Indian lunch menu recipes for all groups of people. I have shared variety of thali menus, simple south indian meals, north indian meals and many more indian lunch combo.
Indian Lunch Menu & Combo
Lunch has always a feast for us. Amma usually makes 2 side dishes at least, somedays it may extend to 5 or 6. I have been inspired by raji from raks kitchen. So i have decided to share the lunch menu which we eat all the time. I will post a menu for each week, this will give you some ideas for deciding your lunch. This menu is what i had right today. It is quite a simple one.
How to prepare lunch menu (Idea)
- I use a 2 Burner Stove to make this meal. First decide the menu and start by chopping & cutting the veggies.
- I chopped my beans and carrots for stir fry, sliced my raw banana for bajji, Peeled and chopped yam.
- Boil vegetables separately. It will take 15 mins. I use my two burner for this. Once they are done. Drain and set aside.
- While they are cooking, I grind the ingredients for curries and keep ready. I cut the tomatoes, coriander leaves for rasam and soak tamarind for rasam & pickle also.
- Start by making the carrot beans stir fry. Heat oil and temper the ingredients. Once it is finished, Add in cooked beans and carrot stir fry for 3 mins. Add in salt and grated coconut. Stir fry for a min and remove that to a serving dish. It is done in 5 mins.
- In the same kadai make the yam poriyal. Heat oil and temper. Once it is done, add yam and salt and mix well. Yam has to be roasted so i leave it for a good 10 mins or so stirring often.
- While the yam is roasting, I start making the rasam in the other stove. heat oil and temper. Add in ground masala and tomatoes. Saute for a min. Add in tamarind juice, salt and jaggery and mix. Boil this for 4 to 5 mins till it reaches a single boil.Switch off the flame and add coriander leaves. Transfer it to a serving dish.
- When you finish making rasam the yam would be roasted. Add in pepper powder
and switch off the flame and transfer it to a serving dish. - Now i wash the kadai till it is clean and start making the pickle. Heat oil and temper. Add the chillies. Fry them for 5 mins. Now add in Tamarind juice which you have soaked and boil it for 5 mins. Add jaggery, salt and mix well. Let them simmer for 2 mins. Switch off the flame and transfer this to a serving dish.
- Now i make the bajji. Before that, i cook the rice in pressure cooker in a
stove. In the other stove i heat oil for frying bajji. - When the oil is getting ready, i make the batter. Once i finish making the batter, the oil would be ready. I fry the bajjis and transfer this to a serving dish.
- Now in a few minutes the rice would be cooked. Let the pressure go by itself before opening the cooker.
- Take the curd from fridge and enjoy your meal.
Lunch Menu Collections
Lunch Menu 1 - Ginger Rasam, Yam Poriyal, Carrot Beans Thoran, Chilli Tamarind Pickle & Vazhakkai Bajji
Today's south indian menu includes Steamed White Rice, Ginger Rasam, Yam Pepper Roast, Chilli & Tamarind Pickle, Beans & Carrot Stir-fry with Coconut, Curd & Vazhakkai Bajji. It totally took me less than 1.5 hours to make this meal. This time depends on the ability of the cook, speed in the kitchen and chopping skills. It may vary.
Here are the links for the recipe
1)Carrot Beans Stir fry
2)Yam Poriyal
3)Ginger Rasam
4)Chilli & Tamarind Pickle
5)Banana Bajji
Lunch Menu 2 - Pulikulambu, Potato Roast, Cabbage Thoran & Keerai Kootu
This is my second lunch menu. I thought of posting a non veg chicken biryani meal, but since it is karthigai deepam, i decided to go vegetarian. This is my absolute favorite meal. Amma makes it whenever i visit her. This is one of the comforting meal. This meal consist of Steamed White Rice, Potato Roast, Brinjal Puli kulambu, Keerai Kootu, Cabbage Stir fry with Coconut, Curd & Papad.
- Pulikulambu ( You can try my Brinjal Pulikulambu or Karunai Kilangu Pulikulambu
- Potato Roast
- Cabbage Stir fry with Coconut
- Homemade Curd
Lunch Menu 3 - Chicken Biryani, Chicken Fry, Onion Raita, Rasam & Badam Kheer
This is my 3rd Lunch meal. And it is a biryani meal. Not veg biryani, it is a chicken biryani meal. One of my favorite meal. I make this mostly on sundays. Hubby's favorite meal too. This meal consist of Chicken Biryani, Chicken Fry, Onion Tomato Raita, Plain Rice, Simple Rasam, Papad & Badam Kheer.
Lunch Menu 4 - Vendaikai Pulikari, Kovakkai Poriyal, Papali Thoran, Green Gram Thogayal & Kilangu Kootu
This lunch menu series is posted to give ideas for you all that what all combo of dishes goes well together. We eat this kind of combo all days for lunch but some days we reduce to side dishes to one because of laziness, but most of the day it is had like this. This menu consist of steamed rice, vendaikkai pulikari, kovaikai poriyal, papali thoran, green gram thogayal, kilangu kootu, vathal and curd.
Instead of adding ladysfinger to pulikari, you could add any vegetables from drumstick, cucumber, etc. Carrot poriyal, Beans poriyal also go well with this dish. You could make thoran with snake gourd, pumpkin too or try other thorans. The kootu can be made with bottle gourd, snakegourd and papaya too.
- Vendaikai Pulikari
- Kilangu kootu (Check my papali kootu recipe)
- Papali Thoran (Check my cabbage thoran recipe, substitute cabbage with papaya)
- Kovakkai Poriyal
- Green Gram Thogayal
- Homemade Curd
Lunch Menu 5 - Malli Rasam, Potato Capsicum Poriyal, Siru Kizhangu Poriyal
This is one of my favorite lunch menu. I love poriyals in my lunch menu more than thoran or coconut based dish. Plain rice, rasam, poriyal is always my favorite. If a fried papad is included in the menu, then it becomes my absolute favorite one. This meal includes steamed rice, malli rasam, potato capsicum poriyal, siru kizhangu poriyal, fried papad, curd and mango pickle.
Lunch Menu 6 - Simple South Indian Lunch Menu, South Indian Lunch Thali
We South Indians take our lunch seriously. In our house, mostly lunch is vegetarian except on weekends when we indulge in non veg dishes. Our typical lunch menu has kulambu, poriyal, avial may be a sweet. Amma makes a elaborate full meals when we have guest over, it will be like a wedding meal. I will surely post that one day. But today is also a typical south indian meal which we make on fridays or any functions like pongal, amma vasai, wedding days or even our birthdays.
This meal consist of avial, poriyal, pachadi, thoran, paruppu, rasam, curd, papad, pickle and a payasam. This is a typical meal, but when it comes to complete full meals, along with these recipes it includes sambar, more kulambu, three to four kichadi, two to three payasam, vadai..I will surely post that meal one day.
- Raw Banana Poriyal
- Cucumber Pachadi
- Cabbage Thoran
- Paruppu
- Mango Kotsu
- Simple Rasam
- Homemade Curd
- Sago Rice Payasam
Lunch Menu 7 - Tirunelveli Sodhi, Spinach Thoran, Potato Roast, Rasam & Onion Pickle
Another simple lunch menu to brighten your weekend or even weekdays..Having a proper lunch is always important for a south indian, i know i have mentioned this so many times whenever i post lunch menu recipes..This menu is inspired from my perimma's recipe. One day she told me to try potato stew recipe and she also mentioned the combinations which goes well with that too..This menu includes Steamed Rice, Potato Sodhi, Keerai Thoran, Potato Roast, Rasam & Onion Pickle.
I made a simple rasam, spinach thoran as additional dish in this menu. Normally we make potato stew, potato roast and puli inchi..I made onion pickle for puli inchi and it went really well too..Normally you need something spicy, tangy and little sweet to go with the plain stew.And the keerai thoran which i made is the recipe which i used to make drumstick leaves thoran, instead of drumstick leaves you can use any spinach. And i didn't add turmeric powder in it.
Normally we need two gravy dishes to go with rice, mostly it will be a gravy and curd or gravy and rasam. You can simple leave the rasam and have just curd as the second gravy. And make any thoran for this, but make it a little spicier, since the stew is mild. Instead of onion pickle, you could make tomato thokku also..
These are the link for the above menu
Tirunelveli Sodhi Kulambu ,Check out my Keralan Potato Stew Recipe too..
Keerai Thoran ( Replace Drumstick Leaves with any Spinach )
Potato Roast, Check out my Keralan Potato Roast Recipe too..
Onion Pickle
Simple Rasam
Lunch Menu 8 - Garlic Rasam, Potato Poriyal, Bharwan Tinda, Neer Nellikai & Curd
Its been a while since i shared any lunch menu ideas..I recently discovered that i took few pictures of the thali meals which i prepared and it was lying in the folder. So i decided to share it here so you get a idea..I am going to finish these post simple by just giving the link to the recipe
This menu includes,
Garlic Rasam
Potato Poriyal
Bharwan Tinda
Neer Nellikai
Yogurt / Curd
Lunch Menu 9 - Besan Peppers, Turnip Potato Poriyal, Tomato Curry, Neer Nellikai & Yogurt
A simple but elegant and tasty thali recipes..These make a great combo and it was delish.
This menu has,
Turnip Potato Poriyal
Besan Peppers
Tomato Curry
Neer Nellikai
Yogurt / Curd
Lunch Menu 10 - Potato Mochai Curry, Rasam, Neer Nellikai & Yogurt
A simple but elegant and tasty thali recipes..These make a great combo and it was delish.
This menu has,
Potato Mochai Curry
Bachelor Rasam
Neer Nellikai
Yogurt / Curd
& Hard Boiled Egg
Lunch Menu 11 - Red Chicken Curry, Tawa Chicken Roast & Yogurt
This is a simple non veg thali recipe. It has steamed rice, yogurt, red chicken curry and tawa chicken. I love it so much and that curry taste amazing with hot rice. Delicious.
Here is the link for the recipes,
Steamed Rice
Yogurt / Curd
Spicy Red Chicken Curry
Spicy Tawa Chicken
Lunch Menu 12 - Potato Poriyal, Carrot Poriyal, Tomato Rasam, Neer Nellikai & Yogurt
This is a very old lunch menu post which was lying in my draft. So i decided to share it today because i know if i didn't share it now, it is never going to get published. This menu clearly shows that it is perfect during a lazy day.
One Pot Rasam
Carrot Poriyal
Potato Poriyal
Neer Nellikai
Yogurt / Curd
Lunch Menu 13 - Gujarati Thali Meals, Gujarati Lunch Menu Recipes
It's been a while since I shared any lunch menu or thali meals. This is one which i made few months back and I simply forgot to share it. So i decided to share it today.
This is a simple gujarati themed thali
1)Rice
2)Methi Thepla
3)Pomegranate & Moong Sprouts Kosambir
4)Papad
5)Carrot and Cabbage Kachumber
6)Gujarati Potatoes
7)Moong Dal
8)Gujarati Kadhi
9)Yogurt
Lunch menu 14 - Drumstick Avial, Pepper Broccoli Stir Fry, Mango Poriyal, Ladies Finger Pulikari
Finally I am up with another lunch menu. It's been a while since i shared a lunch menu idea post. I am thinking to share these posts regularly on every sunday. But somehow i get lazy and never open the blog on sundays.
This is the recipes on today lunch menu
Rice
Mango Poriyal
Broccoli Pepper Fry
Ladies Finger Pulikari
Drumstick Avial
Yogurt / Curd
Lunch Menu 15 - Variety Rice Lunch Menu. Lemon rice, tamarind rice, coconut rice, curd rice, potato chips, kovakkai poriyal, radish thoran
This is one of my favourite lunch menu. We make it at least once a month. it has variety rice which is served along with poriyal, thogayal and chips.
This is what is in the plate
Lemon Rice
Coconut Rice
Curd Rice
Coconut Coriander Thogayal
Potato Chips
Radish Thoran
Kovaikkai Poriyal
Potato Poriyal
Tamarind Rice
Lunch Menu 16 - Puli Kuzhambu, Dal, Drumstick Avial, Baby Potato Poriyal, Tapioca Kootu
Finally I am up with another lunch menu. It's been a while since i shared a lunch menu idea post. I am thinking to share these posts regularly on every sunday. But somehow I get lazy and never open the blog on sundays.
Lunch Menu 17 - Grand Punjabi Thali includes different authentic punjabi curries, salads served with simple pulao and roti. The meal is finished with a sweet and a sweet lassi.
I made pulao, plain basmati rice, missi roti as main course. Check this link for the entire thali.
For the side, I made
- Aloo tamatar sabzi
- Kadi pakora
- Daal makhani
- Mixed veg sabzi
- Palak Paneer
- Pomegranate raita
- Kachumber
- For Sweet I made, Wheat Halwa or Kada Prasad
- For Drink I made Sweet Lassi
- Accompaniments I served with pickle and papad.
LUNCH MENU 18 - This is a vegetarian & non veg combo lunch menu. It has various vegetables and side dishes from south india.
LUNCH MENU 19 - This is a vegetarian & non veg combo lunch menu with various vegetables and side dishes from south india. You
- Rice
- Poricha kuzhambu
- Curd
- Tomato avial
- Potato poriyal
- Egg omelette
- Fish fry
LUNCH MENU 20 - This is a Marwari Thali consisting of popular marwari recipes.
- Gatte ki Pulao
- Bajra roti
- Gatte ki sabzi
- Jeera Aloo
- Papad ki sabzi
- Aam ki launji
- Green chilli pickle
- Ghevar
- Mango lassi
LUNCH MENU 21 - This is a collection of recipes in my kashmiri thali. Popular kashmiri recipes are featured in this thali. You wil
- Kashmiri Pulao
- Rogan Josh
- Dum aloo
- Kashmiri khatta baingan
- Phirni
- Kashmiri bread
📖 Recipe Card
Indian Lunch Menu Recipes | Lunch Menu Combo
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- Vegetables
- coconut
- oil
Instructions
- Prepare lunch menu as per the links.
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Torviewtoronto
deliciously done flavourful meal looks fabulous
Anonymous
Hi aarthi,
Wats d difference between a poriyal and a thoran?
Aarthi
@Anonymousporiyal usually dont have coconut in them. Thoran has coconut