The Real Life Cooking Strategy Guide Blog: India; Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Breakfast, and Dinner

Breakfast
Lassi
Peanut Chutney and Rice or Dosas
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
No Marinating Needed

Picture of Fat Free Lassi in Mumbai courtesy of Swami Stream

Ingredients and Shopping List:
Lassi
1 cup of Plain Yogurt, whole, low-fat, or non-fat
1 cup of Ice
1 teaspoon of Truvia or Stevia

Peanut Chutney
1 cup of All Natural Peanut Butter, chunky or smooth whichever you prefer
¼ cup of Vegetable Broth
Hot Sauce to taste
1 teaspoon of Mustard
1 teaspoon of Ginger
1 teaspoon of Curry Powder (Probably not at Walmart try local grocer, health food store, or spice store).
1 cup of Microwave Rice

Equipment:
Blender
Glass for lassi
Microwave
Wax paper to cover microwaving food

Instructions:

Put the yogurt, ice, and Truvia or stevia into the blender. Blend for 2 minutes. Pour into glass, set aside. Rinse out blender. Put the peanut butter, vegetable broth, mustard, ginger, and curry into the blender. Blend for 2 minutes.

Prepare microwave rice according to the instructions. Put rice on a plate, and pour peanut chutney out of blender, onto the rice. Cover the plate with wax paper. Put the plate back into the microwave for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

Grab lassi.

Eat.

Note: The brain food in this meal is the lassi.

Note: If, by chance, you live somewhere near a store or restaurant that sells dosas (Indian fermented rice and lentil pancakes), dosas are healthier for the brain than rice because they are easier for the body to digest so that no blood is required to drain for the brain in order to digest dosas.

Picture of Dosas courtesy of Roland.

Note: Whole grain rice and flour is healthier than white rice and flour.

Note: If you would like to boil regular rice, please see the instructions under China, Japan, or Thai breakfast.

Lunch
Almond Milk
Palak Paneer and Rice
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
No Marinating Needed

Pic of Palak Paneer courtesy of Leningrad at en.wikipedia

Ingredients and Shopping List:
Almond Milk:
1 glass of Almond Milk

Palak Paneer:
1 can of Spinach
1 tablespoon of powdered Hidden Ranch Dressing Mix
1 teaspoon of Curry Powder (Probably not sold at Walmart try local grocer, health food store, or spice store).
½ teaspoon of Ginger
Hot Sauce to taste
½ cup of Ricotta Cheese, in quarter-sized pieces
Microwavable Rice

Equipment:
Microwave
Wax paper to cover microwaving food
Microwave-safe bowl, medium-sized
Blender

Instructions:
Put the box of almond milk in the refrigerator about a couple of hours before you eat.

Prepare the microwave rice according to the instructions. Put the cooked rice on a plate and set it aside.

Mix in the bowl, the spinach, dressing mix, spices and hot sauce. Pour the spinach mixture into the blender. Blend for about 2 minutes. Pour the spinach mixture back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with wax paper. Microwave for about 2 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese (torn up into quarter-sized pieces), mix lightly, cover, and microwave again for about two minutes. The cheese (paneer) should be chunkier than the cheese in the picture. Put it on the plate next to the rice.

Take the almond milk out of the fridge and pour it into a glass, or plan to drink it out of the box.

Eat.

Note: the brain food in this meal are the spinach and the almonds in the almond milk.

Note: If you would like to boil regular rice, please see the instructions under China, Japan, or Thai breakfast.

Evening Breakfast
Tea
Banana Chips
Preparation Time: 5 Minutes
No Marinating Needed

Many Indian families meet together early in the evening over snacks to talk. This is called evening breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 tea bag of Tea of any kind
1 box of Dried Banana Chips

Equipment:
A way to heat the water for the tea

Instructions:
Prepare the tea. Open the banana chips.

Eat.

Dinner
Chai Tea
Curry
Ras Malai (Sweet Cheese Dumplings)
Preparation Time:15 Minutes the Night Before, and 15 Minutes the Same Day
Nor Marinating Needed

Desert needs to be made the night before. Ras malai is a festive desert that is a Indian favorite and is often served at weddings.

Picture of Ras Malai Courtesy of Secretlondon 09

Tea:
1 tea bag of Chai Tea or one cup for a box of Liquid Chai Tea

Curry:
1 can of Carrots
1 can of Sweet Potatoes or Yams
1 can of Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans
2 cups of Coconut Milk (in the Asian section at Walmart)
1 of Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon of Curry
1 teaspoon of Crushed Garlic or Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon of Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Ras Malai:
½ cup of Ricotta Cheese
2 teaspoons of Truvia or Stevia
1/2 can of Canned Milk
1 teaspoon of Truvia or Stevia
½ teaspoon of Cardamom (Cardamom is an Indian spice. It is probably not sold at Walmart; try local grocer, health food store, or spice store).
1 teaspoon of Almonds, slivered, chopped, or crushed
1 teaspoon of Pistachios, crushed (optional)

Note: The brain foods is garlic, onions, almonds, and garbanzo beans.

Equipment:
Medium-sized microwave safe bowl for the curry
Wax paper to cover microwaving food
1 small microwave-safe bowl for the curry sauce
1 cup for the ras malai
1 cup for the ras malai sauce

Instructions:
Make the ras malai the night before becuase it should be eaten cold.

Mix 1 teaspoon of Truvia or stevia into the ricotta cheese. It will be a little hard, but keep mixing until its all mixed up good. Then roll the mixture into smooth little ping pong sized ball. Make more balls, if you think you will eat them, just double the ras malai sauce recipe. Put it it a cup and microwave it for about 4-5 minutes. Let it cool in the cup, in the refrigerator overnight.
Put the canned milk, 1 teaspoon of Truvia or stevia, and cardamom into a cup. Stir. Microwave for about 2 minutes. Let cool in the cup in the refrigerator overnight.

When its time for dinner mix the coconut milk, soy sauce, curry, garlic powder, and onion powder into the smaller bowl. Cover with wax paper and microwave for about 3 minutes and set it aside. Open the cans of vegetables. Pour the water out of the cans. Put the vegetables in the medium sized bowl. Cover with wax paper and microwave for about 4 minutes. Put them in a serving bowl. Pour the sauce over them.

Take the ras malai dumpling and sauce out of the refrigerator. Put the cooled ras malai dumpling in a bowl. Pour the cooled ras malai sauce over the cooled cheese dumplings. Add nuts.

Make or pour chai tea.

Get the plate of curry.

Get chai tea.

Eat.

Note: The brain food in this meal is the almonds, garlic, and onions.

Note: The flavor can be more like an experienced chef if you let the flavor of the sauce soak into the vegetables. This is usually done by boiling the raw vegetables in the curry sauce, until they are cooked. As a short cut you can make the flavor of the sauce into the vegetables, if you make the curry and sauce the night before, and then let the vegetables marinate in the sauce, in the refrigerator, overnight, and then re-microwave it at dinner time, the next day.