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✦ Week 1 · Classic North

Rajma, Mixed Dal & Paneer Bhurji

Three dishes, cooked once. Every lunch and dinner lists its plate weight (g) and estimated calories.

3 dishes 7 days ~1860 kcal/day (L+D)

Grocery list

One shop for the whole week — three dishes, no leftovers. Tap to check off — saved on this phone.

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Produce

Dairy & protein

Legumes & grains

Snacks & pantry

This week's three dishes

Every batch below is sized to exactly what the menu eats, plus one spare portion. Scale with a kitchen scale when you can.

Rajma Masala

Rajma Masala

6 plates this week · ~1.52 kg batch
~290 kcal / serving ~250 g on the plate

Beans

  • 450 g dry rajma, soaked 8 hrs (or 3 × 400 g cans, drained ~1.12 kg)
  • — water to cover by 5 cm for pressure-cooking
  • 1 tsp salt (for cooking water)

Masala base

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped (~400 g)
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 medium tomatoes, puréed or finely chopped (~400 g)
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1–1½ tsp red chili powder (to taste)
  • 2 tsp rajma masala or garam masala
  • 1 tsp amchur (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 1–1½ tsp salt (to taste)
  • 250 ml water (1 cup), plus more as needed

Method

  1. Drain soaked rajma. Pressure-cook with fresh water + 1 tsp salt until very soft (usually 25–35 min / 8–10 whistles). Reserve ~1 cup cooking liquid.
  2. Heat oil. Cook onions 8–10 min until deep golden.
  3. Add ginger-garlic 1 min, then tomato. Cook 6–8 min until oil separates.
  4. Stir in all powdered spices 30 sec. Add 250 ml water; simmer 2 min.
  5. Add drained rajma + ½–1 cup cooking liquid. Mash ~¼ of the beans against the pot for body.
  6. Simmer uncovered 15–20 min until gravy coats a spoon. Adjust salt. Portion ~250 g.

From ~450 g dry rajma. Canned: use ~1.12 kg drained beans; skip long cook. Batch ~1.52 kg — that is 6 plates of 250 g plus about 75 g spare.

Mixed Dal (with Spinach)

Mixed Dal (with Spinach)

6 plates this week · ~1.52 kg batch
~220 kcal / serving ~250 g on the plate

Dal (pressure cooker)

  • 175 g yellow moong dal (about 1 cup)
  • 175 g masoor dal (about 1 cup)
  • 1.05 L water (about 5 cups)
  • ⅞ tsp turmeric
  • 1¼ tsp salt

Temper / masala

  • 1¾ tbsp oil or ghee
  • ⅞ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (~175 g)
  • ¾ tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1-inch ginger + 4 cloves, minced)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (~225 g)
  • 1–2 green chilies, slit
  • ⅜ tsp red chili powder (optional)

Finish

  • 125–175 g spinach leaves, washed & roughly chopped (½–1 bunch)

Method

  1. Rinse dals until water runs clear. Pressure-cook with water, turmeric, and salt: 3–4 whistles / ~12 min on high pressure. Mash lightly — keep thick.
  2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin until it sizzles (~20 sec).
  3. Add onion; cook 5–6 min until golden. Stir in ginger-garlic and chili 1 min.
  4. Add tomatoes (+ chili powder). Cook 4–5 min until soft and jammy.
  5. Pour cooked dal into the pan (or reverse). Simmer 5–8 min, adding a splash of water only if too thick.
  6. Stir in spinach until wilted (1–2 min). Taste salt. Cool and portion ~225 g per serving.

Batch target ~1.52 kg. Reheat with 2–3 tbsp water per portion. Batch ~1.52 kg — that is 6 plates of 250 g plus about 75 g spare.

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer Bhurji

5 plates this week · ~875 g batch
~340 kcal / serving ~175 g on the plate

Mix in the pan

  • 450 g paneer, crumbled (not tiny dust — pea-sized bits)
  • 2½ tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped (~300 g)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (~300 g)
  • 1¼ tbsp ginger, minced (or 1-inch piece)
  • 2 green chilies, finely chopped
  • ⅝ tsp turmeric
  • 1¼ tsp cumin seeds or ¾ tsp cumin powder
  • 1¼ tsp garam masala
  • 1–1¼ tsp salt
  • 2½ tbsp chopped cilantro (optional finish)

Method

  1. Heat oil. Bloom cumin seeds 20 sec (if using).
  2. Add onion + chili; cook 5–6 min until soft and lightly browned.
  3. Add ginger 30 sec, then tomato + turmeric + salt. Cook 4–5 min until tomato softens and moisture drops.
  4. Add crumbled paneer + garam masala (+ cumin powder if not using seeds). Stir-fry 5–7 min on medium — don’t dry it to dust.
  5. Off heat: cilantro. Portion ~175 g (about ¼ of batch).

From 450 g paneer + veg. Dense protein — pair with salad or dal, not more grain if calories are tight. Batch ~875 g — that is 5 plates of 175 g plus about 55 g spare.

Simple Sautéed Spinach

Simple Sautéed Spinach

Side · 4 servings · ~425 g batch
~55 kcal / serving ~100 g cooked

In the pan

  • 425 g spinach leaves (about 2 bunches after tough stems removed)
  • 4⅛ tsp oil (1 tsp per serving)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3–4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 green chili, slit (optional)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Method

  1. Heat oil. Add cumin 15 sec, then garlic (+ chili) until just golden — don’t burn.
  2. Add spinach in handfuls with turmeric and salt. Toss 2–3 min until wilted and most water evaporates.
  3. Portion ~100 g. Best made mid-week fresh, or reheat quickly in a dry pan.

Low-cal volume side. 1 tsp oil per serving keeps it near ~55 kcal.

Grab-and-go breakfasts

Pick one every morning. Weights are as prepared in the jar/bowl.

Overnight oats with banana, berries, and nuts
Night before · best option

Overnight Oats

~450 kcal ~420 g jar
  • 40 g (½ cup) rolled oats
  • 175 g Greek yogurt
  • 120 ml milk or water
  • ~100 g fruit + optional 10 g nuts

Night: mix oats + yogurt + liquid. Morning: fruit + toppings.

~450 kcal with banana; berries leaner (~400).

Greek yogurt jar with apple, blueberries, and roasted chickpeas
1–2 minutes

Greek Yogurt Jar

~320 kcal ~350 g jar
  • 225 g Greek yogurt
  • 100 g fruit, chopped
  • Optional: 20 g roasted chana (~80 kcal extra)

Layer the night before or morning of. Ready in under 2 minutes.

Base jar ~320 kcal; + roasted chana ≈ 400 kcal.

Hot oatmeal with Greek yogurt, banana, and strawberries
Under 5 minutes

Quick Hot Oatmeal

~420 kcal ~400 g bowl
  • 40 g rolled oats + ~200 ml water/milk
  • Microwave 2–3 min
  • 125 g Greek yogurt + ~80 g fruit

Stovetop or microwave. Finish with yogurt for protein.

With water base ~420 kcal; whole milk adds ~60–80.

Sunday prep

About 60–75 minutes active for three dishes. Do the Saturday-night soaks so Sunday is mostly cook and portion.

Saturday night

~5 min
  1. Soak 450 g rajma, 8 hrs.
  2. Optional: wash the salad veg and store it dry.

Phase 1 — Start the long cooks (in parallel)

~10 min to start · 30–45 min unattended
  1. Rajma — pressure-cook 25–35 min until very soft.
  2. Mixed dal — pressure-cook 12 min with turmeric + salt.
  3. Put 1275 g dry quinoa or rice on (≈ 3.9 kg cooked). The week needs about 275 g cooked grain per plate.
  4. While the pots run → Phase 2. Don't stand around.

Phase 2 — One chop, one base

~15–20 min
  1. Chop once for all three dishes: 5 onions, 7 tomatoes, ginger-garlic, chilies, cilantro.
  2. Prep the paneer: 450 g for the paneer bhurji. Keep it chilled.
  3. With only three dishes you can build one onion-tomato base and split it — it saves a pan and 15 minutes.

Phase 3 — Finish the three dishes

~25–35 min
  1. Rajma: half the masala base + spices + beans, simmer 15–20 min. ~1.52 kg batch · 250 g portions.
  2. Mixed dal: temper cumin/onion/tomato, fold into the dal, wilt in the spinach. ~1.52 kg batch · 250 g portions.
  3. Paneer bhurji: onion → tomato → spices → crumbled paneer, 5–7 min. ~875 g batch · 175 g portions.

Phase 4 — Portion & store

~15 min
  1. Cool everything uncovered 10–15 min — trapped steam makes watery fridge food.
  2. Box by meal: 175–250 g curry + ~275 g grain + ~200–250 g yogurt. Label the boxes.
  3. Fourteen plates come off three batches (1.52 kg + 1.52 kg + 875 g), so nothing sits in the fridge past Sunday.
  4. Chop salad veg for 2–3 days only; do the rest mid-week. Portion fruit for breakfasts.

Efficiency rule: never cook one pot at a time. The long cooks and the grain should all be running before you start the masala. Three dishes means one chopping board, one base, and one wash-up.

Daily tips

Reheat Splash of water on the curries. Weigh after reheating if you are tracking tightly.
Protein rule Legume or paneer dish + yogurt on every plate. 100 g Greek yogurt ≈ 10 g protein.
Plate template 175–250 g curry + ~230 g grain + ~220 g yogurt. That is the whole plan.
Still hungry? Add salad and yogurt volume before you add grain — it costs the fewest calories.