Don't believe that dinner has to be complicated. We've compiled a list of 5 simple, nutritious and tasty dinner recipes that can be easily prepared even when you have a busy schedule.

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Broccoli paratha

Looking for a quick one-meal healthy option? Then follow this recipe for broccoli paratha (makes around 7-8).

Ingredients

• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 small onion diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 medium light green chillies
• 1-2 tsp carrom seeds (ajwain)
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1 cup wheat flour or multigrain flour or gluten-free flour
• 3-4 tbsp oil

Recipe

1. Parboil broccoli and drain it.
2. In a jar, take parboiled broccoli, garlic cloves, and green chillies and grind them into a fine paste.
3. In the flour, add some salt, carom seeds (ajwain), garam masala, turmeric powder, and diced onion and mix them well.
4. Add the broccoli paste and make dough of the consistency that you can make parathas out of it; add water if needed.
5. Make small balls of dough and roll parathas and cook it on the well on both sides of a pan. Apply oil/butter or ghee to add some more flavour and to make it nice and flaky.
6. Serve these yummy parathas with green sauce (chutney) or some tomato ketchup.

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Chickpeas paratha

Chickpeas have known to be of great taste and nutritional value. How about adding some creativity to these routine chickpeas and trying these chickpeas pancakes?

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpeas- soak them overnight
• 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera)
• 2 teaspoon chilli-ginger paste
• Salt as per taste
• 1/3 cup chopped tomato, onion and coriander

Recipe

1. Grind the soaked chickpeas into a fine paste.
2. Add one 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera), salt, chilli-ginger paste and chopped vegetables to it.
3. Mix well and make a batter like dosa.
4. Heat a nonstick pan and put one ladle full of the batter.
5. Add a few drops of oil.
6. Cover it with a glass cover if you have one.
7. Roast it for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
8. Toss it to the other side and cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Serve the healthy yummy pancake with green sauce (chutney).

Tip: You can add even more vegetables like carrots and bell peppers if you like.

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Roti pizza

Had a busy day at work and your kids are super hungry on reaching home? Only some rotis or parathas there for your rescue? This very simple healthy recipe for roti pizza can be your saviour on these days.

Ingredients

• 4-5 leftover/ fresh rotis/ parathas
• 1 cup of dice red, yellow, and green bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions
• Some cut olives
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Salt as per taste
• Oregano
• Chilli flakes
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• Tomato ketchup or pizza sauce
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of oil

Toss and saute all the diced vegetables in some oil and season them with salt and pepper. Love sweet corn, baby corn or basil? You can add that too.

Recipe

1. Take the roti or paratha.
2. Toast it on a pan till it is a little crispy.
3. Apply tomato ketchup or pizza sauce over it.
4. Put the veggies, and olives and spread some grated cheese over it.
5. Cover the pizza and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on a slow flame.
6. Take it on a plate and cut it with a pizza cutter into slices.
7. Sprinkle oregano and chilli flakes as needed.
8. Your yummy colourful roti pizza is ready to be served.

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Salad

On a Monday morning looking for a healthy vegan option? Or advised no fats or carbs at all? With this yummy salad make your Monday blues go!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped lettuce
• 1/4 cup pink cabbage
• 1/2 cup diced yellow, red, and green bell peppers
• 4-5 halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1/8 cup diced zucchini
• 1 tbsp olive slices
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chilli flakes

Recipe

Take a bowl and mix all the above ingredients and give it a good toss.

Just hog on to this colourful yummy bowl of salad without worrying about gaining any extra pounds. Loaded with lots of fibres and nutrients.

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Daal Khichdi

Are you a rice lover and waiting to try a full meal in one go? Don’t worry, we have got you covered too. Daal Khichdi for the rice lovers out there.

Ingredients

• 1 cup washed basmati rice
• 5 cups water
• 3/4 cup toor daal (pigeon peas)- washed
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 medium tomato finely chopped
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin (jeera)
• 1-inch cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 2/3 black peppercorns
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2-3 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• Salt as per taste
• Chopped coriander for garnishing

Recipe

1. Take a large vessel with 5 cups of water.
2. Add the basmati rice and some salt to it and cook it till soft.
3. Strain the water once it is cooked and keep it aside.
4. Cook toor daal (pigeon peas) with water in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles.
5. In a big pan heat the oil and add cumin, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and peppercorns.
6. Once they start to crackle add garlic and onions and sauté it till translucent.
7. Add tomatoes and cook well.
8. Add all the spices and powder and mix well.
9. Add the cooked toor daal (pigeon peas) and mix well.
10. Add the strained rice and mix well.
11. Let it cooks for 10 minutes.
12. Turn off the gas and sprinkle chopped coriander and serve hot with curd.
13. To have a twist you can parboil spinach strain and make a purée from it and add it when you add tomatoes.

Your palak khichdi is ready!

Hope you have an amazing healthy week with these recipes. You can always add your twist to all of these. Make it suit your taste buds.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

About the author of this article: Dr Ridima Surve is a medical writer, editor and reviewer from Mumbai.