Indian Food for lunch. HELP!

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  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Everything you need to know about a typical Indian restaurant, what the cuisines are, how they're prepared, what tastes better where and what specifically to ask.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1087041-so-i-hear-mfp-likes-indian-food

    Good luck with your adventures :)
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Alright! So I went to lunch....it was a buffet, not many selections. I did what someone suggested and started with the chicken soup they had, which was good. Then I had just a small amount of basmati rice (not a big rice eater in general) and two tandoori drumsticks. The chicken curry looked kind of heavy or oily so didn't try it. They had lamb saag, but lamb is not for me. I did have maybe too much of the aloo gobi which was wonderful I do love me some potato! The naan was cut into what looked like quarters and I had one piece, but could have eaten 4 :) I think I did ok calorie wise but all in all was not impressed with their buffet. I shall have to either order off the menu next time, or better yet try and take some of the wonderful suggestions from all of you and make them myself. I love to cook and think I could really enjoy some Indian food adventures!!!

    So yes, the title of this post should definitely be changed to "Indian Food for Lunch. YAY!!!!"
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
    Alright! So I went to lunch....it was a buffet, not many selections. I did what someone suggested and started with the chicken soup they had, which was good. Then I had just a small amount of basmati rice (not a big rice eater in general) and two tandoori drumsticks. The chicken curry looked kind of heavy or oily so didn't try it. They had lamb saag, but lamb is not for me. I did have maybe too much of the aloo gobi which was wonderful I do love me some potato! The naan was cut into what looked like quarters and I had one piece, but could have eaten 4 :) I think I did ok calorie wise but all in all was not impressed with their buffet. I shall have to either order off the menu next time, or better yet try and take some of the wonderful suggestions from all of you and make them myself. I love to cook and think I could really enjoy some Indian food adventures!!!

    So yes, the title of this post should definitely be changed to "Indian Food for Lunch. YAY!!!!"

    Sounds like you did well! Not sure what the soup is (we generally don't do soups) but it sounds like you made good choices! Yeah buffets (of all kinds) are usually crappy so go a la carte next time!

    If you want to cook - this is a standard recipe you can use to make many things (North Indian dishes) - homemade Indian food is generally pretty healthy as it is mostly spices that provide flavor:

    Brown a lot of diced onions (low heat for a while) in a bit of oil and then puree them using an immersion blender. Then add crushed ginger and garlic and brown all of it together. This is your base, its called masala. Now add whatever protein you want to it - like chicken, chickpeas, meatballs, whatever. Season it with salt, red chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander powder, and turmeric (no curry powder!!). Add a little tomato paste and water, let it simmer for a while. If you want what we call curry (a protein dish with gravy) add more water and a bit more seasoning, let it simmer till the water creates a flavorful gravy. Serve with roti or rice.

    Sorry I don't have measurements, I learned by watching my parents cook - but use much more spices, onions etc than you would think, our food is very flavorful so don't be stingy. You'll get the hang of the quantities by cooking it more and tasting while you're cooking :)
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    I am currently living in south India and gained 6 pounds when I first got here in August. It is more difficult than one would think to eat healthy Indian food. Staying away from naan and rice goes a long way. Most Indians do not get enough fat or calories in their diet, so many dishes are rich with both, as well as salt.

    But in saying that, once and a while is not going to hurt for long.
  • sola24
    sola24 Posts: 334 Member
    I find restaurent versions of indian food is wayy heavy.. that being said, when I am eating out, I try to eat tandoori roti with a chicken sidedish.. if while eating rice I limit the amount to 0.5-1 cup and have dal, saag , veggies, fish more instead..

    P.S I am an Indian so I know how hard it is to eat out indian food and stick to calorie goals. When I cook myself I just control whatever I am putting in the dish, its way lighter and healthier.

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