24 Apr 2026
This week’s meal plan builds round a single make-ahead tikka masala sauce that carries two full meals. With a batch of Immediate Pot chickpeas and Immediate Pot black beans prepared within the fridge, many of the week’s cooking occurs on Sunday. The weekdays keep easy, fast, and comforting.
I like this type of meal plan for busy weeks as a result of it offers sufficient construction with out making the week really feel too inflexible. One sauce turns into two completely different meals, batch-cooked beans assist in a couple of recipe, and one-pot dishes fill in the midst of the week when vitality is often decrease.
Predominant dish: Begin the week with chickpea tikka masala, made with pre-cooked chickpeas stirred into the Tikka Masala Sauce and warmed by means of.
Facet dish: Serve it with Indian basmati rice or chapati, relying on what you’re within the temper for.
Leftover tip: You probably have leftovers, use them as a filling for a chapati wrap the subsequent day. I like including chopped onion and a squeeze of lemon to freshen it up.
Prep tip: The tikka masala sauce comes out of your Sunday prep. The chickpeas are already cooked and ready, so this meal comes collectively in beneath quarter-hour.
Predominant dish: The primary dish is creamy Indian black beans curry made with the pre-cooked black beans and coconut milk.
Facet dish: Serve with Immediate Pot basmati rice or rice cooker basmati rice.
Leftover tip: Leftover black bean curry works effectively for lunch the subsequent day. If it thickens extra within the fridge, you possibly can even mash it frivolously and use it in wraps or black bean patties.
Prep tip: Use pre-cooked black beans from Sunday. The curry comes collectively in a single pot in beneath 20 minutes.
Predominant dish: Use the remaining tikka masala sauce to make vegan tofu tikka masala. It is a good solution to reuse the identical sauce in a barely completely different meal, so the week nonetheless feels diverse.
Facet dish: Serve with chapati or spinach paratha when you have time.
Salad: If you wish to make the meal extra filling, add a easy spicy Indian chickpea salad on the facet utilizing among the cooked chickpeas.
Leftover tip: Leftover tofu tikka masala works effectively as a topping on toasted bread the subsequent day.
Prep tip: Use Indian spiced oven-baked tofu from Sunday prep for higher texture within the sauce. In case you are quick on time, use agency tofu added on to the sauce.
Predominant dish: Make masoor dal pulao, a easy one-pot rice and lentil dish that cooks collectively within the Immediate Pot. That is the type of meal I like retaining for the center of the week after I need one thing straightforward and full in a single pot.
Facet dish: The rice and lentils prepare dinner collectively, so no separate facet dish is required.
Salad: Pair with a easy kachumber salad or spinach raita on the facet.
Leftover tip: Leftover lentil rice reheats effectively with a splash of water. You too can use it the subsequent morning in a easy savory breakfast. Or you may make the patties with leftover rice.
Prep tip: Add a handful of frozen peas or chopped spinach whereas the pulao cooks for a extra full meal with no further work.
Predominant dish: Finish the week with a recent black bean chickpea salad made utilizing the leftover cooked beans and chickpeas. It is a great way to make use of what’s left within the fridge with out making the meal really feel like leftovers.
Facet dish: Serve with crimson lentil wraps or some toasted bread.
Leftover tip: Wrap leftover salad in a chapati for a packed lunch the subsequent day. It holds effectively in a single day within the fridge.
Prep tip: Chop the greens on Thursday night so the salad comes collectively rapidly on Friday. It is a no-cook meal, which makes Friday really feel straightforward.
Here’s what to arrange on Sunday to make this week simpler:
The tikka masala sauce does the heavy lifting for 2 meals. Monday makes use of chickpeas; Wednesday swaps in tofu. Each come collectively in minutes when the sauce is already made.
The black beans stretch throughout Tuesday’s curry and Friday’s salad. The masoor dal pulao on Thursday cooks itself in a single pot, providing you with a hands-off midweek meal. By Friday, you’re largely assembling, not cooking.
One sauce, two proteins. The tikka masala sauce works with chickpeas, tofu, greens, and paneer. Make a double batch and freeze half for a future week.
Batch-cooked beans additionally assist quite a bit right here. When chickpeas and black beans are already within the fridge, they will rapidly turn into curries, salads, wraps, or straightforward lunchbox fillings. I depend on this type of prep actually because it saves each time and psychological effort throughout the week. Use the Immediate Pot Beans information for timing.
Lentil pulao is a no-prep dinner. The masoor dal pulao cooks dal and rice collectively in a single pot. It suits effectively mid-week when vitality is low.
Friday is an meeting meal. The black bean chickpea salad wants no cooking. It’s a good solution to finish the week with leftovers and nonetheless really feel like a recent meal.
If you would like yet one more easy concept for the week, strive Savory Baked Chickpea Flour Pancakes from my breakfast weblog. They’re made with chickpea flour and easy spices and baked as an alternative of pan-fried. I like serving them with Indian cilantro sesame chutney for a lightweight breakfast and even a simple dinner.
If this type of sensible weekly construction helps you, browse all my Indian Vegetarian Meal Plans for extra concepts. You too can subscribe to get the subsequent plan straight to your inbox.
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