going to an indian restaurant for dinner..

i'm going out with friends to an indian restaurant for dinner tomorrow night, and i'm just wondering what my best option is, calorie-wise?

none of my friends or i are drinkers, so i'll be sticking it water or diet sodas and i'll probably stick with a salad for lunch, but i'm getting very very close to my goal weight and with my track record, one night of bad decisions at the dinner table might completely set me off, and i definitely don't want that!

so, help!

Perhaps some Tandoori Chicken... if you can ask for them to cook it with olive oil instead of butter and... no yogurt? 

Or maybe a Sheek Kabob made with Chicken or Fish? 

It's a tough call but if you can try and avoid butter and dairy... you will be alright... 

yea tandoori chicken would be best... im not sure they can make requests w/ oil etc. I went to an indian buffet yesterday and all i ate were the chicken dishes. I just tried to eat as little of the curry as possible. I also filled up on fruit and salad at the buffet. They have some healthy daals (lentils and bean curries) that would be good but def. not my idea of "delicious" indian food.

Indian food has tons of delicious, flavorful vegetable and legume dishes -- go for those.  Something spicy, not in a coconut milk broth. Don't eat too much rice or naan (but eat some).

Tandoori chicken isn't tandoori without yogurt and, given that it has to be marinated for a very long time in the yogurt, asking for it without is unlikely to be possible.  Besides, yogurt isn't bad for you or even fattening.  Tandoori chicken's an excellent choice though as it's baked not fried (or should be).

I'll also second the recommendation for trying the very yummy and nutrition-rich lentil, pea or chickpea dishes.  Half fill your plate with salad if you're using the buffet.

The main things to avoid: large portions of deep fried foods, rich sauces, white rice or naan bread.  (A *small* portion of any of those is fine - though possibly not *all* of them.   )  Also, the desserts that are kind of like doughnuts soaked in syrup should be avoided unless you've got 200 cals/bite to spare.  If you must have dessert, a small amount of rice pudding won't kill you - but keep the portion small.  Fruit may also be an option.

is the palak panner a good choice , spinich with cottage cheese,  or just the palak a good choice if your going to get a veg dish?

Original Post by giasbash6260:

Perhaps some Tandoori Chicken... if you can ask for them to cook it with olive oil instead of butter and... no yogurt? 

Ugh that sounds like the worst tandoori chicken ever! I can hardly imagine chefs being happy to totally destroy what the dish is meant to be. I have lived in India... tandoori is not tandoori without yoghurt, and Indian chefs don't use olive oil, they use ghee (clarified butter). I lost weight while over there, so one night eating food made with ghee certainly won't kill you . Remember ghee contains the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

I would go for dishes in a tomato or spinach sauce. Palak paneer (indian cottage cheese in spinach sauce) is great. Dahl is also full of fibre and protein, but you'll only need a little to fill up.

If you have different bread and rice options, I would go for chapattis as they are usually the only wholemeal bread, and about 150cal per piece. Secondly I would go for plain naan.

Why can't you just eat what you like and not gorge yourself? I had Indian on Sunday. I ate 1/3 of my meal and was plenty full. Even if you eat half of whatever it is your like best it's not going to kill your calories. 

You're in luck... I just came across this article with tips on how to eat healthy at an Indian restaurant. Enjoy!

Original Post by giasbash6260:

Perhaps some Tandoori Chicken... if you can ask for them to cook it with olive oil instead of butter

 There's only one way to cook tandoori chicken (properly) and it takes like 3 days, so I doubt they'll change the cooking method for you.  Even still,  it's probably a good option.

Stick to tomato based curries, rather than creamy coconut milky ones.  Ask the waiter for something light, or something with a ton of veggies, they're likely to know a dish you've never thought to try.  Watch your portions and enjoy yourself, one meal shouldn't stress you out too much.

Original Post by cellophane_star:

You're in luck... I just came across this article with tips on how to eat healthy at an Indian restaurant. Enjoy!

Haha, I feel quite proud of myself, the article recommended the same things as I did Except for saag/palak paneer - they say it is made with a cream-based sauce, but it depends where you go. I've had it both ways.

Original Post by giasbash6260:

Perhaps some Tandoori Chicken... if you can ask for them to cook it with olive oil instead of butter and... no yogurt?

At some point what you are ordering is no longer the dish that is being offered....