What to order in Indian restaurant

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Lisa_M_8
Lisa_M_8 Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
hi I am going out to an Indian restaurant for a friends birthday and wondering if anyone has any advice on the best meals to order that won't be sky high in calories? Trying to go in prepared so I don't just order anything! Any help would be appreciated!

Lisa

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  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    I've never eaten at an Indian restaurant, but if they have a website, you can look up their nutritional info there... or if they don't have one... look up whatever food you usually eat at the restaurant in the MFP database to have an estimate of what the calorie count is. That's what I usually do when I go out to eat... but at the same time, if I go over, I don't freak out. I enjoy the occasion, and don't worry much about the calorie count for the meal. I'll continue my weight loss the next day. One meal didn't make me fat, and it won't kill ALL of my progress I've made so far either. Have fun with your friend. It's her birthday!! :drinker:
  • Slimthingping
    Slimthingping Posts: 8 Member
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    Thali are good or anything tandoori as it will be grilled chicken without mounds of yogurt, try the flat breads rather than naan too, enjoy
  • tinascar2015
    tinascar2015 Posts: 413 Member
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    Yep, tandoori and raita (yogurt w/spices and cucumber), maybe a bit of pilau rice or some naan. A prawn curry would be nice, too, though I don't know how you could calculate the calories. Some Indian restaurants have very good fish and shrimp dishes.
  • angellll12
    angellll12 Posts: 296 Member
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    Dahl soup....so good
  • Lisa_M_8
    Lisa_M_8 Posts: 20 Member
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    Thanks guys tandoori sounds a good option!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    Oh yum! Now I want Indian food. Chicken tikka masala although ... No idea on the calories in that one. If it were me I would just only eat like one piece of the naan and then try to eat mostly the chicken and veg, not the rice.
  • oneoddsock
    oneoddsock Posts: 321 Member
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    Plain rice has fewer calories than pilau rice. Try to go for a sauce that is not too creamy - something like a rogan, which is tomato-based. Also, beware the breads (whether naan, chapati or roti) - they are generally all very high in calories.
  • tinascar2015
    tinascar2015 Posts: 413 Member
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    hesn92 wrote: »
    Oh yum! Now I want Indian food. Chicken tikka masala although ... No idea on the calories in that one. If it were me I would just only eat like one piece of the naan and then try to eat mostly the chicken and veg, not the rice.

    I make my own curry pastes from Jamie Oliver's recipes, and they are unbelievable. The only things in the pastes that are calorie dense are the peanut oil and tomato paste, and one batch of the paste makes several curries. I'm making the Chicken Tikka Masala tonight -- have it logged into my recipe builder already. Without the rice, it's 300 cal. per serving, so I might just add some rice to mine too.

    By the way, these pastes freeze beautifully. I make several batches: tikka masala, rogan josh, jalfrezi, and vindaloo (korma is too bland for us). Then I store then in very small half-cup containers in the freezer. I probably use 1/4 cup of a paste to make a curry for two.

    Before you start, make a trip to an Indian grocer or spice market and hunt down all the spices you'll need. Some are pretty obscure, but they're readily available online. I get mine from a site called Indian Blend. Once you've made the pastes, then making a curry is very quick and easy.

    Jamie Oliver's Curry Pastes
    jamieoliver.com/recipes/recipe/easy-homemade-curry-pastes/#qp9Prmrif04TUyBE.97
  • Paul_Collyer
    Paul_Collyer Posts: 160 Member
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    Beer and curry with bread and rice. Just add 2000 Quick calories to MFP...

    Well that's what I did last night ;-)
  • jessiruthica
    jessiruthica Posts: 412 Member
    edited March 2015
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    tinascar2015 wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    Before you start, make a trip to an Indian grocer or spice market and hunt down all the spices you'll need. Some are pretty obscure, but they're readily available online. I get mine from a site called Indian Blend. Once you've made the pastes, then making a curry is very quick and easy.

    Jamie Oliver's Curry Pastes
    jamieoliver.com/recipes/recipe/easy-homemade-curry-pastes/#qp9Prmrif04TUyBE.97

    Thanks for the link to the recipes. I was just craving some Indian food last night but when you buy the jars from the grocery store, they look SOOOOO oily! Are these pastes lower calories than the jar versions?
  • Lisa_M_8
    Lisa_M_8 Posts: 20 Member
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    Paul_Collyer wrote: »
    Beer and curry with bread and rice. Just add 2000 Quick calories to MFP...

    Well that's what I did last night ;-)

    Ha sounds good! I'm trying to get a post baby body beach ready so maybe have to save that till after the hols!

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