Low fat and diet currys

Low fat curry ideas

Use very little oil for frying onions to start a curry off. Add splashes of water to stop food from burning. Nver add extra oil once you've started as it'll be cold and absorbed by the food.

Use yoghurt rather than cream. Use lean meat for making curry, well trimmed with as little fat on as possible.

Have plain boiled rice rather than pilau or naan bread.

Have a portion of vegetable or dhall curry. Avoid any oil floating on the surface. At home you might find it wasy to remove oil on surface of the cooking curry.

If you do go out for a curry avoid alcohol, try and have some salad.

Don't have popadoms or chutneys as they're full of calories!

Try soupy dhals made with different types of lentils and onions and spices.

Low fat chicken tikka

Use low fat yoghurt, ginger, garlic, tumeric, a little chilli powder, garam masala to make a marinade. Cut chicken into chunks and mix into the marinade> Chill for a couple of hours at least.

Skewer the chicken chunks and grill. Serve with a big salad, lemon quarters and a thin mango chutney or chili sauce.

Optional:
Cook in the yoghurt marinade until chicken well cooked and serve with boiled rice.

Peas and Rice

Boil plain white rice (or brown if you're feeling healthy) with plenty of water. Add frozen peas and sweetcorn 5 minutes before the end. This is a great way of getting extra veg into your diet.
Add tumeric if you'd like yellow rice.

Options:
Add small squares of peppers (red and yellow) if you like peppers.

Yoghurt Raita

Set aside small amount of plain low fat yoghurt (if you're using the tikka recipe above) and finely chop cucumber and either mint or corander leaves (Or both if you prefer). Add a little chilli powder to the mix and serve with the meal. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it - but don't do what I've done several times and forget about it being there!

Options:
Use onions (Red are nice), peppers, tomatoes, or other veg you like to ring the changes. You can even use boiled potatoes if you like.
You can also soak the onions in a little vingear but drain well before adding to the yoghurt.

Low fat chicken curry

Fry off an onion or two (finely chopped) with a tiny bit of oil. Remove and then fry chicken in the same pan.
Remove and readd onions, crushed ginger and garlic paste, fry a bit more. Add chillies here if you like)
Add tumeric, garam masala and tandori masala. Fry for a further minute or so stirring a lot.
Add a couple of tins of canned tomatoes.
Readd chicken which has been drained on kitchen roll.

Bring up to boil and then simmer for at least 20 minutes or chicken is cooked through.

Low fat mango lassi

Take low fat yoghurt, mix with mashed ripe mango and dilute if too thick.

Options:
Have plain yoghurt mixed with water and a tiny bit of salt for a more savoury lassi.

Things to avoid when having a curry

Watch out for the calories in jars of chutneys and pickles. They're often very sugary - which makes them taste yummy but makes them high in calories.
Solution - only have a teaspoon full. Put the jar away.

Don't have deep fried popadoms - check the calories - buy uncooked ones and grill them if you must have them - limit them

Mango Chicken

Not quite a curry but spread a small amount of mango chutney on a skinless chicken breast and roast until done. It'll taste lovey!