First Time Indian Restaurant Experience

katydid603

Hey all,

Next week I'll be attending a lunch meeting at an Indian restaurant. It'll be my first time eating Indian and I am a bit apprehensive about it. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to cuisine. Can anyone suggest some low-cal options that aren;t too out there (taste wise). Thanks!

Kat

ilsie99

In an indian restaurant? Tea

Seriously, that's going to be pretty tough to satisfy both those requirements.

elisehelene

Tandoori chicken. It's spiced (but not spicy) and grilled -- no sauces or butter -- definitely your best bet, and SO tasty! Order white meat for low-cal.

Bakins929

Check this article out:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=554

waynok1

If you're going for a curry then stay away from anything with "korma" in the name, these are cream-based and very high cal. Of course things like Butter Chicken etc. are also quite high but self-explanatory.

I would suggest something like Chicken Tikka, which is not a curry, but chicken pieces spiced and usually baked in a tandoori oven. I find these to be delicious and the lack of sauce means you don't need to worry about what's in it. Some places even serve this on a bed of some kind of vegetables, which is an added bonus.

Rice will probably be served in some form, in which case just don't go crazy on it. I usually don't have more than a cup of rice whenever I have rice with a meal.

Finally if you're not into spicy food just ask for it to be as mild as possible. All the Indian restaurants I've been to so far have always given the choice of how spicy you'd like it.

I just remembered about a great thing about Indian restaurants: Their lentil dishes. These will have "dal" or "dahl" in the name. If
you can find one that isn't cooked in butter or cream then these are really good calorie-wise without a big meat hit.

Most importantly, whatever you decide to have just listen to your body and don't eat more than you need, and you will be fine.

Good luck!

sbwood888

Oh, yuck. :sick: To me, the food tastes like perfume. There is some spice that they seem to use in everything that just does not agree with me. Maybe you could ask the waiter to suggest some mildly spiced choices for a first timer. Hope you find something that you like.

ilsie99

Check this article out:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=554

mmm... that article made me want some tikka masala, naan, and kheer. dangit.

alyseleri

hello!
with indian food it is best to avoid poppadums, naan breads chapatis . also go for a mild curry that is tomato based rather than cream based. it will say on the menu. also don't be afraid to ask! go for plain pilau rice. starters like chiken tikka and tandoori chicked are great cos theres not a great deal of fat there(and theyre delicious). avoid bajiis!!! to be healthy when i have an indian meal i order tandoori chicken as a main, it comes with a curry sauce that should be tomato based. get a decent portion of salad as well:-) i would go as far as to ask for less ghee (clarified butter) in your curry. enjoy your meal!

Barneystinson

I'd just advise on not eating too much naan/chapati (flatbread) or [basmati] rice. It's easy to go overboard.

I really like tikka masala - which is basically a curried chicken dish. Rice and naan are served aside the dish.

Basic terms to know:

chana, moong, urad, masoor, toor - legumes - usually followed by "dhal"
masala, vindaloo - spice
paneer - soft cheese
aloo - potatoes
naan/chapati/poori - flatbread
narial - coconut
chutney - condiment / sauce
ghee - clarified butter
chawal - rice
meen - fish
tikka - chicken
mutton - goat / lamb
keerai - greens


Here is a really good website on Indian food: http://www.food-india.com/recipe/main.htm