Healthy Cooking Methods for Everyday Indian Meals
Pressure cooking, steaming, tawa cooking and smart tadkas: how everyday Indian cooking methods affect oil, salt and nutrients, and simple ways to cook lighter.
HealthyDietDaily Editorial Team · · Updated
The same ingredients can make a light meal or a heavy one depending on how they are cooked. A plate of dal, sabzi and roti can carry one teaspoon of oil per person or ten. Indian kitchens already use some of the healthiest cooking methods in the world, such as pressure cooking and steaming. A few changes in technique can make everyday food lighter without making it bland.
Pressure cooking
Pressure cooking is fast, saves fuel and needs little or no added fat. It is ideal for dal, rajma, chana, khichdi, dalia and many vegetables. Short cooking times in a closed pot also help retain some water-soluble vitamins compared with long open boiling.
Tips: soak pulses before pressure cooking, use only as much water as needed, and keep the cooking water from dal and vegetables in the dish rather than throwing it away.
Steaming
Idli, dhokla, momos, patra, modak, steamed vegetables and fish are cooked without oil. Steaming keeps texture and colour and is gentle on nutrients.
Tips: add vegetables to idli and dhokla batters, and steam vegetables until just tender rather than soft.
Tawa and pan cooking
Rotis, chillas, dosas, uttapam and tikkas can be cooked on a tawa with very little oil.
Tips: use a well-seasoned iron tawa or a good non-stick pan, brush oil rather than pouring it, and wipe excess oil with a cloth.
Sautéing and shallow frying
Most sabzis are sautéed. The amount of oil is the main difference between a light and a heavy sabzi.
Tips:
Use a teaspoon to measure oil, about one or two teaspoons per dish for a family.
Cook on medium heat with a lid so vegetables steam in their own moisture.
Add a splash of water instead of more oil when the masala sticks.
Use non-stick or heavy-bottomed pans.
The tadka
A tadka gives dal and sabzi its aroma. Flavour comes mainly from cumin, mustard seeds, garlic, hing, curry leaves and chillies, not from the amount of fat.
Tip: one teaspoon of ghee or oil per pot of dal is usually enough for a family meal.
Deep frying
Puri, pakora, samosa, vada and namkeen absorb oil during frying. Deep-fried foods are best kept for occasions.
Do not reuse frying oil repeatedly
Heating oil again and again breaks it down and can form harmful compounds, including trans fats. Keep saturated fat limited and avoid trans fat. If you fry, use fresh oil, do not let it smoke, and discard oil that has darkened, thickened or smells strong.
Lighter alternatives
Air-fry or bake samosas, cutlets and tikkis.
Shallow fry vadas and pakoras on a tawa or in an appe pan.
Roast papad over a flame instead of frying.
Choosing cooking oils
No single oil is perfect. Rotating between a few unsaturated oils such as mustard, groundnut, sunflower, rice bran and sesame, and using ghee or coconut oil in small amounts, is a practical approach. What matters most is the total amount.
Salt and sugar while cooking
Adults should aim for less than 5 g of salt a day, about one level teaspoon in total. Salt adds up through cooking, pickles, papad and packaged masalas. Taste before adding more, use lemon, herbs and spices for flavour, and reduce salt gradually so your taste adjusts.
Food safety while cooking
Wash hands and vegetables, keep raw and cooked foods apart, cook pulses and meat thoroughly, and refrigerate leftovers promptly. These basics prevent most foodborne illness.
A note on safety
People with heart disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol may need specific limits on oil, ghee and salt. Ask a doctor or registered dietitian. See our medical disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Does pressure cooking destroy nutrients?
All cooking changes nutrients to some degree. Pressure cooking is quick and uses little water, so it compares well with long open boiling.
Is air-frying healthy?
Air-frying uses far less oil than deep-frying, which reduces the fat in fried-style foods. The ingredients and portions still matter.
Which is the healthiest oil for Indian cooking?
There is no single healthiest oil. Using a variety of unsaturated oils in small amounts, and limiting ghee and coconut oil, is a sensible approach.
Key takeaways
Pressure cook and steam more, cook on a tawa with brushed oil, measure the oil in sabzi and tadka, avoid reusing frying oil and taste before adding salt. For more everyday dishes made this way, visit our recipes page, and see how a balanced plate comes together in our guide to the balanced thali.