Indian for dinner

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crdav13
crdav13 Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am going for Indian food for dinner tonight. My normal go to meal is chicken tikka masala but I'm wondering if there are any other healthier lower cal options that people know of. I unfortunately am a big baby and don't do spicy so food so I feel like my choices are somewhat limited.

Any recommendations would be appreciated, thanks! :)

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  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I don't know what to recommend that would be lower calorie - probably something without a cream-based sauce, unfortunately - but any Indian restaurant I've been to will adjust the spice on any dish, according to your taste.
  • vickyj29
    vickyj29 Posts: 38
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    Maybe a rice dish with some yogurt and salad or if they do a mixed grill, I agree about asking them to make it mild they normally do,have a great time!
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Hmmm... There's a lot of really good chicken dishes. I'm a huge fan of curry, so I usually get that. You can build up your tolerance for spicy food, slowly adding more and more spices at home. I can eat just about anything they put in front of me at an Indian restaurant! Lentils are awesome for protein without a lot of calories too.
  • TONYAGOOCH
    TONYAGOOCH Posts: 470 Member
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    The last time I had Indian, I ordered the Palak Chicken. It was really good. Around 278 calories per serving. You can type in "Indian" into the food database and it can give you an idea. If the restaurant has a website, you could look up the NI. Try to stay away from any cream based dishes. Our restaurant has a type of "fajita", so to speak, section. That's pretty safe. You can get lamb or goat instead of beef too. Just do a little research on indan foods to find the least caloric items. If not, just enjoy yourself and practice portion control. Tomorrow's a new day. Oh and thanks. Now I want Indian food. lol
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Tandoori meats = grilled, though likely still slathered with ghee (butter) in the cooking process. It is pretty hard to eat low cal at an Indian place but Tandoori meats are your best bet. I love Indian food, enjoy!
  • crdav13
    crdav13 Posts: 53 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I've been pursing the menu on and off all day and it seems like everything has the word "rich" in the description which to me = cream! I'll take another look...or just eat half and hit the gym before dinner! :)
  • Kayleighpaul1985
    Kayleighpaul1985 Posts: 98 Member
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    I had an indian last week and had a chicken biriyani x
  • missym357
    missym357 Posts: 210 Member
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    There is chicken tikka (and I don't mean tikka masala...just plain old tikka). I think of it as fajitas, indian style! It is chicken grilled with spices, but it is not a cream dish. Vindaloo sauce is tomato based and not so heavy on the cream or oil depending on the place.
  • gazerofthestars
    gazerofthestars Posts: 255 Member
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    Hm! Indian dishes can be quite varying in taste and cals. Not all of them are spicy but most involve frying :laugh: Try these:

    Keema Matar - Minced meat with peas.
    Dal Rice - Lentils + Rice combo. Always good on your taste buds, though a bit high on carbs
    Chicken Pulao - Chicken + Rice. Most recipes don't add a lot of spices in this yet I still love it.
    Aaloo/Meat/Keema Parathas - Basically, fried flatbreads with either potatoes or meat stuffed in between layers. This is one of my favorite dishes that I had to cut back on due to the amount of fat/carbs! Serve with chutney or hot tea.
    Poori Halwa or Poori Bhaji - Also a favorite I cut back on due to amount of fat.
    Seekh or Shami Kebabs
    Kofta (a type of meatball) Curry. Often served with plain rice.
  • RunChinni
    RunChinni Posts: 149 Member
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    Steer away from chicken tikka masala and butter chicken. By far, the most calorific meat curries you will come across. Unless you just opt for the chicken tikka kebab.

    Chicken biryani is a big no-no. Not only is it loaded with carbs, it's also loaded with butter.

    Tandoori chicken is the way to go with rotis. Avoid naans, they are again loaded with carbs and typically made from all purpose flour, ergo, refined flour.

    And you can always suggest they go slow with the butter. I get my tandoori chicken with VERY LOW butter.

    Vegetarian recipes such as dals (excluding dal makhani) are pretty good too.

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