Healthy Indian Food Guide

Most of my foreigner friends have the notion that Indian food is calorie dense. And so even though they like eating out at Indian restaurants,they tend to avoid eating out often as they are not aware of choosing the right diet.The kind of food that can be ordered in an Indian restaurant are wide and varied.There are more options of vegetables and less meat and frozen or packaged food and less additives.

Indian diet offers a conglomerate of grilled choices tagged as Tandoori. Look out for tandoori chicken or fish or paneer(cottage cheese),chicken or paneer tikkas,tandoori rotis(bread) called Naan.

Steamed rice goes well with most Indian curries.Ask your server to get the curry prepared in oil instead of ghee(clarified butter) and yogurt instead of cream.

Lentil soup called 'Dal' which is fat free is the best accompaniment with steamed rice or tandoori roti.

Avoid curries with the word 'korma' or 'mughlai' as they tend to be a blend of cream and rich dry fruits.

Most Indian dips and sauces named as 'chutney' are calorie free and serves as an excellent accompaniment with the grilled Indian breads and grilled starters.

Most starters like samosas which are generally fried tastes even better when baked.

Opt out of South Indian menu as they generally are more spicy and uses coconut for most items which has bounteous calories.

When ordering drinks,'lassi' prepared with fat free yogurt can be a favourite with a spicy meal.

Order your desserts sugar free or go for calorie free sweeteners.

To enjoy your Indian dishes flavourful but with less spice,ask the chef to use greater amounts of cumin,ginger and garlic which helps digestion and lesser amounts of other spices.

Indian culinary styles are as varied as their states and culture. There are so many luscious recipes which you won't even know if you are on a diet.So,step out keeping the above tips in mind and unfold the secrets of ambrosial and aromatic Indian cuisine.