Here is our weekly lunch box menu plan. For you this week, we have Indian-style bento lunch box recipe ideas, meal prep tips, and a print-friendly lunch box menu. I hope you guys like it!
You can DOWNLOAD & PRINT THIS LUNCH BOX MENU .
We share a new lunch box menu plan every week. If you want to explore the entire lunch box series, type ‘LUNCH BOX’ in the search bar of my website. And you will get all the weekly lunch box plans at your fingertips.
Every week, the lunch box series includes FREE printable menu plans , including my meal prep tips for the Indian kitchen. In this series you will get:
practical lunch box ideas for adults
easy to follow menu plan with recipes
Indian Cuisine inspired recipe ideas
helpful meal prep tips for Indian kitchen
Week 4 – Lunch Box Menu Plan
Monday : A truly Punjabi style lunch box menu
Dum Aloo (Main Course), Green Boondi Raita (Side Dish), Lobia Salad (Snack), Paratha
Meal Prep Tip: Peel, core, and masala coat the potatoes. Transfer them to an airtight container. Make cashew paste for gravy. Soak and boil black eye peas (lobia) a day before. Chop onion and tomato. Prepare paratha dough. Store it all in the fridge over the weekend.
Tuesday: A light and tasty gluten-free lunch box
Mushroom Pulao (Main Course), Boondi Raita (Side Dish), Grilled Veggies (Snack), Murruku (Munchies)
Meal Prep Tip: Chop vegetables, onion, garlic ( use ready-made peeled garlic ), and mushrooms. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
Wednesday: A simple yet delicious and fulfilling lunch box
Green Beans Aloo Sabzi (Main Course), Onion Raita (Side Dish), Paratha, Suji Uttapam (Snack), Coconut Chutney (Dip)
Meal Prep Tip: Chop vegetables for sabzi, uttapam, and raita. Make coconut chutney. Prepare paratha dough. You can do it all in one day in advance or at night.
Thursday: A wholesome and vibrant lunch box menu
Kala Chana Masala (Main Course), Green Boondi Raita (Side Dish), Salad, Paratha
Meal Prep Tip: Soak brown chana. Chop onion, tomato, and vegetables for salad. Use leftover paratha dough from the previous day.
Friday: A fusion lunch box for Friday fun
Basil Pesto Pasta (Main Course), Paratha Quesadillas (Side Dish), Fresh Melons (Snack), Vanilla Muffin (Sweet)
Meal Prep Tip: Boil pasta and store in the fridge. Chop vegetables. Cut fruits. Use ready-to-eat paratha for the quesadillas.
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Should I buy an instant pot for Indian cooking? I am sharing the 5 uses of instant pot in the Indian kitchen and why you should buy it.
- Pressure Cooker and Indian Cooking
- Pressure Cooking
- Slow Cooking
- Steam and Stew
- Fermenting Batter
- Setting Yogurt/Curd
- why you SHOULD BUY INSTANT POT
- Most Frequently Asked Questions
- More Useful Hacks for Indian Kitchen
Pressure Cooker and Indian Cooking
A traditional stovetop pressure cooker is the essential cookware in the Indian kitchen. It is used at least once or twice to cook various dishes daily. The loud railway engine-like whistles of the pressure cooker are part of our daily humdrum of life.
I could not have imagined my life without a stovetop pressure cooker until I met the Instant Pot a few years back. While many would swear by their traditional stovetop pressure cooker, I love my instant pot for Indian cooking.
Instant Pot vs. pressure cooker can be a lengthy discussion, so I decided to share a detailed guide with all the pointers and my final verdict. In that guide, you can find:
- Which is easier to use?
- Which is safer to use?
- Which is a smart choice?
Today in my Indian kitchen, an instant pot has become an essential gadget. And I am sharing with you how I use it for everyday cooking.
1) Pressure Cooking
Pressure Cooking is one of the many cooking modes in an instant pot. But it is far more efficient, less noisy, technology-driven, safer to use, and, more importantly, does not require babysitting. You can dump the food in it, set the pressure cooking time temperature, and forget about it. The result is always a gratifying bowl of comfort food.
I use the pressure cooking mode of Instant Pot for making Indian curries, pulao, fluffy basmati rice, and one-pot meals like Ven Pongal or khichdi .
I am happy to declare that the pressure cooker is the most frequently used mode of instant pot in my kitchen.
2) Slow Cooking
As we all know, many Indian dishes like dal makhani, langar wali dal, kheer, or a traditional mutton curry require slow cooking. And it is so complex and nearly impossible to slow cook the food on a stovetop without overcooking it. Plus, it requires continuous monitoring.
The slow-cook mode of the instant pot is perfect for Indian cooking. The impressive heat distribution in the slow cook mode will always give you the creamiest bowl of slow-cooked dal makhani or the most tender, fall-of-the-bone mutton curry. Then, all you have to do is set the time (e.g., 1 hour, 2 hours, or 8 hours), heat level, and forget about it.
I cook all my meat dishes in slow cook mode of the instant pot. And trust me, after using it, you will never go back to the traditional pressure cooker for making meat curries.
3) Steam and Stew
Whether it is steaming the perfectly soft and spongy idli / dhokla or stewing a delicious bowl of sambar sadam, the instant pot is my one-stop solution. Now I don’t need a separate steamer and a million other gadgets.
The steam and stew modes of instant pot are extremely helpful for Indian cooking.
4) Fermenting Batter
You will be surprised to know that the idli/dosa batter ferments perfectly in an instant pot. The instant pot makes fermenting any kind of batter foolproof – even during colder months. For example, I use the instant pot to ferment my traditional dhokla batter, naan , focaccia , or pizza dough .
Now, there is no need to wrap the dough in blankets or keep your fingers crossed while praying for a perfectly fermented batter. From the batter fermenting process to steam cooking, you can do it all in one gadget, i.e., an instant pot.
5) Setting Yogurt/Curd
We all know how curd is essential for cooking everyday Indian meals. But did you know that instant pot has the function of setting yoghurt? This functionality takes out the guesswork from the equation and will give you the best homemade curd.
Instant Pot Yogurt function assures each time to yield failproof thick and creamy yogurt or curd.
Apart from these five functions, I use instant pot in my Indian kitchen to make soups, hard-boil eggs and potatoes, cook a variety of one-pot meals, and bake cakes. Then, of course, you can check out my easy, delicious instant pot recipe collection .
Here are more reasons:
why you SHOULD BUY INSTANT POT
- “Set and leave” – no babysitting needed!
- Safe to use for everyone- no worrisome accidents or burns.
- Multi-function – replaces a lot of small kitchen appliances in one.
- Delivers perfectly cooked dishes 100% – it has never failed me.
- Easy to clean – you can put inner cooking pot in the dishwasher!
- Portable – bring it with you anywhere.
- Sleek and silent – elegantly designed to fit a small kitchen.
- Comes in different sizes and models- choose what works for you best.
- No need for a cooking gas supply – all you need is an electricity socket.
Yes, it is very useful and a better replacement for traditional stovetop pressure cookers. You can cook almost all Indian curries, rice dishes, and desserts in the instant pot.
Yes. The taste and texture of the Indian dishes turn out much better in the instant pot than in the stovetop pressure cooker, especially dals, curries, rice, and meat dishes.
Yes. You can find my detailed review of this topic here .
In India, instant pots and a variety of multi-pots from other brands start at INR 6000.
But don’t take my word for it; buy one and experience it yourself. Once you have it, my Instant Pot 101: Guide for Beginners will tell you everything you need to know about first-time use and its functions.
More Useful Hacks for Indian Kitchen
- Should I Buy Curd Maker?
- Meal Prep Ideas for Indian Kitchen
- Indian Kitchen Cabinet Organization
- 5 Uses of Hand Mixer for Indian Cooking
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
