Topic: How do I make "fat free" curries?

[Argonaut]

I have been eating currys for 40 years, I think I was brought up on Bhuna & Rohgan Josh

Really adore rich flavorsome dishes, I don't need it to take the roof off my mouth .. but it must be anything but bland.

However I would also like to eat healthy curry as well ... does anybody have any Fat Free (or low fat) curry recipes ... I saw a short snippet of a TV programme recently (called something like 'breaking into Tesco's ) .. and a lady had a Fat free range of currys, which wowed the judges.

Anybody ant recipes ?

[hidden]

I have to agree with you on this one a nice fat free curry with all the flavours, aromas and tastes of any other curry.

Here are a few things you may consider.

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.

[adriandavidb]

What's alcohol got to do with the fat/oil content of curry???

[Chris303]

What's alcohol got to do with the fat/oil content of curry???

I think the point he is making that it is not eating curry that is nessessarily unhealthy... it is the british Curry Culture in general which is unhealthy. The majority of calories consumed by the average curry goer (me included) tends to be in the form of the pints knocked back along side the curry. 4 pints at an average of 250 calories a pop are enough to turn make your regular curry outing make your belly grow.

My BIR currys use minimal amounts of healthy oil and I still get the "taste". I work out the calories of all my base sauces and currys I make. Even a very flavoursome and most tasty curry I make only contains on average 600 calories which is more than acceptable for a meal. Along with bread and side dishes if you have an average of 1000 calories then you are well within the limits for daily calorie consumption.

Dodge the ghee, naan bread and white rice if you want to lower the calories and instead opt for Rice Bran Oil, wholemeal chapatis, and brown rice if you want to make it more nutritious.

I would also like to include the fact that I eat home BIR curry on average about 4 nights a week and I am very fit and healthy. No fat on my body. Good BMI. Low Cholesterol.

[Argonaut]

It may be as I am new to forum ... what is a BIR curry ?

Pints of lager do not enter into this as I am looking for Low fat curry to make at home.

I tried on Saturday this recipe
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1324/chilli-chicken-curry

on the site people rave about it ... I found it bland in the extreme, even my family commented how bland & devoid of taste it was.

Reminded me of a Tescos own make curry - looks the part but that's all.

We don't nmeed hot .. but do want rich spicy flavour.

[JerryM]

Argonaut,

there are 2 separate topics here i think.

one is - what recipe should i go for that spicy (u can control how hot it is buy adjusting amount of chilli u put into the base and the spice mix at frying stage)

my staple is madras and i like parker21's (also woodpecker21) madras recipe (link below). nb i swop the garam masala for LB's spice mix

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,1454.msg12717.html#msg12717


http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2444.0.html

would recommend u make the rajver base also - its top notch

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,720.0.html


i'll post No 2 later (fat free)

[Argonaut]

I'm not sure how the last response fits in with my Q ... lost me a bit.

Previous poster mentioned BIR curry .... my question was "what is BIR"  never heard of it.

I am not worried or concerned about 'heat' of a curry, that I can adjust at cooking time, what I am after is rich flavoursome curries, that have aroma, being spicy, full or aroma & taste without he dreaded UK Curry eaters mistake of confusing taste with heat ...

I would rather has a curry that attacks the taste buds with an explosion of different tastes, than one that just cries 'hot'


I did look at the sauce links .. but one for example has as an ingredient "1/2 cup vegetable oil"   this is exactly what I want to avoid ... I am after Low Fat Curry.

It's for that reason I never order Vindaloo or Phall  .... instead I go for Murghi Masla, Korai Chicken, Roghan Josh, Handi chicken  etc.

[currytester]

Argonaut

BIR - British Indian Restaurant

You will probably only get an almost fat free curry at best I would suggest.

Try using either the Rajver or Saffron base as a starter - if you follow the instructions precisely you will find that the oil used eventually comes to the surface. Using a spoon you can remove all the oil there will be very little left in the base sauce.
If you are on a low fat diet use chicken breast and trim off the excess fat. Cut into 1" cubes and place in a saucepan just cover with boiling water and bring to the simmer. Simmer for around 3 mins then remove from heat and cover. The chicken will continue cooking until you are ready to put in your curry.
Use one of the other recipes that dont use added sugar, yoghurt, cream or coconut milk or indeed creamed coconut. At the frying stage use a spray of spry or a little olive oil. You will then have almost fat free curry.

[JerryM]

I would rather has a curry that attacks the taste buds with an explosion of different tastes, than one that just cries 'hot'

i still recomend u try the parker21 madras. don't swop the garam though (for LB spice mix) as this will give u what i call, "depth of spice where no one spice overpowers the rest"

Chris303's balti masala spice mix is also very good.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2465.0.html

[JerryM]

Argonaut,

sorry if i did not explain my initial post enough.

1) u need to select a base. try either the rajver or saffron 1st. both are very good. the rajver has coconut in but u wouldn't know

2) at the cooking or frying stage is when the spice is controlled. i use a 50:50 mix, spice mix:curry powder (1 tsp ea per 200ml portion). i use LB for the spice mix and vary the curry powder to suit the dish. given u are after quite a lot of spice i would be tempted to try either garam masala or one of chris303's masala's

PART 2 (FAT Free)

i got thrown off computer last night by kids hence the delay.

given u've been on the curries a while u obviously appreciate they are very healthy in terms of the ingredients (except for ghee)

the health factor dropped a lot with the introduction of the BIR (this is an important term as it distinguishes from authentic cooking which is totally different). the BIR for me did 2 two very important things: it mellowed the spices to suit those who had been brought up on potato and added oil.

i got to know a BIR chef a while ago and we talked much about how i could keep my cholesterol down whilst maintaining unrestricted access to his fantastic curries.

there is no happy ending. u just can't adapt a BIR curry to low fat without loosing the BIR tag & taste.

yes of course there is a lot u can do to reduce the fat (and i mean saturated fat - this is the only fat anyone needs to be concerned with) but the taste will change.

the chef did cut down on the oil for me and the appearance was completely different. the taste was no where near as good but it sorted my need. the taste however was good enough.

so in short follow chris303 and currytester's sticking plasters which will work ie i never use cream only evaporated milk (sat fat 6% as opposed to at least 80% for cream).

the main target is as u've pointed out - the oil. use a low sat fat oil ie sunflower (11% sat fat) or olive oil (14% sat fat but 60% mono unsats which are good for u). so in terms of base saffron asks for 500ml (33 tbsp) - i use 6 tbsp.


in summary curries are not the ideal place to cut fat out. there are much more easy targets (choc bars, crisps, chips, cheese, eggs, full cream milk, ice cream). read the labels on everything u eat. aim for 17gm of sat fat on a normal day and this will leave u never having a weight problem and plenty of slack for several of those fantastic curries.