15 High-Protein Indian Lunch Recipes — Office & Home Friendly
Lunch is often the most neglected meal when it comes to protein. A typical Indian lunch of rice, dal, and sabzi gives you barely 12-15g protein. Here are 15 recipes that fix that.
1. Soya Chunk Curry + Roti (40g Protein)
Time: 25 min | Cost: ₹25
Per serving: 200g cooked soya chunks (40g protein) + 2 whole wheat rotis (6g protein)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup soya chunks (50g dry)
- 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt, coriander
Instructions:
- Boil soya chunks in salted water for 5 min, squeeze dry
- Sauté onions, add ginger-garlic and tomatoes
- Add spices and cook for 2 min
- Add soya chunks + 1 cup water, simmer 10 min
Protein: 40g | Calories: 420 | Cost: ₹25
2. Paneer Bhurji with Multigrain Roti (32g Protein)
Time: 15 min | Cost: ₹35
Ingredients:
- 200g paneer (grated)
- 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 green chili
- ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cumin
- Salt, coriander
Instructions:
- Crumble paneer with a fork
- Sauté onions, add tomatoes and spices
- Add paneer and cook 3-4 min
- Serve with 2 multigrain rotis
Protein: 32g | Calories: 480 | Cost: ₹35
3. Chicken Breast Curry + Rice (45g Protein)
Time: 30 min | Cost: ₹50
Ingredients:
- 150g chicken breast (cubed)
- 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, ginger-garlic
- ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander, ½ tsp chili
- Salt, ½ cup Greek yogurt
Instructions:
- Marinate chicken in yogurt + spices (10 min)
- Sauté onions, add ginger-garlic and tomatoes
- Add chicken and cook 15 min
- Serve with ½ cup cooked rice
Protein: 45g | Calories: 450 | Cost: ₹50
4. Masoor Dal + Rice + Roasted Papad (28g Protein)
Time: 25 min | Cost: ₹15
Ingredients:
- 100g masoor dal (red lentils)
- ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ghee
- Salt, 1 roasted papad
Instructions:
- Pressure cook dal with turmeric (3 whistles)
- Tadka with ghee, cumin, garlic
- Serve with 1 cup rice + roasted papad
Protein: 28g | Calories: 420 | Cost: ₹15
5. Egg Curry (4 Eggs) + 2 Roti (36g Protein)
Time: 20 min | Cost: ₹30
Ingredients:
- 4 boiled eggs
- 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt, coriander
Instructions:
- Make onion-tomato gravy with spices
- Halve boiled eggs, add to gravy
- Simmer 5 min
- Serve with 2 whole wheat rotis
Protein: 36g | Calories: 440 | Cost: ₹30
6. Chana Dal Palak + Rice (30g Protein)
Time: 30 min | Cost: ₹18
Cook 100g chana dal with turmeric. Add chopped spinach, cook 5 min. Tadka with garlic and cumin. Serve with ½ cup rice.
Protein: 30g | Calories: 380 | Cost: ₹18
7. Tofu Tikka Masala + Naan (28g Protein)
Time: 25 min | Cost: ₹40
Marinate 200g tofu in yogurt + spices. Grill or pan-fry. Prepare onion-tomato gravy, add tofu, simmer. Serve with 1 multigrain naan.
Protein: 28g | Calories: 400 | Cost: ₹40
8. Sprouts Salad + Curd Rice (26g Protein)
Time: 15 min (no cook) | Cost: ₹15
Mix 100g steamed mixed sprouts, 50g chopped veggies, lemon, chaat masala. Serve with 1 cup curd rice (made with 100g curd).
Protein: 26g | Calories: 320 | Cost: ₹15
9. Fish Curry (Pomfret) + Rice (38g Protein)
Time: 25 min | Cost: ₹60
Cook 150g pomfret in coconut-based curry with turmeric, ginger, and kokum. Serve with ½ cup rice.
Protein: 38g | Calories: 400 | Cost: ₹60
10. Moong Dal Chilla Wrap (30g Protein)
Time: 20 min | Cost: ₹22
Make 3 moong dal chillas. Fill with 100g grated paneer, chopped onions, green chutney. Roll and serve.
Protein: 30g | Calories: 380 | Cost: ₹22
11. Soya Granules (Keema) + Roti (35g Protein)
Time: 20 min | Cost: ₹20**
Sauté onion, ginger-garlic, and spices. Add 50g dry soya granules (rehydrated). Cook 8 min. Serve with 2 rotis.
Protein: 35g | Calories: 360 | Cost: ₹20
12. Rajma + Brown Rice (30g Protein)
Time: 30 min (if beans pre-cooked) | Cost: ₹20
Cook 100g boiled rajma with onion-tomato gravy, cumin, and coriander. Serve with ½ cup brown rice.
Protein: 30g | Calories: 400 | Cost: ₹20
13. Chicken Tikka + Salad + Hummus (44g Protein)
Time: 25 min + 30 min marination | Cost: ₹55
Marinate 150g chicken in yogurt + spices. Bake or pan-grill. Serve with cucumber-tomato salad + 3 tbsp hummus.
Protein: 44g | Calories: 380 | Cost: ₹55
14. Besan Chilla + Peanut Chutney (25g Protein)
Time: 15 min | Cost: ₹12
Make 3 besan chillas with onions and green chili. Serve with peanut chutney (2 tbsp ground peanuts + green chili + salt).
Protein: 25g | Calories: 340 | Cost: ₹12
15. Paneer Wrap + Greek Yogurt (35g Protein)
Time: 10 min | Cost: ₹40
Fill 2 whole wheat wraps with 150g grilled paneer, lettuce, onion, and mint chutney. Serve with 100g Greek yogurt on the side.
Protein: 35g | Calories: 450 | Cost: ₹40
Lunch Prep Tips
- Batch cook Sundays: Make soya chunk curry + egg curry in bulk
- Freeze portions: Dal and curry freeze well for 1 week
- Carry dry: Soya chunks + spice mix — just add hot water at office
- Rotis: Make fresh or use multigrain wraps as backup
Track your daily protein with the Protein Goal Tracker and calculate your needs using the Protein Calculator.