4 Low-calorie dinner recipes you must definitely cook at home

If you are trying to cut calories to get in shape then limiting the calories of the meals you are having for dinner is a great way to get good results. But this does not mean that you have to give up on food or flavours to achieve your health goals. You can whip up delicious healthful recipes at home just by playing up the ingredients to make your meals delicious and nutritious. Here we bring you 4 delights that are rich in nutrients and low in calories, making it a perfect choice to toss in dinner.

1. Papaya salad

Ingredients required

• 1 Small raw papaya, (diced) 

• 50 grams long beans, (chopped)

• 4-5 Garlic cloves (chopped)

• 2 tomatoes, (chopped)

• 50 grams lettuce (roughly chopped)

• 20 grams of green beans (chopped)

• 2-3 red or green chillies (chopped)

• ½ cup melted jaggery 

• Juice from one lemon

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 20 grams of peanuts (roasted and chopped)

• Chopped coriander leaves 

Method

• Take a pan and add olive oil to it. Now, sautee garlic, long beans, lettuce and green beans in it. Keep it aside.

• Now, take a bowl and diced papaya, sauté vegetables, green chillies, peanuts, jaggery mixture and lemon juice and mix well.

• Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve.

2. Beetroot soup

Ingredients required

• 300 grams Beetroot (boiled and peeled)

• 200 grams Bottle gourd (boiled and peeled)

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tomatoes, chopped

• 2 teaspoon olive oil 

• Salt and black pepper as per the taste 

• Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

• Take a blender and blend beetroot, bottle gourd, onion, and tomato together until a smooth puree is obtained. 

• Now, take a pan and heat oil in it. Add the puree and cook until a boil come. 

• Sprinkle salt and black pepper and mix well.

• Serve hot with the garnishing of coriander leaves.

3. Oats Khichdi

Ingredients required

• 50 grams moong dal

• 20 grams carrot (chopped)

• 20 grams of green peas (chopped)

• 1 cup of oats

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 

• 1 tomato (diced)

• 1 onion (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

• Red chilli powder as per the taste

• 2 tablespoons ghee

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• Coriander (chopped) 

• Salt as per taste

• Water, as much needed

Method

• Take a pressure cooker and heat ghee in it. Sautee ginger-garlic pastes with onion, tomatoes and other vegetables for a minute.

• Add chilli powder, salt, and turmeric until you smell the aroma. Now, add the moong dal and oats to the mixture. Stir well, add water and pressure cook for 8 minutes or until all the ingredients blend properly.

• Serve hot with the topping of chopped coriander leaves.   

4. Vegetable quinoa pulao 

Ingredients required

• 2 cups quinoa

• 20 grams carrot (sliced)

• 20 grams bell pepper (sliced)

• 20 grams corns 

• 20 grams of mushrooms (sliced)

• 1 onion (sliced)

• 1 tomato (chopped)

• 2 green chillies (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

• 1 cup spinach puree

• 1/2 cup yoghurt

• Salt and pepper as per the taste

• Chilli powder as per the taste

• 2 teaspoon olive oil

• Coriander leaves (chopped)

Method

• Take a pan, heat olive oil in it and sauté ginger garlic paste. Now, stir fry the onions, tomatoes and other vegetables and let it cook properly.

• Add the spinach puree, green chilli, salt, pepper, and chilli powder and cook until you smell the aroma of all the ingredients.

• Now, add the cooked quinoa to the pan and mix everything well. Now, pour the yoghurt and stir.

• Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Do cook these delicious recipes at home and let us know which one is your favourite.

Also Read: 5 Dishes you must try in Meghalaya