Weekly Meal Prep for Quick & Healthy Meals

Step 1: Unpack and Store Dry Goods

Unpack groceries including various pulses (toor dal, chana dal, chickpeas) and rice. Transfer them into airtight containers and dispensers for organized storage.

Step 2: Store Eggs

Transfer eggs from the cardboard carton into a decorative wooden egg holder and clear plastic containers for refrigerator storage.

Step 3: Soak Ingredients for Dosa Batter

Soak black chana, urad dal, foxtail millet, poha, and fenugreek seeds overnight in separate bowls for the dosa batter.

Step 4: Boil Black Chana

Place the soaked black chana into a pressure cooker, add water, and set it to boil. This will take the longest to cook, allowing you to proceed with other prep tasks.

Step 5: Boil Potatoes

Wash potatoes thoroughly and place them in a pressure cooker with water to boil until tender. These will be used for vegetable tikkis.

Step 6: Roast Tomatoes for Pasta Sauce

Score the tops of tomatoes and place them on a mesh roaster over a gas flame. Roast until the skins are charred and softened, giving them a smoky flavor. Set aside to cool.

Step 7: Chop Garlic

Peel a head of garlic and finely chop the cloves using a mini chopper. Transfer the chopped garlic to a small jar and mix with a little cooking oil or olive oil to preserve freshness.

Step 8: Chop Green Chilies

Remove the stems from green chilies and finely chop them using a mini chopper. Transfer to a small jar and mix with a little cooking oil or olive oil for preservation.

Step 9: Chop Fresh Coconut

Cut fresh coconut into small pieces and finely chop it using a food processor. Store the chopped coconut in an airtight container. Refrigerate if using within 3-4 days, otherwise freeze.

Step 10: Chop Onions and Carrots

Peel and chop onions and carrots using a food processor. Store them separately on a partitioned tray or in containers.

Step 11: Prepare Boiled Green Peas

Add boiled green peas to the partitioned tray with chopped vegetables.

Step 12: Peel and Mash Potatoes

Once the boiled potatoes have cooled, peel them and mash them in a bowl.

Step 13: Puree Roasted Tomatoes

Peel the skin off the roasted tomatoes and blend them into a slightly coarse puree using a blender.

Step 14: Cook Pasta Sauce

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Pour in the roasted tomato puree, ketchup, salt, pasta & pizza seasoning, red chili flakes, and black pepper powder. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Step 15: Prepare Vegetable Tikki Mixture

Heat oil in a separate pan. Add chopped garlic and sauté. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Add chopped carrots and boiled green peas, cooking for a couple of minutes until slightly softened. Add turmeric powder, garam masala, amchur powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Mix well. Add the mashed potatoes and mix everything together. Stir in soaked poha and chopped coriander. Add red chili flakes and mix again. Let the mixture cool down.

Step 16: Dry Roast Sesame Seeds

Heat a flat pan (tava) and dry roast sesame seeds until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside for hummus.

Step 17: Make Atta Halwa

In a pan, heat 3/4 cup ghee. Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and roast on low to medium heat until it turns a beautiful golden brown and releases a nutty aroma. In a separate small pan, heat 3/4 cup sugar with 3 cups water until it boils and the sugar dissolves. Once the flour is roasted and bubbling, carefully add the hot sugar syrup slowly while continuously stirring. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens into a smooth, rich halwa, and ghee starts to separate from the edges. Repeat stirring and resting a few times until perfectly cooked.

Step 18: Refrigerate Tikki Mixture

Transfer the cooled vegetable tikki mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. This makes it easier to shape the tikkis.

Step 19: Strain Black Chana and Save Water

Once the black chana is cooked, strain it, separating the chana from the cooking water. Save the cooking water in a separate container.

Step 20: Make Black Chana Hummus

In a blender, combine 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds, 1 cup boiled black chana, 5-6 garlic cloves, juice of half a lemon, salt to taste, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 ice cube. Blend everything together, gradually adding the reserved chickpea water until a smooth, creamy consistency is achieved. Transfer to an airtight container.

Step 21: Make Homemade Oat Milk

In a blender, combine 1 cup rolled oats and 4 cups water. Add a little vanilla extract and honey for sweetness. Blend for about 30 seconds (do not soak oats or over-blend to avoid sliminess). Strain the oat milk through a muslin cloth or cheesecloth into a bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Step 22: Prepare Dosa Batter for Fermentation

Transfer the ground millet dosa batter to a large bowl. Add a little salt and mix it really well using your hand (ensuring hands are thoroughly washed). Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place (like an oven with the light on) to ferment overnight.

Step 23: Store Prepped Ingredients

Transfer the cooled boiled black chana, reserved chickpea cooking water, cooled pasta sauce, and cooled atta halwa into separate airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator.

Step 24: Shape and Freeze Vegetable Tikkis

Take the refrigerated tikki mixture and shape it into patties. Place them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Freeze for future use.

Step 25: Cook Millet Dosa

Once the dosa batter has fermented overnight, stir it gently. Heat a tawa, pour a ladleful of batter, and spread it in a circular motion. Drizzle oil or ghee around the edges and cook until golden brown and crispy. Serve hot with tomato onion chutney.

Step 26: Cook Black Chana Pulao

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add chopped onions and sauté. Add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chilies, cooking until fragrant. Stir in turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt. Add the boiled black chana and soaked basmati rice. Mix well, add water, and pressure cook until done.

Step 27: Prepare Black Chana Chaat

In a bowl, combine boiled black chana, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped green chilies, salt, black pepper, chaat masala, and lemon juice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and mix well. Serve as a quick, healthy breakfast or snack.

Step 28: Make Quick Pasta

Heat the homemade pasta sauce in a pan. Add boiled pasta and mix well. Sprinkle with pasta & pizza seasoning and toss to combine. Serve hot.

Step 29: Air Fry Vegetable Tikkis

Take frozen vegetable tikkis from the freezer and place them in an air fryer. Cook until golden brown and crispy. Serve as a snack or use in sandwiches/burgers.

Step 30: Make a Grilled Tikki Sandwich

Spread green chutney on one slice of bread and chili garlic mayo on another. Place an air-fried vegetable tikki on the mayo slice, top with onion and tomato slices. Cover with the green chutney slice. Grill the sandwich until golden brown and crispy. Cut and serve.

• Add cooking oil or olive oil to chopped garlic and green chilies to keep them fresh longer and prevent drying out.

• For chopped fresh coconut, store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, otherwise freeze it for longer preservation.

• When making dosa batter, use the pulse mode on your blender and add cold water to prevent the batter from heating up, which can affect fermentation and taste.

• To help dosa batter ferment better, mix it by hand after grinding, ensuring your hands are thoroughly washed.

• For vegetable tikkis, refrigerate the mixture for 15-20 minutes before shaping to make it easier to handle. Store shaped tikkis in the freezer with parchment paper between layers for up to 3-4 months.

• Don't discard the black chana cooking water; it's great for making gravies or kneading dough.

• When making oat milk, do not soak the oats beforehand and avoid over-blending to prevent a slimy texture.

• For atta halwa, chopped dry fruits can be added, but the classic version is also delicious on its own.

• Black chana can be used in a simple protein-rich chaat for breakfast or as a healthy one-pot pulao for lunch.