A course is a particular category or type of food such as soups, starters, accompaniments, the main course dishes, and of course, desserts. The foods are usually served in a particular order too.
A full-fledged meal usually starts with the soup and starters served with tongue-tickling accompaniments and crunchy salads. This course not only kindles your appetite but also tasteful conversations. It gives room for the diners to relax, forget their busy schedules and get into the mood for a tasty meal. This is followed by the main course dishes along with further accompaniments. And finally, the grand course that everyone looks forward to – the desserts.
Sweet treats that please the palate and relax the mind, the desserts have the power to make up for any shortcomings in the meal, because it is the last course and what lingers most prominently in the diners’ minds!
Breakfast might not usually have this many courses – just a couple of dishes with appropriate accompaniments, and at the most a mithai or two.
There are innumerable choices for each course, and depending on the occasion and the guests you can choose a proper mix of Indian and international foods. Here are some of our favourites...
Course Recieps, Salads
Salads are a truly versatile lot! Depending on what you toss into the bowl, your salad can be a quick and easy one, a light low-cal one, a nutri-dense one, a salad that makes a meal, or more! The Beet and Garlic Salad, for example, is quick, easy and healthy, just right for a hurried day!
beet and garlic salad recipe | healthy beetroot garlic salad | quick Indian beetroot salad | fibre rich |
Another easy choice is the Matki Salad With the goodness of moath beans and many a tasty ingredients, the Matki Salad is quite filling too.
matki salad recipe | healthy sprouts salad | easy sprouts salad | how to make healthy moth bean salad recipe |
Course Recipes, Soups
Introducing a liquid component to kind of warm up your digestive system, the soup can be selected depending on the weather, the crowd, the rest of the meal, and so on. You can have a thick soup, a creamy soup, a quick soup, clear soup, chunky soups, a diet soup, and so on.
There are some all-time hits like the Lemon and Coriander Soup that are apt for any occasion. A healthy soup with lots of veggies and vegetable stock too, the tangy and herby taste of the Lemon and Coriander Soup is really captivating.
lemon and coriander soup recipe | healthy lemon coriander soup | lemon coriander vitamin c rich soup |
Accompaniments
A meal without accompaniments simply will not shine however good your other dishes may be! The accompaniments jazz up a meal with their varied tastes and textures. Ranging from butter, chutneys and raitas to papads and pickles, the accompaniments are usually served in small quantities but relished by all!
1. Green Garlic Chutney is a unique and delectable Indian accompaniment that can be enjoyed with your starters. Have a look at other chutneys and take your pick.
Green Chutney
2. Masala Papad is deep-fried or roasted papad topped with onions, tomatoes, coriander and other ingredients. With a tantalising crunch and tongue-tickling flavour, it is one of the most popular accompaniments in India. Have a go at other papad based accompaniments too.
Masala Papad
3. Spicy Mango Pickle is a much-loved Indian pickle and is served with most meals. Even in restaurants you will find a cup of this pickle on the table! This or other pickles are a must-have for Indian meals, because they add a peppy note to dishes like dal-rice, parathas, etc. Take your pick from our large range of pickles.
spicy mango pickle recipe | aam ka achar | Punjabi mango pickle with mustard oil | Indian raw mango pickle |
Course: Indian Starters, Snack Recipes
Scrumptious to the core, snacks and starters are served before the main course, so that people get to taste a variety of flavours and textures and also engage in colourful conversation. Usually, these are sized small and handy so that diners can have small servings of several snacks. From tikkis and chaats to jar snacks and pakoras, this course is loaded with mouth-watering choices.
Aloo Chaat made of yummy potato tikkis bathed in chutneys and topped with crunchy sev is a perfect snack that is loved by all. You can also make small servings of several other chaats, which you can choose from here.
aloo chaat recipe | Mumbai roadside aloo chaat | Delhi aloo chaat |
Another handy snack, which you can make and store in an airtight container, is the Yellow Banana Wafers Crunchy and salty, these are perfect to munch on at any time of the day. You can also try other jar snacks from here.
yellow banana chips | raw banana wafers | crisp banana wafers | upperi | plantain chips
A very popular street food of India, the Bread Pakora can be served as a starter or enjoyed with your evening cup of tea. Pakoras like this and others are indispensable in the monsoon season!
bread pakora recipe | quick bread pakora without aloo | Punjabi bread pakora |
Course Recipes, Indian Breakfast
The most important meal of the day, and one that must never be missed, is breakfast. Although breakfast is not usually a three-course meal, it is comprised of main dishes and suitable accompaniments. You can go for idli or dosa with chutney and sambhar, or parathas with curds and pickle. Vada Pav, Poha, Dhoklas… there are innumerable breakfast dishes to pick from, from different cuisines of India and the world.
Green Pea Poha is an easy and quick recipe that you can even make on busy mornings. It is enjoyed by young and old alike. On the other hand, the Cheese Paneer Paratha makes a trendy Punjabi style breakfast that is filling and easy to make too. The Palak Rava Idli is another quick breakfast recipe that you can prepare within minutes in the morning if you do a few preparations the previous night.
matar poha recipe | green pea poha | healthy matar poha |
Lunch Course
On most working days, lunch is a quick meal carried in a tiffin box. It comprises of one or more dishes like roti, subzi, rice and parathas. Nowadays, Buddha Bowls or Salad Lunches are also becoming popular. On special occasions though, lunch is an elaborate affair comprising several courses ranging from soups and snacks to main course dishes and desserts. Some of the main course dishes that you can serve at lunch time are.
Quinoa, Rocket Leaves and Chickpea Veg Salad, Buddha Bowl
Dal Khichdi is a simple but sumptuous meal that has the perfect combination of rice and lentils, perked up with an ideal tempering. Gobi Paratha is an all-time favourite Punjabi main course, which can be enjoyed with a subzi, or with curds and pickle. If you’re going for a healthy lunch, try the Healthy Antioxidant Lunch Salad, which features a nutri-dense combo if ingredients that is tasty as well.
khichdi recipe | dal khichdi | toor dal khichdi | how to make dal khichdi |
Dinner Course
On some days you have loads of time to prepare a relaxed dinner, while on others you end up coming home late from office and wish to fix a quick dinner instantly! Depending on the amount of time you have and the occasion, you can have a one-dish meal or a more elaborate one.
The Kabuli Chana Kofta Biryani is a layered biryani can be enjoyed hot for dinner along with some curds or raita. You can also serve it for lunch.
Kabuli Chana Kofta Biryani
Pasta in White Sauce tastes best when it is had hot and fresh, so dinner is the best time to have it as everyone is at home and likely to enjoy the meal together!
White Sauce Pasta, Indian Style White Sauce Pasta
Course Recipes, Desserts
No meal is complete without satisfying the sweet tooth, so go for quick and easy but super awesome desserts like the Til Chikki which is not only easy to make but also healthier than sugar-laden desserts. When you are feeling more indulgent or are entertaining guests, go for the Quick Tiramisu, which is so easy to make but tastes very rich!
Quick Tiramisu, Non Alcoholic Tiramisu
Courses, Single to 3 Courses to 5 Courses
There are different types of meals – ranging from single-course and three-course to even five-course meals! A normal day calls for a simpler meal than a special occasion. Even on a normal day, when you have a guest, your meal becomes more elaborate. So, it is entirely up to you how many courses you wish to serve at a meal, keeping in mind 6 things.
1. For breakfast, people do not normally serve soups, starters, and so on. It is just the main dishes with suitable accompaniments. But, lunch and dinner can range from single course to five courses!
2. First decide how many courses you wish to serve.
3. Once you decide that, pick the dishes for each course depending on the availability of time and help in the kitchen.
4. Your choice will also vary depending on the time of the day – whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner.
5. Dinner calls for lighter dishes compared to lunch so that they can be digested better.
6. Sometimes, people also have high-teas or supper parties, when you can serve several courses in a relaxed fashion, spread across a couple of hours. Usually many more starters and snacks are served at such parties compared to the main course.
A sumptuous, multi-course meal not only gives diners an opportunity to enjoy good tasty food, but also lots of spicy conversations, so plan the ambience and time also accordingly!
Enjoy our course recipes, Indian course recipes, veg course recipes. and other course recipe articles below.