Indian food & dieting!

bhankiii

OMG I love Indian. I think dal is safe, and tandoori chicken since it doesn't have a sauce. Also gobi aloo seems like it shouldn't be too bad, it's cauliflower. Avoid the fried samosas and the bread.

oh, and saag paneer, which is my favorite. If it was me I get this.

trybabytry

MMM MY FAVORITE FOOD.

As I'm sure others have said:

any kind of tandoori is usually very healthy, and dal (lentils) and baingan bharta (eggplant) can be quite healthful as well -- aloo matter (potatoes and peas) is good, as are saag dishes, but stay away from paneer and tikka masala and anything that says "cream" (duh, LOL) -- things with cashews are also likely to be high-calorie... Don't get puri or naan, and limit your rice.

paulaviki

We had a curry the other week and I had tandoori chicken tikka (dry kebab type thing) with a vegetable curry and chapatti instead of naan bread. It was delicious and far less calories than having a curry and rice!

verptwerp

How often do you do this? Give yourself a break. Eat light the rest of the day, then get what you want in small portions. Keep the naan down to one piece instead of denying youself its deliciousness altogether. Eat everything slowly and enjoy. Indian food is amazing.

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this ..... and have a great time ..... (darn, now I'm wanting Indian food :drinker: )

geordiegirl27

Well beautiful meal I had

Chicken chat on purée
1 poppadom
Grilled garlic tandoori king prawn with salad
I had 3 tbsp of pilau rice & 1/4 naan bread

lilylight

Oh and a 4oz serving of rice (which is more than enough for 1 person, I serve 8 oz for 3) is approx 140 calories, so I fail to see why you should avoid it, especially as its much lower calories than anything else that will be available in the restaurant and will make you feel full.

Just keep in mind what. 4 oz -- 1/2 cup -- looks like. The problem with biryanis, at least where I've had them, is the portions. I'd say my local place serves at least 3 cups of rice -- probably more. I take huge portions home for future meals, but still, it's tempting. I would go for tandoori chicken or something else without a rich sauce.

fatgirlslim32

Thank you everyone! Some great ideas - chicken tikka sounds a good option and I'll see if someone wants to share a naan bread. (Not so keen on poppadoms).

You've given me more confidence I can still fit it in with MFP without 'missing out' so thank you all so much, looking forward to it now.

paulaviki

Oh and a 4oz serving of rice (which is more than enough for 1 person, I serve 8 oz for 3) is approx 140 calories, so I fail to see why you should avoid it, especially as its much lower calories than anything else that will be available in the restaurant and will make you feel full.

Just keep in mind what. 4 oz -- 1/2 cup -- looks like. The problem with biryanis, at least where I've had them, is the portions. I'd say my local place serves at least 3 cups of rice -- probably more. I take huge portions home for future meals, but still, it's tempting. I would go for tandoori chicken or something else without a rich sauce.

Is the 4oz you guys are quoting cooked or dry? The rice I have at home is nearly 200 calories for 50g which is about 2oz dry. It's actually a pretty small amount and u reckon the average biriyani I have had would have at least 3-4 times that amount of rice, plus the meat, veg, cooking fats etc. so a biriyani would actually be like 800-1000.

Elle408

OMG - After reading this thread I NEED some Indian food in my life... hmm, lamb bhuna, keema naan and saag aloo... I reckon that if I stop eating now, by next Friday I shall have amassed enough calories to still be within my limit! lol

SuffolkSally

I have an Indian meal every month with a group of friends. It's not the most varied menu, being in rural England, but I've now settled on; chicken tikka (dry, i.e. without marsala) tarker dhal or channa marsala, then I raid what's been ordered for the table in general for a spoonful of plain rice, half a poppadum, and a bit of plain naan bread. Doesn't work out too bad at all.

Otherwise just plan your food a couple of days before and after - it's fairly easy to shave a few hundred calories and add extra exercise spread across a few days to allow a bit of a blow out.

TheDreadPirateRoberts

4oz of rice I'm referring to is dry weight. Way I cook it is measure it into a microwave steamer and add 1 1/4 pints of boiled water and microwave for 10 minutes. You should stir halfway, but I find it doesnt really make much odds. Come out perfect every time. If your rice is budget, then you should rinse it to get rid of the starch first.

As for biryanis, the amount of rice they use is different (I was referring to rice that you get on the side of a curry, not in a biryani) and although they do use fat to fry the meat (if there is meat) the ones I make are not high calorie. Having googled, however, it appears that ready made (yeauch) biryanis can be high in fat and thus calories. But a well made biryani (am I ever hungry now!) is cooked in stock.

Trader Joe's Biryani is 170 calories a cup (no idea what its like though), but you can (it seems) get scary biryanis made God knows how that have 600+ calories a serving. This is probably why I cook my own food and dont go to Indians as they tend to be a disappointment when you know how to cook them yourself.

I'd recommend the Cinnamon Club's recipe books and the best place I've been for an Indian was Quilon in London (Michelin starred, but reasonable prices).

Right I'm off to cook lamb shoulder roghan josh with masala mash.