Eat Healthy and Cheap: Indian recipes Whole plant foods, no added oil, no added sugar, no refined flour, little added salt. Indian recipes only. 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z https://eathealthyandcheap.com/cuisine/indian/ Eat Healthy and Cheap Adai, South Indian Mixed Lentil Pancake https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/adai/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A protein-dense South Indian pancake ground from brown rice and three lentils, spiked with ginger, chile, and curry leaf, no fermenting. Aloo Gobi https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/aloo-gobi/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Dry-roasted potato and cauliflower stained yellow with turmeric and cumin. Roasting the vegetables instead of frying them gives the browned, nutty edges the dish is loved for, with no oil in the pan. Aloo Methi, Potatoes with Fenugreek https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/aloo-methi/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A Punjabi side of soft potatoes cooked with fenugreek greens, cumin, and garlic, the leaves lending a gentle, welcome bitterness. Andhra Peanut Chutney https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/andhra-peanut-chutney/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Andhra peanut chutney, roasted peanuts ground with dried chile, garlic, and tamarind, then finished with a popped mustard seed tempering. Andhra Tomato Pachadi, South Indian Tomato Chutney https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/andhra-tomato-pachadi/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A tangy South Indian tomato chutney ground with dry-roasted chiles, garlic, and tamarind, tempered with mustard and curry leaves for dosa or rice. Anjeer Khajur Roll, Fig and Date Nut Log https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/anjeer-khajur-roll/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A no-cook Indian sweet of dried figs and dates kneaded with toasted cashews and almonds, rolled in sesame and sliced, sweetened only by the fruit. Baingan Bharta https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/baingan-bharta/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Whole eggplant charred until it collapses, then peeled and mashed into a smoky tomato base. The blackened skin is the whole point: it gives the dish a roasted, almost grilled depth that no amount of spice can fake. Bhindi Masala https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/bhindi-masala/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Okra dry-roasted until its edges char and the slime is gone, then folded into a quick onion and tomato masala sharpened with amchur. Carrot Halwa https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/carrot-halwa/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Grated carrots slowly cooked down in soy milk until jammy and sweet on their own, finished with dates, raisins, cardamom, and toasted cashews, no ghee or sugar. Chana Masala https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/chana-masala/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A weeknight chickpea curry that sweats its aromatics in water instead of oil and leans on dried mango powder for brightness in place of salt. Chana Saag https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/chana-saag/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Chickpeas folded into a mountain of wilted spinach with ginger, garlic, and warm spices. The greens cook down into a soft base that coats the beans, so the dish reads rich without cream or oil. Chorchori, Bengali Mixed Vegetables with Panch Phoron https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/chorchori/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A Bengali dry curry of potato, eggplant, beans, and radish tempered with panch phoron and a pungent mustard paste, coconut-free and made in one pan. Coriander Mint Chutney https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/coriander-mint-chutney/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A bright green chutney of cilantro and mint blitzed raw with green chile, ginger, and lime, sweetened with a single date instead of sugar. Cucumber and Mint Raita https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/cucumber-and-mint-raita/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Cucumber and mint raita, plant yogurt folded with grated cucumber, torn mint, and roasted cumin into a cooling Indian dip for spiced food. Cucumber Peanut Koshimbir https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/cucumber-peanut-koshimbir/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A Maharashtrian cucumber salad dressed with crushed roasted peanuts, toasted cumin, and lime, skipping the pinch of sugar and salt it usually carries. Jeera Aloo https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/jeera-aloo/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Boiled potatoes tossed through a dark toast of whole cumin, with amchur and pepper standing in for salt and green chile carrying the heat. Kala Chana https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/kala-chana/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A thin, deeply spiced curry of whole black chickpeas simmered in their own dark cooking liquid, brightened with dried mango and fresh cilantro. Kala Chana Chaat https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/kala-chana-chaat/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A cold Delhi-style chaat of boiled black chickpeas tossed with onion, cucumber, tomato, and lime, sharpened by amchur and toasted cumin. Khatta Meetha Kaddu, North Indian Sweet and Sour Pumpkin https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/khatta-meetha-kaddu/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A North Indian side of butternut squash simmered soft with panch phoron, dried mango powder, and dates, a balance of sweet, sour, and gentle heat. Kosambari https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/kosambari/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A Karnataka salad of raw soaked moong, cucumber, and carrot, brightened with lemon and a dry-popped mustard tempering instead of the usual grated coconut and salt. Lemon Rice https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/lemon-rice/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Cooked brown rice tossed through a bright yellow tempering of mustard seed, curry leaf, peanut, and turmeric, then lit up with lemon at the end. A South Indian way to turn leftover rice into a meal in fifteen minutes. Masala Popcorn https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/masala-popcorn/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Air-popped popcorn tossed with bloomed turmeric, cumin, and chili, with nutritional yeast and a hit of amchur standing in for salt. A whole-grain snack that costs pennies a bowl. Milagai Podi, South Indian Idli Gunpowder https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/milagai-podi/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z South Indian gunpowder: roasted lentils, sesame, and dried chile ground into a dry, nutty condiment for idli, dosa, or plain rice. Milagu Rasam https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/milagu-rasam/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z Milagu rasam, a thin South Indian pepper broth soured with tamarind and built on toasted black pepper, cumin, and smashed garlic, no tomato. Mulligatawny https://eathealthyandcheap.com/recipes/mulligatawny/ 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z A lentil soup whose name means pepper water, thickened by its own blended lentils and sweetened with a grated apple instead of cream and sugar.