Healthy Dal Recipes for Weight Loss Indian Style That Work

Dal is our comfort food. We grow up eating it. With rice, roti. Every day when I decided to lose weight, I thought I had to stop eating dal. I was wrong. Dal actually helps. It fills you up. It gives protein. It stops you from eating other bad things. So I started eating more dal. Not less. And I lost weight. Let me tell you how.

The secret is how you make healthy dal recipes for weight loss. Not the dal itself. Dal is healthy. But we add too much ghee. Too much oil and too many spices. That makes it heavy. That makes it fattening. I learned to make dal light. Simple. Without losing the taste.

My mother taught me some recipes. My grandmother taught her. These are old recipes. From a time when people were healthier. Before all the rich food came. These recipes work for weight loss. They taste good. They fill you up. They make you happy.

Healthy Dal Recipes For Weight Loss Indian Style

Let me share the recipes I use. These are simple. You already have the ingredients. No fancy things. Just regular kitchen stuff.

1. Simple Moong Dal

This is the lightest dal. Moong dal is easy to digest. It has protein. It has fiber. It keeps you full.

• Take one cup moong dal. Wash it. Soak it for half an hour. Then put it in the cooker. Add three cups water. Add haldi. Add salt. Cook for three whistles.
• Now the tadka. This is important. Do not put too much oil. Take one spoon oil. Put jeera. Put hing. Put green chilli. Put garlic if you like. Then pour this on the dal. Add fresh coriander. Eat with roti or rice.
• This is filling. Very filling. One bowl and you are full. You do not feel hungry for hours. That is the secret. When you are not hungry, you do not snack. You do not eat bad things.

I eat this for lunch. Sometimes dinner. It is light. It does not make you sleepy. You feel energetic.

Read More: Healthy Foods for Muscle Building | Best Indian Diet Plan

2. Masoor Dal Recipe

• Masoor dal is my favourite. It cooks fast. It has a nice taste. It has a lot of benefits. More on that later.
• Take one cup masoor dal. Wash it. No need to soak. It cooks quickly. Put it in a pressure cooker. Add two cups water. Add haldi. Add salt. Cook for two whistles. That is enough.
• Now for the tempering. Take one spoon oil. Only one. Put jeera. Put ginger garlic paste. Put onion. Cook till onion is soft. Add tomato. Cook till tomato is soft. Add red chilli powder. Add dhania powder. Add a pinch of hing. Then add this to the dal. Boil for five minutes.
• Add fresh coriander. Squeeze lemon. Eat.

This dal is tasty. It is not boring. It has flavour. But it does not have too much oil. It does not have ghee. So it is good for weight loss. My husband eats this and does not miss the ghee.

3. Toor Dal With Vegetables

• Toor dal is a bit heavy. But if you add vegetables, it becomes lighter. The vegetables fill you up. They give fibre. They reduce the calories.
• Take one cup toor dal. Soak for one hour. Then cook in cooker. Three cups water. Haldi. Salt. Three whistles.
• Meanwhile, cut vegetables. Carrots. Beans. Pumpkin. Any vegetable you have. Cook them separately. With little oil. Add the cooked vegetables to the dal. Add tadka. One spoon oil. Jeera. Garlic. Red chilli.

This makes a lot of dal. It is thick. It is filling. It has vegetables. So you eat less rice. You eat more dal. That is the trick.

4. Green Moong Dal With Palak

This is my favourite. Green moong dal is whole. Not split. It has more fibre. It takes longer to cook. But it is worth it.

• Cook green moong dal in cooker. Add haldi. Salt. Four cups water. Cook till soft.
• Blanch palak. Grind it. Add it to the dal. Cook for ten minutes. Add tadka. One spoon oil. Jeera. Garlic. Green chilli.

This dal is green. It looks nice. It tastes fresh. It has protein from dal. It has iron from palak. It is perfect for weight loss. Eat this for dinner. You will sleep well.

5. Chana Dal With Lauki

• Chana dal is heavy. But with lauki, it becomes light. Lauki has water. It has fibre. It makes the dal voluminous. You eat more dal. But less calories.
• Cook chana dal in cooker. Soak it for two hours first. Then cook with haldi and salt.
• Peel lauki. Cut into pieces. Add to the dal. Cook together. The lauki becomes soft. It mixes with the dal. You cannot even taste it. It just adds bulk.
• Add tadka. One spoon oil. Jeera. Hing. Garlic. Red chilli powder.

This dal is very filling. You cannot eat more than one bowl. You will be full. That is good for weight loss.

How To Make Dal For Weight Loss?

There are some rules. Follow these and every dal becomes weight loss friendly.

• Rule one. Less oil. One spoon is enough. That is it. Do not add more. Even if the recipe says more. Do not.
• Rule two. No ghee. I know we love ghee. But ghee is fat. For weight loss, avoid ghee. Use oil. Olive oil is best. But any oil works.
• Rule three. Add vegetables. Always. Any vegetable. It adds bulk. It reduces calories. It gives vitamins.
• Rule four. Use less salt. Salt holds water. It makes you bloated. Less salt is better. You can always add later at the table.
• Rule five. No sugar. Some people add sugar to dal. To balance taste. Do not do that. Sugar is empty calories. Use lemon instead. It gives the same balance without calories.
• Rule six. Eat with less rice or roti. The dal should be the main thing. Rice or roti should be small. One small roti. Or half cup rice. That is enough.
• Rule seven. Eat dal early. Lunch is best. Dinner can be dal too. But eat by 7 pm. Later than that, your body does not digest properly.

I follow these rules. They are simple. They are effective.

Masoor Dal Benefits

Let me tell you why masoor dal is so good. Specifically for weight loss. And for overall health.

• First benefit. High protein. Masoor dal has more protein than other dals. Protein keeps you full. You do not feel hungry. You eat less. That helps weight loss.
• Second benefit. High fibre. Fibre cleans your system. It removes toxins. It makes digestion good. It also fills you up. So you eat less.
• Third benefit. Low fat. Masoor dal has almost no fat. Only the fat you add in cooking. So keep the oil less and it is perfect.
• Fourth benefit. Iron. Many women have low iron. Especially if they are dieting. Masoor dal gives iron. It keeps your energy up. You do not feel tired.
• Fifth benefit. Potassium. This is good for blood pressure. When you lose weight, blood pressure often improves. Masoor dal helps this.
• Sixth benefit. Easy to digest. Some dals cause gas. Masoor dal does not. It is light on the stomach. You can eat it everyday.
• Seventh benefit. Quick cooking. It does not need soaking. You can make it in twenty minutes. When you are hungry, you can cook it fast. No waiting.
• Eighth benefit. Affordable. It is cheap. Everyone can buy it. Weight loss should not be expensive.
• Ninth benefit. Versatile. You can make it in many ways. With vegetables. With greens. With spices. It never gets boring.
• Tenth benefit. Tasty. This is the main thing. If it is not tasty, you will not eat it. Masoor dal is tasty. Even without ghee. Even without too many spices. It has its own flavour.

I eat masoor dal twice a week. Sometimes more. I never get bored.

You May Read Also: Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe for Weight Loss

What To Eat With Dal For Weight Loss?

Dal is not a complete meal. You need something with it. Here are the best combinations.

• With Brown Rice. Brown rice is better than white. It has fibre. It takes longer to digest. You feel full longer. Half cup is enough. Mix with dal and eat.
• With Roti. One small roti. Whole wheat. Not too much oil. Make it thin. It has fewer calories. Eat with dal.
• With Salad. Make a simple salad. Onion. Tomato. Cucumber. Lemon. No dressing. Just salt and pepper. Eat along with dal. The salad fills you up.
• With Vegetables. Make a simple vegetable. No oil. Just steam or boil. Eat with dal. The vegetables give fibre.
• With Curd. Small bowl of curd. It is good for digestion. But not too much. Half cup.

Do not eat these with dal. Rice. Lots of rice. It adds calories. Roti with ghee. It adds fat. Fried things. They add fat. Pickle. It has salt and oil. Avoid.

A Simple Meal Plan With Dal

Let me give you a daily plan. Simple. Doable. Dal is the main thing.

• Breakfast. Oats. Or egg whites. Or fruit. Keep it light.
• Lunch. Dal. One bowl. With one roti. Or half cup brown rice. Salad on the side.
• Evening snack. Fruits. Or almonds. Or roasted chana.
• Dinner. Dal again. Different kind. This time with vegetables. Soup consistency. Not thick.

This is my plan. I lost five kilos in two months. Dal was my main food. I did not starve. I was full. I was happy.

Mistakes I Made With Dal

Let me tell you my mistakes. So you do not make them.

• Mistake one. Eating too much rice with dal. Rice has calories. I used to eat two cups. Now I eat half cup. Big difference.
• Mistake two. Adding too much oil. I thought more oil means better taste. Not true. One spoon is enough. The flavour comes from spices. Not oil.
• Mistake three. Eating dal late at night. Dal takes time to digest. If you eat at 10 pm, it stays in your stomach. You wake up heavy. Eat early.
• Mistake four. Adding ghee for taste. I did this for years. Then I stopped. I did not miss it after one week. The taste is different but good.
• Mistake five. Not adding vegetables. I used to eat plain dal. With rice. No vegetables. Now I add vegetables. It is more filling. I eat less.
• Mistake six. Eating dal as a side dish. Dal should be the main dish. Rice or roti should be small. Reverse the portions. That works.

One Last Story

I remember when I first started my weight loss journey. I was sad. I thought I had to eat boring food. No taste. No flavour. Only boiled things.

Then I discovered these dal recipes. They were not boring. They had taste. They had flavour. I could eat them everyday. I did not feel deprived. I felt happy.

My mother in law came to visit. She saw me eating dal. She said this is not weight loss food. This is normal food. I laughed and said yes. I am eating normal food. I am just cooking it right.

She tried my moong dal. She liked it. She asked for the recipe. She started making it too. She is seventy. She said her stomach feels better. She eats less. She feels lighter.

Food is simple. We overcomplicate it. Dal is good. Eat it right. Lose weight. That is all.

FAQs

1. Can I eat dal everyday for weight loss?

Yes. Dal is perfect for everyday eating. It has protein and fibre. It keeps you full. It stops you from snacking. Just make sure you cook it with less oil. No ghee. Add vegetables. Eat with less rice or roti. This works.

2. Which dal is best for weight loss?

Moong dal is the best. It is light. It digests easily. It has less calories than other dals. Masoor dal is also good. It has more protein. Toor dal is heavier. But you can make it lighter by adding vegetables. Green moong dal is also very good.

3. How much dal should I eat for weight loss?

One bowl is enough. One katori. That is about one cup. Eat it with half cup rice or one small roti. And lots of vegetables. Do not eat more than one bowl. That adds calories.

4. Is dal good for dinner when trying to lose weight?

Yes. But eat early. By 7 pm. If you eat late, it does not digest properly. Your body stores it as fat. Eat light dinner. Dal soup is best. Not thick dal. Add more water and make it soup consistency.

5. Can I add ghee to dal while on a weight loss diet?

Try to avoid ghee. It has fat. One spoon has many calories. Use oil instead. Just one spoon. If you really want ghee, add only half spoon. Once in a while. Not everyday. Weight loss is about small changes.