Lunch Ideas - Creating Balanced Vegetarian Meals

Shanvy · Dec 16, 2013

today is poornima, margazhi first day.. early morning it was rava kesari and ven pongal that was offered to god in the complex..got a bit of it.

so today plate is simple food with no spices..

home made multigrain atta pulkas, white pumpkin+chana+moong dal kootu, plantain roasted, peas+carrots, curds and that is a chutney or thokku..

The oil from the little coconut that was ground into the kootu is shining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now guess what that could be?? something that cannot be guessed unless you are following my posts..

mahesaran · Dec 16, 2013

Shanvy said: ↑

thanks mahe, there is nothing called interupption. it is just an idea that was given to me by a friend. so posting.

barley even i used to make just juices and soups. later i slowly started feeling that i was wasting too much grain while making juices. by chance i found roasted barley powder in one of the shops, i tried using it for my baking and rotis..then slowly thought i should make use of hte grains tht remain after the usage in juices (This is regular.i replace barley water for orange, lemon, ginger and mint juices..)

I don't take any special efforts for cooking barley these days. i pressure cook in a small box on top of the regular rice i make for the kids.wash well. for 1/4 cup of barley add 1.5 cup of water....most of the days there is no excess water. if there i leave it as it if i am going to eat it with rasam or sambhar, or curds. otherwise i strain the water and make a juice for my DD. and for the soups and juices switched over to powdered barley..works more econonmical.
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Stir Fried Vegetables with Barley..or should I say Vegetable Barley.. - Blogs - IndusLadies

low cal oats cookies and coconut chocolate muffins. - Blogs - IndusLadies

mahe honestly i cook just like that it is more of a experimental variety. just a small idea that gets executed somedays. pickled beets without oil is nothing but

just soak in lemon juice just 2 tblsp for a 500g bottle..the vegetables leave water too... i add carrots, cauliflower,beetroots, tender ginger, green chillies for spiciness. and some salt.. mix it and leave it in the fridge. many use vinegar but for me its lemon juice. my dd loves this. a bottle empties in a week..good way to eat veggies..

I used to make the mango ginger, turmeric this way..and moved over to pickling vegetables..

very less oil chutneys, thokkus are also made at home..but they are fast moving so no issues with spoiling. the regular thokkus chutneys with just a drop of oil to saute the chilli, urad dal and tamarind...
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Thank you so much for the detailed reply regarding my doubts.
past two weeks I am noticing that even brown rice , daliya, is not ok for me.....ie for weightloss. Hereafter I have to experiment with barley...... Thanks for the measurements and link about barley.
Are those veggies in your plate enough for you? Sorry for this question( morning itself I typed, but erased as feel hesitated to ask this, but now I couldn't stop me).
regarding pickles.... No powders or spices ? So it is No cook pickle... Really.... If so , so so so nice of you..... I have beets and carrots now.... I will try today itself while preparing dinner...

sreemanavaneeth · Dec 16, 2013

Hai friend,

highly balanced meal with good energy gave my eyes more energy .Tks for sharing

Shanvy · Dec 16, 2013

mahe actually i eat some fruits or vegetable salad around 11.00..because my breakfast is always in a hurry with the kids keeping me on my feet. and around 4.30 i again have something to eat mostly a cookie/apple/bun or something that i do make.. so it is more than enough.

actually that plate of mine will be around 300+ calories mahe.. these are only my lunch plates..i keep eating fruits and vegetables that i am allowed to eat frequently.
and no i don't mind your asking.

if you like the sour,heat and salt taste then you can make manga inji, turmeric, amla, beets, carrots, and many other vegetables like this that you like. even chillies soaked in salt and lime juice taste great.

i try these because i restrict the regular pickles to a lot. i make some of the yummiest avakkai and i don't eat that ..that is where these chutneys and pickles come handy.

Shanvy · Dec 16, 2013

sreemanavaneeth said: ↑

Hai friend,

highly balanced meal with good energy gave my eyes more energy .Tks for sharing
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sree, long time. where are you these days..too busy..do join and share your ideas too..

Shanvy · Dec 16, 2013

i don't know if you saw this. but i really made oil-free pakoras earlier..and posted it in shiva's thread..it is a running joke between me and her.
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/k...eight-loss-success-story-748.html#post2978096

mahesaran · Dec 16, 2013

Shanthi mam, finished preparing pickle... Stored it in fridge... Tasted few pieces ... Really tangy.......thank you once again for this wonderful, no oil, no cook pickle:goodidea:

even I like pickle very much with kottu and sambhar rice....but because of weight issues, I avoid my mom's pickle.( she won't compromise oil for any thing).... Yesterday after seeing your pickle, fortunately I read lime/vinegar pickle, but it is not Indian... So I asked you.

Regarding veggies..... Really I doubt it .. How it is enough ? Now got cleared... I am having ulcer, may be because of that every 2-2:30 hr I feel hungry.... Thanks for the immediate reply

Shanvy · Dec 17, 2013

yesterday evening was vegetable buying. bought this cauliflower that was sold with the whole stalk as such..(the stalk weighed .5kg..and paying 45/50rs for a head of cauliflower with too much stalk is way too much...) the stalk reminded me of the good old days when i lived in north and this aunty used to make danthal khi sabji with the stalk and fresh leaves of cauliflower. i only use the stalk because the leaves are not that fresh. but when fresh the leaves of cauliflower are just as good as that of beetroot and radhish. (some day i will list the number of greens i have eaten). this morning the kids had poori and danthal khi sabji for breakfast.

my lunch today is pearl millet(kambu saadam) , horsegram rasam(kollu), ladys finger sabji (just sauted with a little salt and sambhar powder, in a spoon of oil),gobi ke dhanthal +peas sabji, curd.. hot piping rasam with kambu was to die for...

Shanvy · Dec 17, 2013

mahesaran said: ↑

Shanthi mam, finished preparing pickle... Stored it in fridge... Tasted few pieces ... Really tangy.......thank you once again for this wonderful, no oil, no cook pickle:goodidea:

even I like pickle very much with kottu and sambhar rice....but because of weight issues, I avoid my mom's pickle.( she won't compromise oil for any thing).... Yesterday after seeing your pickle, fortunately I read lime/vinegar pickle, but it is not Indian... So I asked you.

Regarding veggies..... Really I doubt it .. How it is enough ? Now got cleared... I am having ulcer, may be because of that every 2-2:30 hr I feel hungry.... Thanks for the immediate reply
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yes. allow it to soak for a day or two and eat. ulcer or no ulcer eating small meals is the key. i had ulcers. so i always have fruits or vegetables that can be eaten in the fridge. if nothing i have bran biscuits to control the acidity.reducing the use of tamarind will also help