adopt healthy recipes.
It is quite simple to follow the practice of eating healthy if you adopt an Indian diet. Healthy meals help you to reduce stress, thereby regulating unhealthy BMI, minimizing diabetic risks, and decreasing hypertension and high blood pressure. And when you are stressed, your body’s cortisol levels rise, making you crave carbs, sugar, and fatty foods. The cycle goes on and hence, we need to put a check on unhealthy eating habits. How? By curating some simple Indian dinner recipes that shall keep you full, reduce stress, and ensure your health.
Table of Contents
Below are some of our shortlisted healthy Indian recipes for dinner. You can cook these meals in a jiffy and with minimal effort.
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Dahi Bhindi
Dahi Bhindi, a traditional Rajasthani dish, takes only around half an hour for preparation. While lady’s finger (bhindi) is full of nutrients that regulate blood pressure, the added ingredients like coriander, cumin, and besan are wonderful flavoring agents. Even curd (Dahi) helps keep your stomach cool and gets rid of digestive issues. Add a pinch of salt and only minimum oil to cook a nutrition-packed dish. Check out the recipe from one of the prominent Indian food bloggers, Manjula Jain.
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Mixed Vegetable Thoran
Vegetables are always the best idea when it comes to maintaining good health. Mixed vegetable thoran contains a lot of fibers, vitamins, and minerals. You can use any veggies you like, such as green leaves (for example, spinach) — which is loaded with calcium. For the spices, you can use a hint of chili powder, minced garlic, and a little salt. I found this really tasty recipe from one of my favorite Indian food authors, Swasthi Shreekanth, where she makes the thoran using potatoes, peas, carrots, beans, and bell peppers. Check it out and know how to churn out a quick, healthy dinner.
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Roti or Naan
We might ignore our traditional and humble Indian roti or naan. But did you know that with some simple twists, you can turn this desi staple into wholesome dinner accompaniments? Lessen the amount of salt to less than ¼ teaspoon in a serving size of four. Rather than maida, go for wheat, jowar flour, or whole grain flour to make them healthier.
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Rice and Carrot Appas
Rice and carrot appas is a Nutri-packed combination that takes around 15 minutes to prepare. You can serve it either for dinner or even for breakfast. Appas are not only low-sodium but they are heavy and a slight serving will keep you full — without those unhealthy hunger pangs that strike at midnight. So, you won’t wake up and munch on calorie-laden snacks. Carrots are high in fiber and beta-carotene. You can opt for brown rice and add a few green chilies for added health and flavor. Check out how to curate this dish in this Youtube video.
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Cabbage and Dal Parathas
Cabbage and Dal Parathas are really good for your heart. This combo of cereals and vegetables can be given a healthier twist by swapping the traditional flour with nachni or soya flour. Use minimal salt in the preparation and you are all set! Learn how to whip up the dish by checking out this recipe on Indian food blogger, Archana Doshi’s blog.
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Dinner with high proteins and low carbs
People who work out a lot need a high percentage of proteins and a low amount of carbs in their dinner. If you wish to increase muscle mass but lessen weight, you can opt for a simple masoor dal, a salad of beans and sprouts, and tofu or mutton curry. Two plain rotis and a glass of chaas shall complete your meal. Several restaurants in India are now coming up, which serve keto-friendly options in food. If you are planning to go out for dinner, you can do a Google search and visit any of these joints.
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Dinner to check the weight
Heavy stress after work often leads to binge-eating, which in turn causes weight gain. Weight watchers dinner is a wholesome option to put a check on heavy weight gain. One idea is to cook up mushroom soup and accompany it with a mixed vegetable salad with tofu or sprouts. You can also serve it with cucumber raita to cool down your digestive system.
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High fibre dinner
Kachumber salad, made with onions turnip cucumber tomato and carrot is a great source of fiber. Have it with brown rice or multigrain rotis, accompanied by rajma or bhindi ki sabzi. When you work late night shifts and cannot afford to have a heavy dinner, go for a simple ham and cheese and lettuce sandwiches — complete with fruit smoothies.
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Family dinner
The options for family dinner are so many. And when everyone decides to eat healthily, you can check out multiple options. Go for a home-made, full course meal complete with soup or salad, rotis or whole wheat paratha, alu methi curry, dal tadka, or fish curry. A bowl of curd and cut fruits shall complete your dinner.
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Vegan dinner
Even vegan can be extremely healthy when you choose the right ingredients. For dinner, go for vegan style tomato rasam and broken wheat upma or Rotis. Combine it with vegetable stew, prepared from potatoes, onions, peas, and carrots. Another alternative is to cook jowar rotis with tofu paneer or ragi balls with green and beans sambhar.
These simple to cook Indian recipes for dinner are great examples of how traditional meals can be slightly transformed to make dishes that aid in dealing with work-related strain. Apart from these recipes, if you wish to have some on-the-go bites, you can opt for natural nutrition & health foods and food supplements. For instance, dark chocolate reduces emotional stress and boosts your mood. Almonds, packed with vitamins B and E, protect your immune system when you are too stressed. Even immunity-boosting sweet potatoes help curb work-related pressure. Pronounced cognitive improvement persists for 5-7 hours, after which the manifestation of typical Provigil symptoms decreases. Approximately 13 hours after taking nootropics, it is easy to fall asleep, which will not be after using 200 mg of the drug. In addition, a dosage of 50 mg does not cause any side effects. Read more about this at https://sdarcwellness.com/buy-modafinil-online/. Asparagus, spinach, and kale are also good sources of vitamins and minerals like folic acid and magnesium. Even honey induces a good night’s sleep.