In love with Indian food but it's not loving me back
CEThornton
Posts: 45
in Recipes
Hi all!!
:brokenheart: I LOVE most Indian dishes, but they tend to be high calorie, higher fats, and somewhat high carb.... not a good combo, especially for me. I've lightened up a couple of my favorites but looking for some new recipes. any ideas?
I'll share my fave! best part is it goes in the crock pot
My lightened up Chicken Tikka Masala:
8 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 (29 oz.) can of tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Garam masala
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-3 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on your heat preference)
2 bay leaves
1 can non-fat evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
3 tbsp. cornstarch
Chopped parsley or cilantro, for topping
1. Place everything up to the bay leaves in a large bowl. With a spatula, stir to combine everything and make sure the chicken is coated well.
2. Gently place the mixture in the insert of the crockpot and add the two bay leaves.
3. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
4. When done, in a medium bowl, whisk together non fat evaporated milk and corn starch, then pour the mixture into the crockpot and gently stir. Let cook an additional 20 minutes to thicken up.
5. Serve hot over a bed of brown rice.
6. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
about 560 cal's for 6 servings over a little over 1/2 C. brown Rice each... bon apetite :drinker:
:brokenheart: I LOVE most Indian dishes, but they tend to be high calorie, higher fats, and somewhat high carb.... not a good combo, especially for me. I've lightened up a couple of my favorites but looking for some new recipes. any ideas?
I'll share my fave! best part is it goes in the crock pot
My lightened up Chicken Tikka Masala:
8 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 (29 oz.) can of tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Garam masala
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-3 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on your heat preference)
2 bay leaves
1 can non-fat evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
3 tbsp. cornstarch
Chopped parsley or cilantro, for topping
1. Place everything up to the bay leaves in a large bowl. With a spatula, stir to combine everything and make sure the chicken is coated well.
2. Gently place the mixture in the insert of the crockpot and add the two bay leaves.
3. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
4. When done, in a medium bowl, whisk together non fat evaporated milk and corn starch, then pour the mixture into the crockpot and gently stir. Let cook an additional 20 minutes to thicken up.
5. Serve hot over a bed of brown rice.
6. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
about 560 cal's for 6 servings over a little over 1/2 C. brown Rice each... bon apetite :drinker:
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Replies
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The recipe looks good - but Indian dishes aren't high cal/fat when you cook at home. In restaurants, yes, like every other restaurant dish. But many dishes are light and healthy when you make them at home!0
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^ Agree! Make them at home! It's fun too. I just cooked with bitter melon for the first time the other day. I usually follow Bal Arneson's recipes because they usually come with videos (I'm a visual learner) and I've always found them to be very healthy. There are so many blogs and recipes out there, it's easy to find great healthy dishes and lighter alternatives for some of the heavier ones. But this is Bal Arneson's site if you want to browse her recipes a bit. Lots of ideas!
http://www.spicegoddess.com/0 -
^ Agree! Make them at home! It's fun too. I just cooked with bitter melon for the first time the other day. I usually follow Bal Arneson's recipes because they usually come with videos (I'm a visual learner) and I've always found them to be very healthy. There are so many blogs and recipes out there, it's easy to find great healthy dishes and lighter alternatives for some of the heavier ones. But this is Bal Arneson's site if you want to browse her recipes a bit. Lots of ideas!
http://www.spicegoddess.com/
Thanks so much! i can't wait to try them out!0 -
Also agreed. Most restaurants stack loads of oil in the currys, which is probably why there so bad.
When I cook all my indian food at home, i use frylight. Cuts out at least 300 cals, making a standard veggie curry around 120-300 cals depending on the veg instead of your restaurant curry which can usually be about 600+0 -
The tomato based ones aren't that high calorie, it's the creamy/coconut ones you need to watch out for0
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That sounds amazing!!! I know whats for dinner tomorrow night :drinker:0
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I think one of the reasons Indian food can be so high calorie is we generally eat only one dish as a main dish, instead of how the Indians usually eat, which is several much smaller portions of different dishes. Of course, it's a lot of work to prep so many dishes, but when it comes to spices... leftovers taste even better.
Eat more like this! (chapati/naan optional, as far as I know the flatbreads are mostly used as a utensil for eating)
As my great-grandmother would say, these are portions you could shove in your eye.
A recipe to share: bhindi bhaji... basically, okra. I had never had okra prior to trying this dish, now I order it every time... it's divine! http://www.revivedkitchen.com/2012/08/fried-okra-vs-bhindi-bhaji/0 -
CORN STARCH HAS -
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 100 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 381
% Daily Value
Total Fat 0.1g 0 %
Saturated Fat 0g 0 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 9mg 0 %
Total Carbohydrate 91g 30 %
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4 %
Sugar 0g
Protein 0.3g 1 %
Vitamin A 0 % • Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 0 % • Iron 3 %
Daily values are based on 2000 calorie die
You can save yourself a whole lot of calories plus carbs by eliminating it from the recipe and doubling on the onion which will thicken your recipe and not alter the taste at all .
I love Indian food and eat it quite often , been missing out the past 2 weeks since my husband is on vacation in India right now and I hate cooking for myself so I take the easy way out and just broil lots of plain meats & veggies for myself.0 -
Making indian food at home is really healthy as it cuts most of the oils and deep-fried foods you find in restaurants.0
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I made butter chicken just last night, including real butter and real heavy cream, and it came out at about 265 cals/serving. Of course that didn't include the rice or roti, but my final meal calorie count with those three items plus steamed sugar snap peas came out to 660-ish. Considering I generally come home from work with 900-1000 calories left in my day, that makes for a yummy dinner plus room for dessert later!
Cook Indian at home and save the restaurant fare for special occasions...you can enjoy more often!
PS since you were asking for recipe ideas, I'll share that we bought the butter chicken spice mix at a local Indian grocery and I followed the directions on the back of the box exactly.
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I love Indian food so much! I will try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!0
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CORN STARCH HAS -
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 100 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 381
% Daily Value
Total Fat 0.1g 0 %
Saturated Fat 0g 0 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 9mg 0 %
Total Carbohydrate 91g 30 %
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4 %
Sugar 0g
Protein 0.3g 1 %
Vitamin A 0 % • Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 0 % • Iron 3 %
Daily values are based on 2000 calorie die
You can save yourself a whole lot of calories plus carbs by eliminating it from the recipe and doubling on the onion which will thicken your recipe and not alter the taste at all .
I love Indian food and eat it quite often , been missing out the past 2 weeks since my husband is on vacation in India right now and I hate cooking for myself so I take the easy way out and just broil lots of plain meats & veggies for myself.
Yea but is he really going to use more than 10-20g? Taking it out saves 38-76 calories...not a whole lot of calories0 -
I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think it counts as Tikka Masala if you don't use an herb called fenugreek.
The most basic recipe for Tikka Masala that I've ever seen called for equal parts tomato paste / cream and at least some fenugreek. It's the defining flavor in that dish, in addition to tomato / cream / ghee.
Adding fenugreek won't up the calories.0 -
I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think it counts as Tikka Masala if you don't use an herb called fenugreek.
The most basic recipe for Tikka Masala that I've ever seen called for equal parts tomato paste / cream and at least some fenugreek. It's the defining flavor in that dish, in addition to tomato / cream / ghee.
Adding fenugreek won't up the calories.
Hmmm, I'm Indian and have never put/heard of putting methi (fenugreek) in ctm... Yeah we don't use cornstarch either, but also don't make it in a crockpot so I don't know if the cornstarch is because of that.0 -
I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think it counts as Tikka Masala if you don't use an herb called fenugreek.
The most basic recipe for Tikka Masala that I've ever seen called for equal parts tomato paste / cream and at least some fenugreek. It's the defining flavor in that dish, in addition to tomato / cream / ghee.
Adding fenugreek won't up the calories.
Hmmm, I'm Indian and have never put/heard of putting methi (fenugreek) in ctm... Yeah we don't use cornstarch either, but also don't make it in a crockpot so I don't know if the cornstarch is because of that.
ok i have never ever heard of fenugreek.... but i also can't claim "authenticity" in my cooking... Blatantly honest about lack of authentic techniques
0 -
I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think it counts as Tikka Masala if you don't use an herb called fenugreek.
The most basic recipe for Tikka Masala that I've ever seen called for equal parts tomato paste / cream and at least some fenugreek. It's the defining flavor in that dish, in addition to tomato / cream / ghee.
Adding fenugreek won't up the calories.
Hmmm, I'm Indian and have never put/heard of putting methi (fenugreek) in ctm... Yeah we don't use cornstarch either, but also don't make it in a crockpot so I don't know if the cornstarch is because of that.
ok i have never ever heard of fenugreek.... but i also can't claim "authenticity" in my cooking... Blatantly honest about lack of authentic techniques
Lol I hadn't either - had to look up the Hindi word for it !0 -
I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think it counts as Tikka Masala if you don't use an herb called fenugreek.
The most basic recipe for Tikka Masala that I've ever seen called for equal parts tomato paste / cream and at least some fenugreek. It's the defining flavor in that dish, in addition to tomato / cream / ghee.
Adding fenugreek won't up the calories.
Hmmm, I'm Indian and have never put/heard of putting methi (fenugreek) in ctm... Yeah we don't use cornstarch either, but also don't make it in a crockpot so I don't know if the cornstarch is because of that.
ok i have never ever heard of fenugreek.... but i also can't claim "authenticity" in my cooking... Blatantly honest about lack of authentic techniques
Lol I hadn't either - had to look up the Hindi word for it !
LMAO!!:laugh:0 -
I was always taught...
No fenugreek = murgh makhni
With fenugreek = tikka masala
Just sayin'...
Maybe we can look up some authentic recipes.0 -
My only awareness of fenugreek was as a lactation aid. Didn't know it was used as a spice also.I was always taught...
No fenugreek = murgh makhni
With fenugreek = tikka masala
Just sayin'...
Maybe we can look up some authentic recipes. 0 -
I was always taught...
No fenugreek = murgh makhni
With fenugreek = tikka masala
Just sayin'...
Maybe we can look up some authentic recipes.
Well, my recipes are from my parents and grandparents who grew up in India so I don't have anything to look up lol. Don't know how you can get more authentic than that!0 -
I was always taught...
No fenugreek = murgh makhni
With fenugreek = tikka masala
Just sayin'...
Maybe we can look up some authentic recipes.
Well, my recipes are from my parents and grandparents who grew up in India so I don't have anything to look up lol. Don't know how you can get more authentic than that!
Would it work out better if I just said I'm wrong?
I'm wrong. The studying and cooking I have done is irrelevant.
As far as healthy options go, I've made some great Baighan Bartha (sp?) using nonfat, plain yogurt (instead of cream). I'm sure many purists consider it blasphemy, but you can always sub olive oil or something else low-cal for the ghee. Lowfat / reduced fat cream or half and half instead of heavy cream. Chicken is always nice and healthy (skinless, boneless white meat), but even healthier are actual lentils, chickpeas, potatoes, etc.0 -
I was always taught...
No fenugreek = murgh makhni
With fenugreek = tikka masala
Just sayin'...
Maybe we can look up some authentic recipes.
Well, my recipes are from my parents and grandparents who grew up in India so I don't have anything to look up lol. Don't know how you can get more authentic than that!
Would it work out better if I just said I'm wrong?
I'm wrong. The studying and cooking I have done is irrelevant.
Wow lighten up! I was responding to your comment, isn't that how a discussion works? If it makes you feel better I can be wrong too - I'm Indian but know nothing about Indian food. Happy?0
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