Indian Food as Part of a Weight Loss Regime

Latest Articles

Camping Food That Works for You
Even though winter - with all its snow, wind, and cold - is definitely upon us, it�s never too early to start thinking about camping this spring or summer. And for those outdoor enthusiasts who won�t wait for the snow to melt before setting out this...

Microsoft Dynamics GP Implementation � nationwide food ingredients distribution example
This article describes food ingredient distributor ERP implementation, customization & reporting. ERP system is built on the base of Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains 8.0, new name of the product is Microsoft Dynamics GP. If you are...

Scaring Kids Away From Fast Food
According to a study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), roughly a third of children polled didn't know the main ingredient in French fries. And, about 10 percent of them thought fries were mostly made of oil; others suggested eggs,...

Most people think that you can't possibly eat Indian food, if you're on a slimming diet. That's a fair statement if you always eat Indian food in restaurants, because many traditional Indian recipes involve either deep frying or the use of ghee (clarified butter). However, if you cook Indian food at home, it can easily form part of a weight loss regime, just the same as any other food. You just need to follow a few simple general rules.

- Avoid altogether recipes which involve deep frying. - If you need to seal meat before braising it for a curry, use a good non-stick pan and a spray bottle with sunflower or vegetable oil in it. Lightly spray the surface of your pan with oil and that should be enough to prevent the meat from sticking while you brown it. - If a recipe includes cream or coconut cream, substitute plain yoghurt and another flavouring to replace the coconut.

Tandoori recipes are great as part of a low calorie or low carbohydrate diet. Just marinade some fish (cubed or whole), chicken (cubed or in pieces) or prawns (shrimp) in a mixture of low fat plain yogurt, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, crushed garlic, grated root ginger and a little chilli powder (or to taste) for at least an hour. If you're using cubed meat, thread onto skewers. Grill or barbeque with a

medium heat until done. Serve with mixed salad and wedges of lemon to squeeze over. If your diet isn't too severe, you can also have a pitta bread, a baked potato or some boiled rice with this.

Curry dishes are fine too (preferably fish or chicken). If you use a recipe which has just a spice and water base or a tomato base, it certainly won't do your calorie intake any harm but be sure to keep the oil you use for frying onions, spices or whatever, to an absolute minimum.

For vegetarians or those trying to cut down on meat because of its relatively high calorie content, Indian cooking is ideal. There are so many recipes for vegetables and pulses which are really tasty that you won't even know you're on a diet!

Don't forget paneer (Indian cottage cheese), which can be cooked as per the tandoori idea above, or in a spicy sauce. If you can't get paneer, try substituting tofu.

Here's to a slim new year!

For all your Indian cooking needs why not visit my Asian Food Online Store.

About the author:

Liz Canham is the webmistress of Asian Food and Cookery and Travellers' Tales.
Written By: Liz Canham