Help me survive a Night of India!

Phoenixflame
Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
I am practically a virgin in the world of Indian food. But I like it! Lots! My BFF, who I haven't seen in 4 months, is overjoyed because she loves the stuff, and is swearing that we're going to a favorite place of hers, this vegetarian Indian place, when I get back in town in a few days. I tracked down the menu but I don't know Indian food well enough to see through the restaurantese.

Can y'all help me plan out a healthy, yummy meal? One that's not super hot though--I am but yet an unspoiled flower in the world of spicy Indian food.

Thank you sooooo much!

http://www.madraspavilion.us/MPHouston.html

Replies

  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    I am practically a virgin in the world of Indian food. But I like it! Lots! My BFF, who I haven't seen in 4 months, is overjoyed because she loves the stuff, and is swearing that we're going to a favorite place of hers, this vegetarian Indian place, when I get back in town in a few days. I tracked down the menu but I don't know Indian food well enough to see through the restaurantese.

    Can y'all help me plan out a healthy, yummy meal? One that's not super hot though--I am but yet an unspoiled flower in the world of spicy Indian food.

    Thank you sooooo much!

    http://www.madraspavilion.us/MPHouston.html
  • kkmark
    kkmark Posts: 561 Member
    Hi

    i am from Dallas we do have madraspavillion restaurant here most of the time i look for calories in the below website for indian food

    thedailyplate.com

    Try dosa(almost a thin pancake) whis is not hot and also panner butter masala(ithink lot of calories)



    hope it helps

    kkmark
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    Well I'm trying not to have a total calorie meltdown.

    What about the Sada Rava Dosai? It comes with Sambar and chutney (on the side). What would be a rough estimation for that? Any healthier selections?
  • kriru
    kriru Posts: 10
    Rava Sada Dosa would be an ideal choice ... you can ask the restaurant to cook it with less oil. Try avoid chutney its high calorie ...
  • happy_feet
    happy_feet Posts: 175 Member
    Hi I am Indian...
    coconut chutney as kriru mentions is very high in calories... each tbsp is about 100cals...n its not worth it!
    Dosa is a good option but I wud suggest 'idli'...both are more or less made from similar batter...dosas are fried while idlis are steamed. hence healthier and lesser calories.. :smile:

    In dosas, besides rava dosa(i) I think even ragi dosa would e a good option...Ragi is called 'Red Millet' or 'Finger Millet' in English.

    Hope this helps...let me know if u have more queries.:flowerforyou:
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    Hmm...the restaurant doesn't seem to have idlis. Would it be easy to ask for them instead of dosa? Like, is it the equivalent of ordering steamed rice instead of fried? Here are the Dosai and Curry selections:

    What would be a rough number of calories to walk out with if I stuck to healthier fare?

    Dosa (served with sambar & chutney):
    Sada Dosai (A Plain rice crepes)
    Masala Dosai (Rice crepes filled with potatoes and onion)
    Paper Dosai (Thin cripy rice crepes rolled)
    Paper Masala Dosai (Thin cripy rice crepes filled with potatoes and onion)
    Sada Mysore Dosai (Thin rice crepes with layer of hot chutney)
    Mysore Masala Dosai (Thin rice crepes with layer of hot chutney, filled with potatoes and onion)
    Onion Masala Dosai (Crepes with onion toppings filled with potatoes and onion)
    Butter Masala Dosai (Crepes filled with potatoes and onion cooked in butter)
    Spring Dosai Chinese Style (Thin, Rice crepes, filled with noodles and spring vegetables)
    Italian Dosai (Thin rice crepes, filled with pasta, garden fresh vegtables, and cheese in marinara sauce)
    Sada Rava Dosai (Thin & crispy crepes from cream of wheat & rice, mildy spiced and garnished)
    Special Rava Dosai (As above with onion and corriander)
    Special Rava Masala Dosai (Same as above with onion and chillies filled with potatoes)

    Curry (served with rice & pickles):
    Avial (Vegetables simmered in cococnut sauce, Yogurt and spices)
    Channa Masala Curry (Tender chick peas simmered in exotic spices)
    Daal Fry Maharani (Distinctively flavored lentil with exotic spices)
    Paneer Butter Masala (Home made cottage cheese croquettes in tangy creamy sauce)
    Special Vegetable Curry (Garde fresh vegetables simmered with herb and spices)
    Vegetable Jalfrezi (Saute'ed bell peppers and other garden fresh vegetables lightly spiced)
    Palak Paneer (Home made cottage cheese cubes cooked with spinach and spices)
    Kadi Bhindi Curry (Tender okra roasted in onion and tomato gravy)
    Malai Kofta (Home made cottage cheese and vegetable balls marinated in tangy creamy sauce)
    Vegetable Korma (Fresh Vegetable simmered in coconut cream)
    Vegetable Do-Piza (Fresh vegetables simmered in mildonion gravy and garnished with finly chopped fried onion)
    Kadai Panner (Home made cottages cheese with sauted bell pepper and onion mildly spiced sauce)
    Vegetable Moghlai (Garden fresh vegetables sauted and simmered in creamy tomato sauce)
    Dal Palak (Moong daal cooked with spinach and indian spices)
    Mutter Panner (Home made cottages cheese with green peas cooked in a creamy mild sauce)
    Ghobhi Manchurian (Marinated garden fresh cauliflowers in tomato and soy sauce)
  • happy_feet
    happy_feet Posts: 175 Member
    Ok ... I just checked out the site u mentioned.

    The do have idlis, its in the appetizers tab... dependin on the size, they can be very filling!
    dosas are a favourite of many...but idlis are just healthier.

    U can decide after checkin the calorie count in both by lookin up in www.thedailyplate.com
    I think they even have a picture of the dishes there.

    Avoid Paneer(cottage cheese) its very fatty!
    avoid anything with prefix suffix 'makhani'...Makhan is crem/butter.

    you could try some raitha/raita as a side dish...its basically a salad wid yoghurt...ask for fat free yoghurt.

    If u plan to have dessert, choose gulab jamoon..just 1pc. its tasty and not as bad as the rest in calories!! :bigsmile:

    in the curries, dal palak is healthier of the lot.

    but if u just have idlis with sambar OR dosa with sambar I thinkl it will be pretty filling. leave some place for a single gulab jamoon :blushing:
    If I were in your place I would have idlis wid sambar, pineapple raitha(FF yoghurt) and 1 jamoon...

    I would be full and happy!!

    Good luck lady...:heart:
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
    Ok ... I just checked out the site u mentioned.

    The do have idlis, its in the appetizers tab... dependin on the size, they can be very filling!
    dosas are a favourite of many...but idlis are just healthier.

    U can decide after checkin the calorie count in both by lookin up in www.thedailyplate.com
    I think they even have a picture of the dishes there.

    Avoid Paneer(cottage cheese) its very fatty!
    avoid anything with prefix suffix 'makhani'...Makhan is crem/butter.

    you could try some raitha/raita as a side dish...its basically a salad wid yoghurt...ask for fat free yoghurt.

    If u plan to have dessert, choose gulab jamoon..just 1pc. its tasty and not as bad as the rest in calories!! :bigsmile:

    in the curries, dal palak is healthier of the lot.

    but if u just have idlis with sambar OR dosa with sambar I thinkl it will be pretty filling. leave some place for a single gulab jamoon :blushing:
    If I were in your place I would have idlis wid sambar, pineapple raitha(FF yoghurt) and 1 jamoon...

    I would be full and happy!!

    Good luck lady...:heart:
    HP..you're just a wealth of information....that's why I luv ya so much:flowerforyou: :smooched:
  • psyknife
    psyknife Posts: 487 Member
    Good luck... any Indian dish gives me tummy cramps... but that's because I'm a big wuss when it comes to spices.
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
    anything with paneer adds up. Paneer is basically indian cheese.
  • jawaria
    jawaria Posts: 86
    vegetable jalfrezi, dal palak, bhindi are all good options!
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    Ok ... I just checked out the site u mentioned.

    The do have idlis, its in the appetizers tab... dependin on the size, they can be very filling!
    dosas are a favourite of many...but idlis are just healthier.

    U can decide after checkin the calorie count in both by lookin up in www.thedailyplate.com
    I think they even have a picture of the dishes there.

    Avoid Paneer(cottage cheese) its very fatty!
    avoid anything with prefix suffix 'makhani'...Makhan is crem/butter.

    you could try some raitha/raita as a side dish...its basically a salad wid yoghurt...ask for fat free yoghurt.

    If u plan to have dessert, choose gulab jamoon..just 1pc. its tasty and not as bad as the rest in calories!! :bigsmile:

    in the curries, dal palak is healthier of the lot.

    but if u just have idlis with sambar OR dosa with sambar I thinkl it will be pretty filling. leave some place for a single gulab jamoon :blushing:
    If I were in your place I would have idlis wid sambar, pineapple raitha(FF yoghurt) and 1 jamoon...

    I would be full and happy!!

    Good luck lady...:heart:

    -writes down-

    Thank you SO much! This is immensely helpful! Hopefully I can order the dosai dish and simply sub in the idli, since I'd rather have a cup of the soup than just dipped bits. Do Indian restaurants commonly carry fat free yogurt? Is Sambar really spicy?

    I've had a gulab jamoon before. SO yummy. Like, the most awesome fusion of a donut hole and tres leches.
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
    Sambar is generally not spicy.
  • bonski
    bonski Posts: 49 Member
    Thanks for all the info in this post. I have always wanted to try Indian food.


    Bonnie
  • happy_feet
    happy_feet Posts: 175 Member
    Ok ... I just checked out the site u mentioned.

    The do have idlis, its in the appetizers tab... dependin on the size, they can be very filling!
    dosas are a favourite of many...but idlis are just healthier.

    U can decide after checkin the calorie count in both by lookin up in www.thedailyplate.com
    I think they even have a picture of the dishes there.

    Avoid Paneer(cottage cheese) its very fatty!
    avoid anything with prefix suffix 'makhani'...Makhan is crem/butter.

    you could try some raitha/raita as a side dish...its basically a salad wid yoghurt...ask for fat free yoghurt.

    If u plan to have dessert, choose gulab jamoon..just 1pc. its tasty and not as bad as the rest in calories!! :bigsmile:

    in the curries, dal palak is healthier of the lot.

    but if u just have idlis with sambar OR dosa with sambar I thinkl it will be pretty filling. leave some place for a single gulab jamoon :blushing:
    If I were in your place I would have idlis wid sambar, pineapple raitha(FF yoghurt) and 1 jamoon...

    I would be full and happy!!

    Good luck lady...:heart:
    HP..you're just a wealth of information....that's why I luv ya so much:flowerforyou: :smooched:


    I know wht tastes good n bad...but m learning from u folks whats healthy n whats not!!
    Thanks FC :smooched:
  • happy_feet
    happy_feet Posts: 175 Member
    Ok ... I just checked out the site u mentioned.

    The do have idlis, its in the appetizers tab... dependin on the size, they can be very filling!
    dosas are a favourite of many...but idlis are just healthier.

    U can decide after checkin the calorie count in both by lookin up in www.thedailyplate.com
    I think they even have a picture of the dishes there.

    Avoid Paneer(cottage cheese) its very fatty!
    avoid anything with prefix suffix 'makhani'...Makhan is crem/butter.

    you could try some raitha/raita as a side dish...its basically a salad wid yoghurt...ask for fat free yoghurt.

    If u plan to have dessert, choose gulab jamoon..just 1pc. its tasty and not as bad as the rest in calories!! :bigsmile:

    in the curries, dal palak is healthier of the lot.

    but if u just have idlis with sambar OR dosa with sambar I thinkl it will be pretty filling. leave some place for a single gulab jamoon :blushing:
    If I were in your place I would have idlis wid sambar, pineapple raitha(FF yoghurt) and 1 jamoon...

    I would be full and happy!!

    Good luck lady...:heart:

    -writes down-

    Thank you SO much! This is immensely helpful! Hopefully I can order the dosai dish and simply sub in the idli, since I'd rather have a cup of the soup than just dipped bits. Do Indian restaurants commonly carry fat free yogurt? Is Sambar really spicy?

    I've had a gulab jamoon before. SO yummy. Like, the most awesome fusion of a donut hole and tres leches.

    Let me know once u done with the dinner.... Sambar is not VERY spicy... but it has to be a little spice atleast since we club it with idli and dosa which hardly have any taste( read: spicy taste) when eaten plain...

    take care...:flowerforyou:
  • happy_feet
    happy_feet Posts: 175 Member
    Sambar is generally not spicy.

    honey, are u Indian... I earlier thought so when I read MangoAddict...My mom is that...quite literally!! lol...:laugh:
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    Well I did grow up on Tex-Mex, so some spice is fine. I just remember one time trying some Indian rice dish and promptly downing a glass of ice water!

    I'm excited for my little Indian feast! It'll be the first time I've eaten in a really good Indian joint. The Indian I've had has been described as middling fare by my foodie friends.
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