Quick - advise me what to order tonight! Indian food

skinnysushicat
skinnysushicat Posts: 138 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have 800 calories to eat, and my husband and I are getting an Indian takeaway tonight. I want a small glass of white wine too, even if it means less rice etc. I'm vegetarian.

I have no idea a) what dishes to order, or b) how much of them (by weight) to eat. Obviously all takeaways differ, but can anyone suggest some rough rules - of - thumb to help me avoid going way over? I'm cool with a little bit over my allowance, but don't want to completely miss the mark.

I'm UK based (I don't know if Indian food is the same in the USA or elsewhere).

Replies

  • skinnysushicat
    skinnysushicat Posts: 138 Member
    little bump?
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I would look through the menu and see if you can estimate calories for the items that you want. I'd prob subtract 120-150 calories from your 800 total though, to accommodate for the wine.

    Unless you're making it yourself, it'll be a bit hard to recommend what you should get, since every place is going to make the food differently! I would advise watching out for anything that is cooked in ghee; it can be high in fat/sat fat, and per tablespoon it's high in calories as well. If there's something you really want that has a sauce/dip with it, see if they can package it on the side for you.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    What curries do you normally order? There's no point in advising you to eat something you wouldn't eat if we paid you!
  • skinnysushicat
    skinnysushicat Posts: 138 Member
    Normally we would order vegetable biryani; veg korma; saag aloo; naan. Sometimes another dish too. I share with my husband and there's usually leftovers, I am NOT having naan, I know that's really calorific; and I guess the korma is a bad idea so I will only have a little. I don't like super-spicy, so mild or medium.
  • kelr101
    kelr101 Posts: 8 Member
    I would recommend vegetable based sides and tiki mains (so no sauce just char-grilled) and preferably chicken breast :)

    Personally I'm not keen on rice so that's easy for me to steer clear on so typically have:

    Chicken tiki (grilled sometimes as a shaslick with onions)
    Bombay aloo
    Mushrooms in tomato and onion based sauce

    Hope you enjoy yours!
  • cadaver0usb0nes
    cadaver0usb0nes Posts: 151 Member
    Green vegetable curry is usually pretty low in calories and really yummy. from what I've looked up for indian foods.
  • skinnysushicat
    skinnysushicat Posts: 138 Member
    I would recommend vegetable based sides and tiki mains (so no sauce just char-grilled) and preferably chicken breast :)


    I'm vegetarian!
  • SutapaMukherji
    SutapaMukherji Posts: 244 Member
    Saag Aloo is good.

    To have a relatively low calorie meal, avoid the butters, koftas (deep fried) and malai anything like malai paneer, malai masala etc cuz it is going to be based on heavy cream.

    Go for a plain naan instead of a butter naan. The former is 200 calories.

    Also, order tikkas and tandooris as they are generally grilled.

    I would pick: plain naan, daal fry (if you are a fan), paneer tikka, chana masala, matar paneer etc.

    Hope this helps :flowerforyou:


    ETA: I see you do not plan on ordering naan. Go for phulkas or tandoori rotis instead if you want bread. For rice I think jeera rice or peas pulav should be a good idea :smile:
  • kelr101
    kelr101 Posts: 8 Member
    Sorry missed that :(

    Just Google this for you incase it helps?

    Vegetable Biryani

    Vegetable Biryani is an Indian curry containing carrots, peas, cauliflower, beans and potatoes. It is normally served over rice and has around 238 calories, 8.4 grams of protein and 1.7 grams of fat in a serving.

    Carrot Methi Subzhi

    This appetizer made from sautéing carrots and topping them with Indian spices is low in calories and really tasty. One serving has just 55 calories and 2.7 grams of fat.


    Kaddu Ki Sabzi

    Kaddu Ki Sabzi is savory, delicious pumpkin curry. One serving has around 70 calories and 3.8 grams of fat. The calorie count is before adding the rice, so once you add a cup of rice calories will increase to around 200 a serving, still not a bad choice for an entrée at an Indian restaurant.

    Khatti Meethi Dal

    Khatti Meethi is sweet and sour dal. A serving of this interesting Indian dish has approximately 100 calories. It is also low in fat and high in protein.

    Masala Dal

    Masala Dal is made from red lentils. Like the other dals it is low in calories at less than 100 calories a serving, high in flavor and protein and low in fat. Dal is almost always a good, low calorie choice when eating Indian food.

    Mutter Paneer

    Mutter Paneer is one of the most popular Northern Indian dishes. It is a delicious combination of cottage cheese and peas. One serving has approximately 147 calories, 8.6 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    Ah, have the vegetable biriani then. That's often recommended as a lower fat choice from the Indian and as a bonus it's something you'd usually have anyway.

    My usual choice is beef madras, half and half. Not had an Indian since I started dieting!
  • skinnysushicat
    skinnysushicat Posts: 138 Member
    Brilliant, all that's great - obviously some indian food experts here! DH is ordering right now. Yum.
  • Loralrose
    Loralrose Posts: 203
    Palak Paneer is my favorite... spinach and cheese, comes out to around 150/half cup.

    Try to go for the things that don't have a creamy sauce. That's where most of the calories come from.
  • StarvingInSuburbia
    StarvingInSuburbia Posts: 130
    I love Indian food and am also vegetarian! I'm Indian, so I usually make it, but my favorites are:

    Vegetable biryani
    Rice and saag paneer
    Rasam (very thin SUPER SPICY soup)
    Lemon rice
    Tamarind rice
    Yogurt rice

    Have some fun!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    In reality you're not going to have a clue how many calories are in any of these dishes as you wont know how much oil or Ghee is used to cook them or what each recipe contains. Most Indians recipes for dishes will be totally different to another ones. I would just order what you fancy eat it and enjoy it. then tomorrow go back to counting as normal one night wont ruin any progress.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    vindaloo curry. They make vegetarian versions. yum.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    I'd steer clear of the creams sauce and paneer dishes to lighten up on the calories. And pass on the naan (as difficult as that can be – it is often coated with ghee). Maybe chana masala? That is usually a tomato-based sauce and the chickpeas are high in fiber and protein. Plus it's yummy!

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