What to eat at Indian restaurant??

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Elainejk21
Elainejk21 Posts: 121 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going to an Indian restaurant tonight and I want to do my best to stay within a reasonable amount of calories. What are some dishes that aren't overly caloric?

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  • Apocalypse_Meow
    Apocalypse_Meow Posts: 90 Member
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    Stay away from the breads, Matar Paneer isn't too bad if you only eat a little bit. But try to find something vegetarian without the paneer in it
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
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    Tandoori chicken tikka (the sauceless meat - very tasty!)
    Vegetable curry
    Chapati's

    That's what I have now instead of curry, rice and naan bread. Still as tasty and way less calories.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I'm going to an Indian restaurant tonight and I want to do my best to stay within a reasonable amount of calories. What are some dishes that aren't overly caloric?

    Tandoori chicken would prob be the lowest cal, however I'd prob fill up on the naan, butter chicken and curries.
  • unluckyIrish
    unluckyIrish Posts: 121 Member
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    bump
  • ipiddock
    ipiddock Posts: 97 Member
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    This has been my hardest food to avoid since I began my get healthy plan. I love Indian food, I used to eat take-out once to twice a week. I couldn't get enough of the stuff. I've had a couple over the past 3 months and stuck to my normal order:

    x2 Poppadum with chutneys
    Sheek Kebab
    Chicken Tikka Dhansak
    Pilau Rice
    x2 Chapatti

    However, I wouldn't recommend this to often ;-)

    But to answer your question I would say Tandoori Chicken or Chicken Tikka with Plain rice.

    Enjoy!
  • nakabi
    nakabi Posts: 589 Member
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    tandoori, goat/lamb curry/salad

    there is a lot of heavy creme in the chicken curries so watch out for those..they taste awesome though!

    personally, I'd get a little bit of everything and just limit myself to one plate. :)
  • ElviraCross
    ElviraCross Posts: 331 Member
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    Cheat meal it up.
  • DeTaart
    DeTaart Posts: 93 Member
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    Definitely Tandoori meat - it's just grilled spicy meat. Stay away from naan, and even worse, stuffed paratha which are delicious and can be like 800 calories on their own.
    Raita dip is yoghurt/mint/cucumber, low cal and yum. Lime pickle is hardly any calories, so get a poppadum and have some of these on the side of Tandoori chicken.
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
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    Chicken shashlik (sizzling chicken with peppers, onions and tomato) is yummy and I like it with dall sag...lentils with spinach. I love Indian food!
  • scriehl
    scriehl Posts: 94 Member
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    Try to stay away from the deep fried/fried stuff. Indian food is delish!
  • lastchance2010
    lastchance2010 Posts: 500 Member
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    This has been my hardest food to avoid since I began my get healthy plan. I love Indian food,


    this^^^^^^ I have my indo-pak restaurant and I love:love: the chicken korma, chicken biryani, samosas, naan, the list goes on and on.....but i'm not suggesting you eat that...it'll blow ur cals out the water. :laugh:

    Now...I must make a trip there...Mmmmm...enjoy your din din tonight. YUM!
  • Kebabmeatchips
    Kebabmeatchips Posts: 32 Member
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    Chicken shashlik (sizzling chicken with peppers, onions and tomato) is yummy and I like it with dall sag...lentils with spinach. I love Indian food!

    Yep Chicken Shashlik is great (had one last night) very healthy, then add some pilau rice. If they dont have that then Tikka is a close second.

    If you really have to go for bread then Chapatti is your friend over nan!
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
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    stay away from Butter chicken. And sauces in general. A lot of the sauces use something called ghee, which is clarified butter. Some restaurants use the vegetable equivalent which is essentially made from vegetable shortening which is very high in trans fats.

    Tandoori chicken is safe. Anything Kabob-ish is probably fine. Go easy on the yogurt based dipping sauces.

    Everything in moderation. Enjoy.
  • jedibunny
    jedibunny Posts: 321
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    Chana masala (~160 cals/serving)! Or palak dal if they have it (~110 cals/serving). Palak paneer is also amazing, if higher in cals - closer to 300/serving. I always do have at least a piece or two of nan, but those options are pretty low and good for you, so nan doesn't throw the total off too badly..
  • upsidedownpear
    upsidedownpear Posts: 101 Member
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    Honestly, limiting calories in Indian restaurants can be challenging. I would totally avoid the buffets given a choice.

    If you must take roti or naan, go for the plain version. Avoid butter/garlic naan.
    Anything described as "creamy" is a big no-no. e.g. methi malai, butter chicken, chicken makhani etc
    Go for a salad if there is an option
    Tandoori chicken is probably lowest in calories
    papad/pappadums are usually fried

    Indian food can be made healthy but you will never find those recipes in restaurants. Cream/ butter are rarely used in day-to-day Indian cooking. So if you are a fan of Indian food and cooking, I would strongly encourage you to start experimenting in your kitchen and enjoy this cuisine!
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
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    I'd suggest a nice spicy vindaloo or some curry. YUMMO!
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
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    A nice curry....

    Seriously... what is wrong with indian food?

    Anyway, you can always have the tandoori chicken... It is ALWAYS awesome if prepared right, and no rice you can enjoy it, and what worst comes to worst it is 800 calories maybe... I mean really not big deal... A full on curry with naan etc might be close to 2000 calories so yea, the tandoori chicken is way to go if worrying, however I still say go for curry, bring half home for lunch next day :P
  • xshortiex
    xshortiex Posts: 120 Member
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    - Plain chapatis instead of naan or rice.
    - Stay away from anything "makhani," as these are made with lots of cream.
    - Dry dishes are usually okay.
    - Daal is great, as long as it's not makhani.

    As long as you keep small portions, you should be fine. Enjoy :)
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
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    Chicken shashlik (sizzling chicken with peppers, onions and tomato) is yummy and I like it with dall sag...lentils with spinach. I love Indian food!

    Yep Chicken Shashlik is great (had one last night) very healthy, then add some pilau rice. If they dont have that then Tikka is a close second.

    If you really have to go for bread then Chapatti is your friend over nan!

    Or get roti as its not as heavy and is whole meal and no butter

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