The best healthy recipes for a dinner menu are tasty, nourishing, and can be pulled off – without breaking a sweat! Assembling meals for your family may feel overwhelming during this unique time. And besides work and kids, you may also be struggling with emotional eating.
Healthy Dinner Recipes For Your Family
If you’re looking to get “back-to-routine,” you’ll love this collection. They’re fantastic as those “regular everyday kind” recipes, but their deliciousness also lends itself beautifully to more grand occasions. This dinner menu is a good mix of one-pot/sheet pan meals that freeze and reheat well, easy to make, and feature some of our favourite family-friendly desi dishes – brimming with ethnic South Asian flavours.
Isn’t dinner time the best? Honestly, I’ve been trying hard to gather the herd around the table because I think it’s the perfect vehicle to connect. Given a choice, I know my cheeky monkeys would be happy to be left on their own accord. Although not always possible, they do enjoy joining in on my healthy cooking adventures.
Health Seekers, it’s time to skip those “on-repeat” boring meals and serve up these healthy dinner recipes for your family. Whether you’re looking for colourful salads, foolproof fish or plant-powered 30-minute creations (bonus: I’ve also added some easy healthy recipes done and dusted in 20 minutes), you’ll find plenty of colourful ideas. We’re talking, gluten free pilau, healthy chicken dishes, quick and easy curries using heart-healthy cooking oils, like olive oil, and easy dinner ideas using pantry staples, such as black beans and chickpeas.
Bear in mind, though, these are recipes I regard part of an everyday healthy eating pattern, but what’s healthful for one “body” is not fundamentally healthy for another. If you have specific health issues, restrictions, dietary concerns or cultural preferences, talk to a suitable registered dietitian. You can also find dietitian-approved Desi~licious meal plans at the link.
Your Dinner Menu
One-Pan Garlic Shrimp & Quinoa
6people
35 minutesminutes
4.75 stars (4 reviews)
Some meals feel fancy but come together fast—this garlic shrimp and vegetable quinoa is one of them. Juicy shrimp tossed in smoked paprika, garlic, and chili flakes meet fluffy quinoa infused with coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Toss in bell peppers, zucchini, kidney beans, and fresh tomatoes, and you've got a one-pan, protein-packed dinner that’s bursting with flavor.
Slow Cooker Indian Lobia Masala (Black Eyes Peas Curry)
5people
7 hourshours15 minutesminutes
5 stars (8 reviews)
This easy, slow-cooker Indian Black Eyed Peas Curry, also known as Lobia Curry, is the ideal meatless meal for a nutritious and satisfying dinner. You'll learn how to season black-eyed peas just right with a mouthwatering recipe for lobia masala – it might just become your new favourite healthy family meal!
Fluffy mashed potatoes, a rich, spiced lentil filling, and all the cozy, comfort-food energy. This Indian-inspired Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is bold, hearty, and straight-up delicious.
A mouthwatering fish biryani (traditionally known as machi biryani) to complement any celebration! It's a layered Basmati rice dish made with spicy haddock fish fillets and uses the "dum" method to create a truly unique and flavourful meal. This recipe is protein-richandpacked with fibre, using less oil and lots of tomatoes and pepper to create a nutritious recipe.
Persian rice infused with the luxurious scent of saffron and cardamom – jewelled with crunchy carrot matchsticks, tart dried cranberries and protein-rich chickpeas to create a desilicous show-stopping rice dish for your holiday menu. Yes, it's as good as it looks.
This recipe for Indian egg curry features jammy hard-boiled eggs, and cooked turnips drenched in a masala-style curry gravy. It’s perfectly spiced and a delicious dish served with hot roti, rice or quinoa.
Just in time for Fall, these easy and healthy Desi Pumpkin Bean Burgers are an excellent alternative to store bought vegan burgers. Kidney beans, pumpkin and oats infused with curry powder and cumin, to create a healthy ethnic recipe – that'll knock your socks off! Served on a bed of alfalfa microgreens and topped with creamy guacamole. Just tuck in!
This oven-roasted recipe for Baingan Bharta (Indian eggplant) is a nourishing dish of mashed eggplant, simmered stovetop in a thick tomato-pepper sauce. If you're on the hunt for a healthy Indian recipe — with less oil, spices, and salt — this is it! Enjoy with roti, quinoa, or lettuce cups.
Are you looking to embrace meatless meals and looking for healthy dinner options? Look no further than this delicious Indian dhal makhani recipe. Packed with flavour and nutrition, this coconut lentil curry will become a new family favourite. Plus, it's easy to make on the stovetop. This lentil recipe is vegan, high protein and gluten free.
This recipe for oven-baked stuffed spaghetti squash is filled to the brim with flavourful vegan chickpea-kale curry. Recipe uses canned chickpeas for ease and convenience. A nourishing plant-based dinner, ready in 60 minutes!
A slow simmer, a swirl of spices, the kind of meal that lingers in the air long after the last bite. This One-Pot Vegan Chili is layered with warmth—earthy, spiced, deeply rich. A tumble of ripe tomatoes, velvety beans, and tender vegetables bring color and contrast, proof that eating the rainbow can be as satisfying as it is beautiful.
Probably the easiest Indian recipe you’ll ever make; this fast and mouthwatering grilled tandoori chicken recipe is spicy, tangy and smoked to perfection – just like the one at your favourite Indian restaurant! Ideal for when you’re strapped for time and looking for a healthy, low carb and satisfying option for the family. Gluten Free.
Looking for an easy and healthy weeknight curry? Skip the takeout, and make this high-protein Chicken Dhansak with lentils. Packed full of flavour, this restaurant-style curry blends the richness of lentils with authentic South Asian spices for a satisfying family meal. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro for that perfect garnish.
Need dinner on the table, like, now? This Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe is your weeknight hero. Creamy, spicy, and full of flavour—without any of the fuss. It's what happens when comfort food meets "I don’t have time for this." Whip it up, grab a fork, and let the masala magic happen! Done in 30 minutes.
This Indian-style omelette is packed with fresh vegetables and seasoned with curry powder. Made without milk, it is cooked until golden-brown and thick.
This vegan tomato soup is bursting with juicy tomatoes and aromatic fennel, infused with cumin and pepper. In just 25 minutes, you’ll have a vibrant, flavour-packed soup that’s perfect for any time you want a warm, healthy hug in a bowl!
Perfect for times when your pantry is low in ingredients, and you just need something quick and simple. This kebab recipe creates succulent and soft kebabs (Shammi kebab-style) that are packed with protein and rich in flavour!
Discover the vibrant flavours of East Africa with this easy Vegan Coconut Curry, also known as Bharazi. This one-pot wonder is a creamy delight infused with coconut, onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cilantro—a plant-powered dish perfect for Meatless Mondays!
This 30-minute breakfast recipe for egg bhurji, or Indian-style scrambled eggs, is spiced with curry powder, cumin and coriander and pan-cooked with wholesome fresh vegetables, such as bell pepper, tomatoes and spinach. Enjoy a delicious plate of hot egg bhurji with toast, soft Indian roti, bread, homemade parathaor potatoes.
Switch up your meatless meal routine and learn how to make this healthy crispy tofu recipe, Mediterranean style. These tofu bites are bathed in a zesty and delicious marinade, and the intense flavour of oregano and thyme elevates the tofu to new heights! This tofu recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Get ready for a flavour-packed adventure with Tandoori-style Spicy Cauliflower Tacos! Easy, delicious, and vegan, these tacos bring playful flavours to your plate. Enjoy a plant-based feast that's diabetes-friendly and heart-healthy. Let the fiesta begin!
Done in 20 minutes, this recipe for spicy pan-fried basa fish fillets is a terrific, healthy weeknight fish dinner! It is flavoured with warm spices and finished with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Spicy on the outside and fork-tender on the inside, this basa fish fillet melts in your mouth!
Bring back the pizza nights with this zero dough veggie-packed portobello mushroom pizza. Unconventional and absolutely delicious. Cooked in 30 minutes, and gone in seconds!
Forget the Chinese takeaway this week and try this speedy meal. Lean, light and luscious, these chicken strips are coated in ginger, lime and soy sauce – without any additional salt. Done and dusted in under 30 minutes, you won’t be able to resist this succulent ginger-lime chicken with broccoli.
Meet the ultimate Quinoa Kale Salad, featuring mighty mung beans! It's a flavour explosion with cucumber, tomatoes, onion and fresh herbs, all tossed in a tangy sumac lemon dressing.
In the recipe below, I show you how to use this tomato sauce to create THREE simple heart healthy recipes to enjoy at dinner.
20-Minute Tomato Sauce
4people
20 minutesminutes
5 stars (4 reviews)
Want to learn how to make a delicious basic tomato sauce at home? This recipe is a luscious blend of sweet grape tomatoes, simmered in garlic, oregano, and black pepper to create the perfect tomato sauce. It's a quick and easy one-pan recipe that transforms into the best pizza base sauce, pasta sauce, and curry in a hurry! All three serving ideas are easy healthy dinner ideas that are also heart healthy and pack a nutritional punch!
Oh la la, I eat this by the tonne—no joke! This easy, healthy Rainbow Salad is a crunchy delight that's as colourful as it is nutritious. Done in 15 minutes, it's packed with fresh raw carrots, kale, broccoli, and tossed in a simple, tangy dressing. And if that's not enough, we've also thrown in pomegranate and sunflower seeds for that extra wow factor!
Are you looking for a flavour-packed healthy dinner option and don't have much time? This coconut shrimp curry can be on your table in literally 15 minutes. It's elegantly spiced and insanely desi-licious. What can be faster, easier and tastier than seafood?!
In just 20 minutes, you can have this succulent lemon pepper salmon on your dinner table. The zesty flavour of lemon pairs perfectly with the pungent bite of pepper, creating a delightful dish sure to please your taste buds. And best of all, this recipe pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides to create balanced nutritious meals. High protein, diabetes diet friendly, and heart healthy.
Eggs mixed with a variety of colourful vegetables, cooked to perfection and topped with fresh cilantro. This Tomato Asparagus Frittata is infused with cumin, fenugreek and chilli flakes, to create an easy Desi-licious low carb breakfast or lunch! Dairy-free.
Ready to make meal planning a breeze? Try this simple and mouthwatering 20-minute okra recipe (Bhindi). An all-time favourite Indian and Pakistani dish, this recipe is bursting with nutrition and flavor. If you’re tired of eating the same ‘ol veggies, this has your name written all over it!
What healthy recipes are your go-to for your dinner menu? Have you tried any of my dinner dishes before? Share in the comment section below!
If you try these recipes, would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate them, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Can’t wait to see your photos.
The best healthy recipes for a dinner menu are tasty, nourishing, and can be pulled off – without breaking a sweat. Assembling meals for your family doesn't have to feel overwhelming.
1cuptomato passata, thick couli style, no added sugar
¼tspturmeric
½tspsalt, sea salt
3green chillies, large, washed, finely chopped
1½cupcilantro, fresh, washed, finely chopped, including the stems
½lime, freshly squeezed juice
Instructions
Prepare the coconut sauce by mixing together the coconut cream and water. Set it aside.
Make the tikka masala sauce by heating olive oil on medium heat
Add cumin, bay leaf and asafoetida. Once the cumin seeds release their flavour, add the tomato sauce. Due to spluttering, you will need to reduce the heat at this point
Stir in the coconut sauce along with turmeric.
Add the asparagus and chillies and mix thoroughly to coat the pieces with the tikka masala sauce. Cover and cook for about 5-6 minutes. You want the asparagus pieces to be slightly crunchy and not mushy
Finally, add chickpeas along with fresh cilantro and salt, cover and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes and finish with lime juice
Notes
For the tikka masala sauce, use pure creamed coconut. This results in a luscious dry-style consistency.
Use hot water to make the coconut sauce. It helps to dissolve the creamed coconut quickly and easily.
Simmer and cook the tikka masala on low heat, giving the flavours time to come together to create a flavour-packed dish.
Make sure to drain chickpeas well before adding them to the vegan tikka masala. Excess water will make the sauce watery.
If you want a bit more of a saucy curry, add 1/2 cup of water when cooking the asparagus.
Keep in mind that the nutritional values provided are approximations and suggestions, and might fluctuate depending on ingredient variations, portion sizes, and recipe adjustments. This nutrition facts table cannot account for your individual needs. Your body — including your hunger and satiety cues — change daily. It’s perfectly fine to eat more or less on different days. Instead of letting food guilt take over, consider mindful eating.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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