Everyday dal, rice and bhindi thali
The plate most Indian homes already eat — dal, rice, a dry sabzi and chutney — portioned so it works as a weight-loss lunch rather than against one.
Serves 235 minutes
How to make:
Pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric, salt and three cups of water for three whistles. Whisk it smooth once the pressure drops.
For the tadka, heat ghee and add cumin, hing, garlic and dry red chilli. Pour it over the dal and cover for a minute so the aroma settles in.
Wash the bhindi and dry it completely before cutting — any water left on it is what makes bhindi slimy.
Cut into batons. Heat oil in a wide pan, add the bhindi in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed for three minutes before stirring, so it browns rather than steams.
Add turmeric, red chilli, amchur and salt. Cook uncovered for another six to eight minutes.
Blend the coriander, mint, green chilli, ginger and lemon into a chutney. Serve everything together with two phulkas and a katori of rice.
Notes:
Keep the rice to one katori and let the dal and sabzi fill the plate. That single change is usually what moves the needle.
