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are there any "healthy" Indian meals


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Old 31-12-2007, 11:49
player1
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I enjoy a good curry from time to time, usually a Chicken Bhoona or a Garlic Chilli Chicken, with a nan bread. I believe most Indian meals to be high in calories and saturated fats. Can you recommend good "healthy" low fat Indian food ( or at least not outrageously high fat ).

I know that Tandoori type dishes are better for you, ie meals without sauces but the problem is I enjoy the sauce. I have switched from Pilau to boiled rice and have given up the chicken pakora since it is deep fried...I know the Nan bread is also on the high cal side but really enjoy it ( are chapatis any healthier ? )

So ...any recommendations ...tasty Indian food without the fat !
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Old 31-12-2007, 11:54
TH14
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Biriyani is a rice based dish so maybe that is better. Strange though how Chinese/Indian food is supposed to be high in fat yet rarely do you see obese Chinese/Indian people
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Old 31-12-2007, 12:01
gomezz
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My regular Indian takeaway is probably the healhiest meal I eat in the week.
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Old 31-12-2007, 12:09
TykeMan
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I'd recommend this book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Free-Ind...9102915&sr=1-4

I've tried a few recipies and they are very tasty.


I've been going to the gym and eating healthier since April - I used to often have Indian takeaway on a Saturday, I've stopped doing that (maybe had 2 since when I've really had the taste for it) but I find a recipie from that book, one of my favourites though is to make a Thai fish curry - Blue dragon do a thai curry paste that isn't loaded with fat and I use a little of the coconut milk block - whilst that is high in fat it's nowhere near what you'd have in a takeaway and you only use a little dissolved in water. It's certainly helped me lose weight.
For rice - add some cloves, cardamon and turmeric whilst boiling the rice, flavour but no fat.
And then I have a one of the "mini" naan breads which is just enough.
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Old 31-12-2007, 12:12
The Exiled Dub
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Any of the Indian meals that have tomato based sauces will be lower fat than the likes of Tikka, or any of the creamy sauces. I quite enjoy a madras myself. As long as it is not everyday, I don't think you will have a problem.
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Old 31-12-2007, 12:12
leopard_print
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Leave off the naan and those extra's. Go for 'dry' curries too. Also choose tomato based ones, not creamy.

However i love the non-tomato, creamy ones! oh dear!
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Old 31-12-2007, 12:13
kimindex
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There was a series on earlier in the year about healthy Indian cooking. Here's the website of the chef:

http://www.anjumanand.co.uk/index.php/food/ and her book.

It's possible to make fairly healthy dahls and my spinach and potato curry isn't all that high in calories.
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Old 31-12-2007, 12:25
TykeMan
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I make a sweet potato and aubergine curry (also put spinach in) - based on an Anthony Worrall Thompson recipe on Daily Cooks....virtually fat free, use tinned tomatoes for the basis of the sauce.
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Old 31-12-2007, 14:05
rita_de_orac
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Getting the base sauce right is the secret to making healthy indian food. Most restaurants still use lots and lots of cream and sugar in their meals, but really this isn't necessary at all. We've used the following recipe for several generations in my family (serves 6-8):

Fry a large pinch of cumin seeds in 4-5 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil for about a minute. Add crushed garlic (one bulb), crushed ginger (about a palmful) and 2 chopped green chillies. Cook gently until brown. Add 2-3 chopped onions and fry until they begin to brown. Add a small tin of tomatoes (or 2-3 plum tomatoes), 3 rounded teaspoons of garam masala, 2 rounded teaspoons of turmeric and 2 of salt. cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally until all the water has been cooked out - should be able to see oil shining through the paste.

This paste forms the basis of most punjabi curries and you can now add diced chicken, vegetables, pulses or anything else you fancy to make a specific kind of curry. Just cook your added ingredients in the sauce (add water for a thinner sauce) until everything is cooked through. A friend of mine marinades her chicken in the sauce for a couple of hours before cooking it, so that might be worth trying too. Add more salt if necessary, then enjoy!
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Old 31-12-2007, 14:08
rita_de_orac
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Leave off the naan and those extra's. Go for 'dry' curries too. Also choose tomato based ones, not creamy.

However i love the non-tomato, creamy ones! oh dear!
Natural yoghurt makes a good substitution for cream in most indian cooking.
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Old 31-12-2007, 15:15
The Prumeister
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Fish saag - nice spinach based dish, not too creamy and some healthy fish.. I guess you'd have to make it yourself to ensure it was 'properly' healthy and not too fatty etc..
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Old 31-12-2007, 15:39
player1
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Thanks everyone for the replies so far, I appreciate it. Many of the replies recommend cookbooks and recipes, now I am not for a minute being ungrateful....but my curry is generally a once a week treat - a takeaway watched whilst enjoying a good movie and washed down with a few ( low card ) beers.

So...can anyone recommend a "healthier" low fat takeaway Indian meal ?
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Old 02-01-2008, 02:52
quackaquacka
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Thanks everyone for the replies so far, I appreciate it. Many of the replies recommend cookbooks and recipes, now I am not for a minute being ungrateful....but my curry is generally a once a week treat - a takeaway watched whilst enjoying a good movie and washed down with a few ( low card ) beers.

So...can anyone recommend a "healthier" low fat takeaway Indian meal ?
I've just had a quick look round and came up with this site:
http://www.khazana-indian.co.uk/menu.html

It's a menu, but if you scroll about halfway down the page there is a section entitled 'healthy options'. Maybe go for something like that.

Last edited by quackaquacka : 02-01-2008 at 02:52. Reason: Came, not ACME. Where's the Roadrunner?
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Old 03-01-2008, 13:45
John_Elway
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All Indian food is healthy, maybe the ghee is the only thing that can be substituted. Just don't get caught up in the Indian version of currys we have in the UK. It isn't Indian food.
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Old 03-01-2008, 13:54
dollylovesshoes
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If you go to a restaurant I would recommend a Shaslik type dish.....Pieces of chicken/peppers/onion on a skewer and cooked in the tandoor oven! usually served with a salad. you can always have a plain basmati rice...perhaps a small portion of Channa Dal to go with it!
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Old 03-01-2008, 13:57
dollylovesshoes
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All Indian food is healthy, maybe the ghee is the only thing that can be substituted. Just don't get caught up in the Indian version of currys we have in the UK. It isn't Indian food.
I have dined with asian families and they do use a helluva lot of ghee.........sweets are worse though.....full fat milk.......coconut powder etc
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Old 03-01-2008, 14:16
Mark in Essex
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The main problem with the curry is when people have dishes with cream in them + also the gee.

Try to stick to the balti, madras & jalfrezi ones etc.. (ones without the cream) and then ask for it to be cooked with no or less gee (most decent curry houses should do this).

We also cook our own curries so that we know what goes into them (I do a nice veg curry (even though I'm not a veggie) - just use potato, cauliflower, mushrooms, chickpeas, black eye peas etc with tins of tomatos and herbs). Even the ones with meat in are not too unhealthy if you cook them yourself.
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Old 03-01-2008, 15:06
schlepper
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i read somewhere chicken tandoori was the healthiest
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