Dt. Natasha Mohan
Dietitian Natasha Mohan is one of the most influential and renowned nutritionist and dietitian, with over 3 Million Followers on YouTube and 200+ Million Views and with 10+ Years of Experience. Dietitian Natasha Mohan is a transformation expert, Motivational Speaker and Lifestyle Expert. She has touched million of lives. She specializes in Therapeutic Diets Like, PCOS/PCOD, Thyroid, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Blood pressure, and other lifestyle disorder.
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13 Healthy Indian Weight Loss Recipes for Lunch That Taste Great
Weight Loss recipes without sacrificing the taste
When we think about losing the weight we think that we need to sacrifice from delicious food. Yes, you need to sacrifice some of them like sweets, crunchy biscuits and packaging food. But if someone say you to sacrifice good taste so don’t hear them. I will share some of best recipes for your weight loss journey that will help you to keep in track so here we go.
1. Moong Dal Khichdi
When we think about moong dal khichdi, we think it’s a food for sick people. But it is not it contain protein and Fiber which keep your tummy full for longer period, so you don’t crave for snacks.
Ingredients
- Yellow moong dal ½ cup
- 1 cup regular rice or brown rice
- Ghee or mustard oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt according to your taste
- 2 green chillies
- Small size onion
- Smal size tomato
- 1-inch peeled ginger
- 2 cups of water
Instruction
- Soak moong dal for 15-20 min in bowl for better digestion
- Add some oil, then fry green chilli, cumin seed, onion, ginger sauté for 5 min in pressure cooker
- Wash rice pours with 2 cups of water in cooker add salt and turmeric powder and leave for 2-3 whistle.
- You can take moong dal khichdi with some curd
2. Oats Vegetable Upma
Morning breakfast is necessary after long period of fasting overnight. So, you can start with south Indian oats vegetable upma recipe this includes freshness of veggies and goodness of oats that keep your mood light and stop for craving.
Ingredients
- 1 bowl of oats
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
- 2 green chillies
- 1 inched peeled ginger
- Veggies (carrot medium size, beans, and peas chopped in small Peaces)
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- Mustard oil
- One medium size chopped onion
- Lemon juice 3 teaspoon
- 1 cup of water
Instruction
- Roast oats for 5 min and keep aside.
- Take pan add some oil, cumin, mustard seeds, green chilli and ginger.
- Add chopped onion sauté until it becomes golden in brown
- Add all veggies with 1 cup water boil for 5 min.
- Now add roasted oats with pinch of turmeric and salt.
- Serve it hot with some mint chutney.
3. Quinoa Pulao
Quinoa is plant-based protein which has all 9 types of amino acid that our body need. If you are pulao Paglu (lover) this could be your friend for your weight loss journey.
Ingredients
- Quinoa – 1 cup (washed well)
- Carrot – 1 medium
- Beans – 9 – 10, chopped
- Capsicum – 1 medium size
- Green peas – 1/3 cup
- Onion – 1 medium chopped
- Tomato – 1 medium chopped
- Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Green chili – 2
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – according to your taste
- Water or vegetable stock – 2.5 cups
- Mustard oil or Ghee – 2 tsp
Instruction
- Remove upper layer Quinoa by washing it from water.
- In a pot add 1 cup quinoa, 2 cup water and some salt cook for 12 min and keep it aside.
- Take pan add oil, cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger garlic paste sauté for 5 min.
- Add some onion and sauté until it becomes golden brown in colour.
- Add all the chopped veggies and cook for 10 min.
- Add quinoa and cook until it becomes thick
- Serve it with some fresh coriander.
4. Cabbage Sabzi with Phulka
Ingredients
- Cabbage – 2 medium size bowl (chopped)
- Onion – 1 medium size
- Green chili – 2
- Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Mustard oil – 2-3 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves – 10
For Phulka or Roti:
- Wheat flour – 3 cups
- Water – according to thickness
Instruction
For Phulka:
- Add some water in flour and knead for until it turns soft dough.
For Cabbage sabzi
- Take pan add oil, cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste and chillies splutter for 3 min.
- Add onion and sauté for 5 min.
- Mix cabbage with turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder.
- Add some salt and serve with coriander leaves for better taste.
5. Chana Sprouts chart
Ingredients
- Sprouted chana – 1 cup
- Onion – 1 medium size (chopped)
- Tomato – 1 medium size (chopped)
- Cucumber – small size (chopped)
- Green chili – 2 (chopped)
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp
- Coriander leaves – 8-10 leaves
- Salt – according to taste
- Chaat masala – ½ tsp
Instruction
- Boil sprouts for 10 min.
- In bowl mix all veggies add some salt and lemon juice.
- Add boiled sprouts and chaat masala.
6. Dal palak with brown rice
Ingredients
For Dal Palak
- 1/2 cup yellow moong dal or Toor dal
- 2 cups spinach leaves
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 medium tomato (chopped)
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- Red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp mustard oil or 1/2 tsp ghee
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander
For Brown rice
- 5 cup rice (you can take this according to your hunger)
- 3.5 cup of water
Instruction
- Take pressure cooker wash Dal put it in cooker with turmeric and a little salt wait for 3 whistles keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan adds cumin and mustard seeds Sauté for 3 min and add onion, chili, red chilli powder and ginger-garlic until golden.
- Add tomato and coriander powder cook for 8- 10 min then add washed spinach and mix it for few minutes
- Mix with the boiled add salt according to your taste
- Last add garam masala and fresh coriander leaves.
- Wash brown rice and put in pressure cooker. Cook until it becomes soft wait for 2-3 whistle
- Serve hot with steamed brown rice and cucumber and beetroot salad
7. Besan ka Chilla
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1 small tomato (chopped)
- 2 green chilies (chopped)
- coriander leaves (chopped)
- 1/6 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed
- 1 tsp oil (mustard or ghee)
Instruction
- Take a bowl mix besan, onion, tomato, chilli, coriander leaves, turmeric, roasted cumin, and salt.
- Add water gradually to make a batter smooth and thick.
- Heat a non-stick pan and spread some oil on it.
- Pour batter on oil and spread it like a thin pancake or roti type.
- Cook on medium flame until golden from both side by oil.
- Serve hot with curd and coriander chutney.
8. Vegetable soup with roasted breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrot, beans, and cabbage (chopped)
- 1/2 cup capsicum (chopped)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 2 green chillies
- 1-inch peeled garlic (chopped)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 1 tsp oil (mustard or ghee)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp of red chilli powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Instruction
- Heat mustard oil in a pan put cumin seeds and green chillies sauté onion and garlic for brown in colour don’t burn it.
- Add tomato cook with some salt for a minute then add all chopped vegetables.
- Add black pepper, turmeric and red chilli powder
- Add water, let it simmer for 10–12 minutes until veggies become soft.
- Roast breadcrumbs in a pan until golden brown.
- Serve hot soup in bowls and last add 3-4 roasted breadcrumbs on top for crunch.
9. Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Curry
Ingredients
- 2 cups lauki (peeled and chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 2 green chilies (chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp of mustard oil
- 2 cups water
Instruction
- Heat oil in a pan and cumin seeds.
- Sauté chopped onion, chilies, and ginger-garlic paste cook it for 5 min.
- Add tomato, turmeric, and coriander powder, cook till soft.
- Add chopped lauki with some salt.
- Add water cook it for 10–12 minutes to make it softer.
- Sprinkle garam masala to enhance the taste.
- Take lauki curry with phulkas.
10. Rajma (Kidney Beans) with brown rice
Ingredients
For Rajma Curry
- 1 cup rajma (soaked for 7 hrs overnight)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 2 green chilies (chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
- 1 tsp oil (mustard oil and ghee)
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups of water
- Hing (asafoetida) for better digestion
For brown rice
- 5 cups of brown rice you can also use regular rice
- 3.5 cups of water
Instruction
- Cook rajma with 3 cups water with add some salt and pinch of turmeric in pressure cooker for 4-5 whistle.
- Heat oil in a pan, cumin seeds, chillies, Hing and ginger-garlic paste.
- Add onion sauté for golden brown in colour then add tomato, turmeric, coriander, and chili powder, cook for 10 min.
- Mix in boiled rajma with masala and stir for 10–12 minutes.
- Finish with garam masala.
- Wash brown rice add water cook for 2 – 3 whistles in pressure cooker.
- Serve it with some beetroot salad.
11. Methi Thepla
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves crushed with your hand
- 2 green chilies (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed
- 1 tsp of mustard oil for each thepla
Instruction
- In a big bowl mix wheat flour with some Methi leaves, chilies, ginger paste, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, and salt for little softness add 2 tsp oil.
- Gradually Add some water to make the dough soft.
- Take some small size dough from main dough roll it out like a circle.
- Add some oil in pan and cook it from both sides.
- You can eat thepla with some curd.
12. Bhindi sabzi with Phulka
Ingredients
- 250 g bhindi (chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- Red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp mustard oil or ghee
- Phulka – 2 cups wheat flour and water
Instruction
- Heat oil on pan adds cumin seeds, chilies, ginger garlic paste and stir for 2 min.
- Add onion sauté for golden brown in colour.
- Add chopped bhindi cook with turmeric, red chilli powder on low flame 10–12 minutes with some garam masala and bhindi is ready.
- Add whole wheat flour and water to make soft dough.
- Roll out phulkas and cook on hot tawa(pan).
- Serve hot bhindi sabzi with fresh phulkas with onion salad.
13. Choley (chickpea) chaat with salad
Ingredients
- Soak chickpea over night for 8 hrs
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 2 green chilies
- Salt
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin powder
- Black pepper
- Chart masala
Instruction
- Put soaked chickpea into cooker and boiled it for 3 whistles.
- Take a bowl add onion, tomato, green chilies, cumin powder, turmeric, cumin and black pepper powder.
- Mix boiled chickpea with masala
- Last add chaat masala and serve it with cucumber salad with mint chutney.
Mix vegs with roti this is lunch is full of the goodness of fresh veggies and have multiple nutrients with Fiber to keep your stomach healthy and happy.
Lentils like Toor dal, moong dal and chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans are the pillars of a good diet plan for weight loss in India. These foods are rich in protein which
Yes, Indian food can help in your weight loss journey if we cook food in minimal oil and spices. Everything is dangerous if we consume them over. Spices and oils have their own medical benefits.
Dal like moong dal, masoor dal and Ahrar dal which contain high protein and easy to digest. Lentils usually contain lots of protein but heavy to digest.
Yes, you can eat rice but in a controlled portion it contains carbs which can be easy to digest but in large amount it will fat.
