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Food/Recipes

Low-fat/healthy curry recipes

19 replies

ronconcoke · 22/06/2018 09:02

Hello, DH has had to swap to a low-fat, no red/processed meat, no horrible fats etc diet.

We religiously make curry on a Friday/sat night and in the past used a ready-made sauce from the Curry Company or a ready-made paste (Pataks etc). Now we have to make them from scratch and I’m running out of ideas. I need something I can hopefully prep ahead ie blitz the paste beforehand and then we can just make a sauce and add it to chicken and then simmer. I regularly use the Hairy dieters chicken Bhuna recipe, Jamie’s pukka yellow one and a couple from whatshername’s Curry Easy book, but haven’t found any other recipes that tick all the boxes we have.

What are your favourite healthy, home-made curry recipes?!

TIA!

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acornsandnuts · 22/06/2018 09:56

The hairy bikers do very low fat curries.

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notnowlater · 22/06/2018 14:20

I doubt it's very authentic, but I use the spice mix in a packet, rather than a paste. If you don't use the whole packet you can keep in an airtight container for next time.

Fry spices in small amount of oil for 5 mins, add chopped onion for 5 or 10 mins (add water if starts to catch). Then add garlic for a minute, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of chickpeas, chopped sweet potato, a tin of reduced-fat coconut milk. Add your chicken here too, although I usually keep it veggie.

Cook for around 30 mins until sweet potato is tender.

Towards the end, add an aubergine that's already been chopped into largish chunks and oven roasted (could do this the day before if prepping ahead), and a bag of spinach (or even frozen spinach).

Freezes brilliantly, I always make double.

Lovely with roasted cauliflower, couscous, rice, and a dollop of yogurt.

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notnowlater · 22/06/2018 14:22

Not with cauliflower, couscous, rice, and a dollop of yogurt all at the same time of course!

ANY of those with it are lovely. You could serve with cauliflower rice for extra healthiness. Or green beans.

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Lifeaback · 22/06/2018 14:25

There’s a spinach, sweet potato and lentil dhal on the bbc good food website which is very healthy and tasty

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Nutellaonnutella · 22/06/2018 14:26

This curry is completely delicious and vegan - filling enough not to have rice with, or could have roti or naan with.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/coconut-squash-dhansak

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Newmanwannabe · 22/06/2018 14:27

If you google “skinnymixers” she is the queen of healthy option Curry’s and other recipes. They are for a Thermomix but you would be able to adapt it.

She has a few different curry paste bases too that you can batch make and freeze ahead in portions

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Nquartz · 22/06/2018 14:31

Have a look at spicentice mixes.

I have used them since weening DD as they don't contain salt or sugar. You are meant to put yoghurt & cream (I think) in the tikka masala but I never do & its really yummy

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kateandme · 22/06/2018 19:46

they do little packets with all the spices and herbs for a curry.
use spray oil.
reduced fat crème fraiche instead of cream or non fat yoghurts.
always steer to tomato based curries.
add lots of veggies.its pretty healthy when you make from scrath and if you do want to stick to your jars there are actually some from scratch ones nowadays that don't have much add gubbins to them so have a look.lots has been made to make jar sauces waaaay better for you now.
chicken thighs are more flavourful if you have to cut down on other stuff.
if cream is used to thicken try using a bit of cornflour with milk instead.
coat the chicken in flour before cooking to thicken if you want to add less cream or milks

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TyneTeas · 22/06/2018 19:50

This chilli prawn curry is pretty quick and low fat

tyne-teas.blogspot.com/2014/04/chilli-prawn-curry.html

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user1483390742 · 22/06/2018 19:54

Dhal is your low fat friend. Red lentils, onions, spices and water. I eat bowls of the stuff and love it!

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RamblinRosie · 23/06/2018 01:32

Try Gupareet Bains Indian Superfood book, lots of really tasty healthy recipes.

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dameofdilemma · 05/07/2018 11:01

You don't need a ready made sauce or spice paste.

Fry (in a little veg oil) whole black mustard seeds till they pop.
Add onions, garlic and ginger. Also deseeded chillis if you like it spicy. Fry.
Add tinned tomatoes.
Add ground coriander, garam masala, ground cumin, bit of turmeric.
Simmer till thickens a bit.

Add whatever veg or pulses you fancy and cook them till soft. Curries are better veggie than meat in my view.

When cooked, switch off and stir through fresh coriander.

Serve with brown rice or wholemeal roti.

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ronconcoke · 05/07/2018 22:58

A belated many thanks for all these suggestions!

I should add, DH is a carnivore through-and-through - for him a meal isn’t a proper meal if it doesn’t contain some animal protein. But some great ideas here, thanks!

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DuchyDuke · 05/07/2018 23:01

Google ‘home style curry recipies from India’ and substitute oil for water. My gran and lots of poor Indian women of that generation from East Africa learned how to make curries without oil or butters because they couldn’t afford them in the UK. Kadhi, made from gram flour and yoghurt, is also very very healthy.

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julianaray · 16/07/2018 09:51

I like curry a lot. I learned a recipe from my cousin. For these you will need

6 spring onions, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, half a 400g tin, chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp ground ginger, 400g/14oz boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces
100ml/3½fl oz Greek-style natural yoghurt, plus extra to serve
salt and pepper.

Slice the spring onions, reserving a handful of the sliced green parts for garnish. Peel and chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the spring onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, curry powder and ground ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes until all side get brown color. Add 250 ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium to low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. Take the curry off the heat, stir in the yoghurt then season with salt and pepper. You can be able to enjoy a good curry. ;)

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Hereshopingforimprovement · 16/07/2018 09:55

I use spice packs from www.easypeasycurry.co.uk/?nonamp=1. A few call for a fair bit of oil but I make with less and they still taste amazing.

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SummersB · 19/07/2018 01:47

Some great recipes here!

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goose1964 · 25/07/2018 20:07

We have a low fat curry cookery book, there are quite a few on Amazon

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user1471435140 · 28/07/2018 21:02

Nadia Hussein has a great Bhuna sauce recipe that is really easily scaled up and designed to be frozen. It’s in her Great British Food Adventures book.

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