Short answer: most Indian GM diet recipes are everyday vegetable, paneer and sprout dishes cooked with little or no oil. Use vegetable sabzis and salads on days 2, 3 and 6, a banana milkshake on day 4, paneer or sprouts with tomatoes on day 5, and brown rice pulao or chapati on day 7.

Which recipe for which day

Jump to: Lauki sabzi without oil, Carrot and cucumber kosambari, Banana milkshake without sugar, Paneer tomato bhurji, Sprouted moong chaat, Palak paneer without cream, Brown rice vegetable pulao, Masala wonder soup.

Lauki sabzi without oil

Fits: Days 2, 3 and 6 · Serves: 2 · Time: 25 minutes

A light bottle gourd curry cooked in its own juices with tomato, ginger and spices instead of oil.

Ingredients

• 1 medium lauki (bottle gourd), peeled and cubed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 green chilli, slit
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander to finish

Method

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds in a non-stick pan for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add the onion, ginger and green chilli with 2 tablespoons of water and cook until soft.
3. Add the tomato, turmeric and salt and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the lauki and 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until tender.
5. Finish with coriander.

Tip: On day 2, skip the tomato if you prefer to keep the day strictly to green vegetables; tomatoes are allowed on any vegetable day.

Carrot and cucumber kosambari

Fits: Days 2, 3 and 6 · Serves: 2 · Time: 10 minutes

A crunchy Karnataka-style salad made without the usual soaked dal or oil tempering, so it fits the vegetable days.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, finely grated
• 1 cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Combine the carrot, cucumber, chilli and coriander in a bowl.
2. Add lemon juice and salt just before serving so the vegetables stay crisp.

Tip: Add pomegranate seeds on day 3, when fruit and vegetables are both allowed.

Banana milkshake without sugar

Fits: Day 4 · Serves: 1 · Time: 5 minutes

A simple way to have part of day 4’s bananas and milk together.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 glass (250 ml) skimmed or toned milk
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• Ice cubes (optional)

Method

1. Blend the bananas, milk and cardamom until smooth.
2. Serve immediately, with ice if you like.

Tip: Counts as 2 of the day’s bananas and 1 of its glasses of milk.

Paneer tomato bhurji

Fits: Day 5 · Serves: 1 · Time: 15 minutes

Scrambled paneer with lots of tomato, which suits day 5’s protein-and-tomato pattern.

Ingredients

• 100 g paneer, crumbled
• 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt and coriander

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and soften the onion and chilli.
2. Add the tomatoes, turmeric and salt and cook until the tomatoes break down.
3. Stir in the paneer and garam masala and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Finish with coriander.

Tip: Use low-fat paneer if you can find it.

Sprouted moong chaat

Fits: Days 5 and 6 · Serves: 1 · Time: 10 minutes

A tangy, high-fibre bowl of sprouts that works as the vegetarian protein portion on days 5 and 6.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sprouted moong, lightly steamed
• 1 tomato, chopped (day 5) or 1 cucumber (day 6)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Coriander

Method

1. Steam the sprouts for 5 minutes so they are easier to digest, then cool.
2. Mix with the vegetables, chaat masala, lemon juice and coriander.

Palak paneer without cream

Fits: Day 6 · Serves: 1 · Time: 25 minutes

A lighter palak paneer made without cream or butter.

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach, blanched
• 100 g paneer, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 green chilli
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt

Method

1. Blend the blanched spinach with the green chilli to a smooth purée.
2. Heat the oil, add cumin, then the onion and ginger-garlic paste, and cook until soft.
3. Add the spinach purée and salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the paneer and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Brown rice vegetable pulao

Fits: Day 7 · Serves: 1 · Time: 40 minutes

A one-pot day 7 meal of brown rice with mixed vegetables and whole spices.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, capsicum)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves and 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt

Method

1. Heat the oil and add the whole spices, then the onion, and cook until soft.
2. Add the vegetables and drained rice and stir for a minute.
3. Add 1 1/4 cups water and salt, cover and cook on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes until the rice is tender.
4. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tip: Some versions of the Indian plan use 1 or 2 chapatis instead of brown rice on day 7.

Masala wonder soup

Fits: Any day · Serves: 4 · Time: 35 minutes

The GM diet’s cabbage soup with Indian spices, which you can eat on every day of the plan.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cabbage, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 capsicum, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, black pepper
• 1.2 litres water
• Salt and coriander

Method

1. Put everything except the coriander into a large pot.
2. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
3. Season and finish with coriander. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Wonder soup can be added to any meal: see the wonder soup recipe. For the full day-by-day rules, read the 7-day plan.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Healthline: The GM Diet: Does it work?
2. World Health Organization: Healthy diet