Indian Food?

Hi all!

I was curious how Indian food ranks with other types of food in terms of being calorie packed?  I LOVE Indian food (I'm a vegetarian, so it's one of the few types of restaurants that I can go to and have options other than salad or pasta), and I usually have it once a week.  I know that naan is probably packed with carbs just like any other bread product, but in general, will eating Indian food keep me from losing these last stubborn 10 pounds?

I know that Mexican and Chinese foods are generally bad choices, and Italian is carb-crazy, but I was hoping that since it is basically veggies and sauce I wasn't doing too much damage with my beloved spicy Indian dishes.  :)

Anyone have any thoughts?

It is possible to make good choices in any type of cuisine, so I see no need to avoid Indian restaurants if you love them.  Restaurants, in general, in the US have challenges for healthy weight loss in that they want you to feel you are getting a "good value" for your money, so they give you big portions, and offer a lot of "extras" that are cheap for them to produce.  They also want the food to be delicious, so they often use a lot of fat to make them yummy.

The trick as a consumer is to choose wisely, split portions into reasonable sizes, eat slowly, and enjoy the entire experience of being waited on rather than overeating.

Personally, I save all restaurants for "special occasions" because I enjoy them more if I am not obsessing about calories or losing weight.

By a good Indian cookbook and learn how to make your favorites at home.  Then you will know that they fit into your program, and you can save the restaurants for celebratory occasions.

It really depends on who's cooking the food.  I've had Indian food that was swimming in ghee (clarified butter) and I've had Indian food that was greasless.  At restaurants I usually get a dahl and a vegetable curry of some kind with a side dish made with yogurt.  I generally eat only a little rice, maybe a quarter cup.

I cook Indian food at home too.  I have several of Madhur Jaffrey's beautifullly illustrated Indian cookbooks.  I like her approach because she had to learn to cook as an adult, far from home, so she understands how to give directions. 

Also, if there is an Indian grocery store near you, make friends with the owner or manager.  They are usually very kind and will guide you in buying spices and other ingredients.  Take your cookbook with you and ask questions. 

The issue is that I live in a really small town in Missouri.  There is not an Indian grocery, and our stores don't have all of the spices and ingredients I would even need to make a proper Indian meal.  I guess the next time I go, I could always ask them how the food is prepared (I am there so much that the waiters and owners know me-- it is a really small family run restaurant).  

Original Post by jessrene:

The issue is that I live in a really small town in Missouri.  There is not an Indian grocery, and our stores don't have all of the spices and ingredients I would even need to make a proper Indian meal.  I guess the next time I go, I could always ask them how the food is prepared (I am there so much that the waiters and owners know me-- it is a really small family run restaurant).  

 

 If you're looking to get the spices/ingredients... the internet is a great thing.  At least for the non-perishable type stuff.  :)

That's a great point! I hadn't even thought of that!  :)

Original Post by jessrene:
 I guess the next time I go, I could always ask them how the food is prepared (I am there so much that the waiters and owners know me-- it is a really small family run restaurant).  

 

If you have become "family" in a small restaurant, share with them your dietary goals.  I bet they would love to make you food that fits into your program.

Personally, I think home-cooked type Indian cuisine is incredibly satisfying, both physically and spiritually, so I would take the opportunity to learn as much as you can from the restaurant owners and staff.

I had the great good fortune to work with a crew of Mexican ladies many, many years ago.  We had a cooperative lunch everyday, and it was an education to see how they could take a few simple ingredients and turn our a healthy, satisfying meal in 5 minutes flat with a hot plate, a fridge, a paring knife, and a microwave.  Traditional cuisines (before they get corrupted by Western ideas) provide the best food for all aspects of health and living.

Most restaurant style Indian food is absolutely packed with fat and sugar, that's why it tastes so good. Chipati are a better choice than naan, but I'm struggling to think of vegetarian curries that are low fat and common....

Original Post by jessrene:

The issue is that I live in a really small town in Missouri.  There is not an Indian grocery, and our stores don't have all of the spices and ingredients I would even need to make a proper Indian meal.  I guess the next time I go, I could always ask them how the food is prepared (I am there so much that the waiters and owners know me-- it is a really small family run restaurant).  

 

 http://www.pataksusa.com/

This is pretty good for jarred sauce. So far I've tried and loved the Tikka Masala sauce and Tandoori paste... the Coconut Korma was gross and not worth the calories. I think there's a slight difference in ingredients and nutritional info though between what it shows online and what is actually on the jar. For example the Tikka Masala is only 80 cals/half cup but online it shows 120. There aren't any funky ingredients either.

I'm not sure if there's any near you but both Walmart and Costco carry Patak's so you might have some luck browsing the stores online. It got great reviews on Amazon but it's ridiculously overpriced compared to in-store.

Good luck :)

I LOVE Indian food, but low Cal it is not. lol Between Ghee and heavy cream in curries it can pack a wallap. Speaking of Indian food. I am going to this Dosa place with my friend tonight. MMM Onion Rava masala dosa.

UD

Here is one of my all time favorite Indian dishes, it requires no special ingredients (unless you consider salmon colored lentils special).  I just put it in the recipe section as "Lemon Dal" if you want to use it.  Its pretty fattening if you eat a good size bowl of it.

Ismail Merchant’s Passionate Meals

Nimboo Masoor Dal

p. 102

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil divided

2 medium onions sliced thin

4 2-inch pieces of cinnamon stick

2 lbs masoor dal washed.  4 cups – salmon pink lentils – split

1 tbls chopped ginger

5 cups veggie stock (modified from chicken)

salt

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 lemon

1 garlic clove chopped

1 fresh hot green chili copped with seeds

4 bay leaves

2 tbls chopped fresh coriander leaves

My other all time favorite is barely edible, given the amount of butter that goes into it, Palaak Paneer.  I have made it without the butter, and you might as well just eat steamed spinach, still yummy, but not the same at all.

About your location... I feel your pain.  I'm in rural WV.  Whenever I go on vacation, I make it a point to stop at several international markets and stock up on things for six months or a year at a time.  It's a little extreme, but it works.  Also, I've found that certain grocery stores are willing to try ordering a product you recommend to see if there is broader interest.  I've requested several Thai food products here, as well as some food allergy friendly items; nearly all of the things I've requested I can find locally now.  It's definitely worth trying.

I try to look for Indian restaurants that serve real Indian food as compared to western-style Indian cooking...

Many dhals, palak paneer (spinach with soft cheese), tomato and fish dishes can be low calorie, depending on how they are made. South Indian food like rasam, sambar, idli (steamed rice dumplings), Goan fish, goat and vegetarian curries and vegetable sides are generally lighter and less greasy than a lot of Northern food.

I literally have been LIVING on Indian food for at least the past 2 months--cooked by me (paneer, palak paneer, mattar paneer, chana masala, lentil soup...). It's super-healthy and I never bother with the ghee (just use 1 T of olive oil), nor do I fry the paneer (cheese). I make the paneer myself out of part-skim milk. I'm currently on maintenance so I can't speak to the weight loss aspect (although it's always a case of moderation), but I've had no problem keeping my weight where it's supposed to be or getting all my nutrients, and I'm not exactly eating tiny servings.

I also live in a small town. I had intended to go all the way to Toronto (big city with a large Indian population) to get spices, but found a small Indian spice store in a nearby small city. Look in the Yellow Pages for "Asian" rather than "Indian"--they're often listed that way. If you've got an Indian restaurant, there should be an Indian grocer or spice store somewhere nearby, too. I also found a surprising amount of Indian spices in the supermarket. Or, as someone else said, there's Internet ordering, although the price is usually high--Indian spices are dirt cheap. And don't bother buying a cookbook, there are tons of excellent recipes online for free. Just search on your favorites.

Original Post by belugabear:

Here is one of my all time favorite Indian dishes, it requires no special ingredients (unless you consider salmon colored lentils special).  I just put it in the recipe section as "Lemon Dal" if you want to use it.  Its pretty fattening if you eat a good size bowl of it.

Ismail Merchant’s Passionate Meals

Nimboo Masoor Dal

p. 102

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil divided...

My other all time favorite is barely edible, given the amount of butter that goes into it, Palaak Paneer.  I have made it without the butter, and you might as well just eat steamed spinach, still yummy, but not the same at all.

 Whoa, 1 1/4 cups of oil??? This must be a deep-fry recipe?

As for the palak paneer, are you thinking of Butter Paneer? That calls for a few tablespoons of butter, but the recipe I make for palak paneer just calls for 1 T of ghee (I use olive oil) and it tastes delicious.