Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
When it comes to planning a complete vegetarian meal, we sometimes run out of ideas on what to cook. These vegetarian dinner ideas ideas will help you in choosing the right recipes that complement each other to make a complete wholesome Indian vegetarian family meal.
A typical daily Indian vegetarian meal is very different from the selection we usually find at Indian restaurants. Traditional Indian cuisine food is full of healthy ingredients. Many healthy Indian dishes include ample vitamins & minerals. Lean proteins can be added to meal by including diet-friendly high fiber lentils and vegetables. By making these filling ingredients a part of our meal planning, we tend to eat less and still feel full and satisfied.
A good Indian vegetarian dinner should follow some basic guide lines:
- Overall meal plan should include all essential nutrients, i.e. protein, vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates.
- The main ingredient of each individual recipe should not be repeated in another recipe in same meal plan. Try to avoid having two paneer dishes or two of same lentil/bean dishes in the same meal.
- Make your best effort to have a colorful platter, i.e. each dish should have its unique color different from others.
- A good meal plan has recipes with different texture. For example, recipes could have soft, crispy, chewy, smooth, light, heavy or airy.
- Have balance between flavors and spice levels across the menu. If you have a spicy recipe in your meal plan, compliment it with a little bland creation.
- Lastly, a North Indian family plan will usually include a gravy (liquidy) dish, one dry vegetable, yogurt, rice and roti/paratha with a compliment of pickles, chutneys, salads and papad.
Typically, each meal should take about 90 minutes to prepare, since multiple recipes can be cooked at the same time. Start with the recipe that takes the longest time to cook and fit other recipes in between as time permits.
Hope you enjoy these vegetarian dinner ideas. Please leave feedback and share with friends / family.
