Is curry healthy?

[Anonymous]

I’m Indian and I make chicken curries 2-3 times a week with a side of white rice.

Usually I poor in some olive oil, sponges, onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger. After the onions are friend I add in cubes of chicken breasts and chopped vegetables. I cook for 20-30 minutes and eat on a bed white rice.

My only concern is the amount of olive oil I cook it all in.

[Anonymous]

I think so.

With any foods, you'll want to have more veggies on your plate than meat + starch, so if there are no other veggies than those mentioned (I think sponges are eggplant, correct?) serve with some steamed or roasted veggie of some kind, or a salad, maybe with a yogurt dressing.

One thing in curries that gets people is the coconut milk. So if there is coconut milk, go easy on the sauce.

Everything in moderation, and this sounds delicious and nutritious!

[Anonymous]

Ummmm. Every curry I’ve ever had at a restaurant or in take out is swimming with oil. And yes, some have high fat coconut milk. If you make it at home it can taste great and be much healthier. There’s a great Indian food instant pot cookbook that has some good curry recipes that aren’t too unhealthy and taste amazing.

[Anonymous]

Olive oil is very heathy. But it is high in calorie.

It depends what your goals are. If you are just trying to be heathy and maintain your weight, eating homemade curry is fine. If you are trying to lose weight and aren’t, then I would either use less oil, don’t make it as frequently, or eat a much smaller portion than you currently are.

[Anonymous]

How many people are you serving?

I'd keep the amount of olive oil to 1/8-1/4 cup of oil per dish if you are serving 4 with left overs.

Olive oil has many positive health benefits and children need fat in their diet for their brain.

If you are single and making a single dish I would only use 1-2tbs.

Everything in moderation.

[Anonymous]

You may be using too much oil. Try using a nonstick pan, and use just enough oil to sauté the onions instead of frying them. My parents cook tons of curry, and there have never been pools or noticeable amounts of oil in it. Indian food doesn't really need oil for flavor because of the great spices.

[Anonymous]

I don’t recommend adding sponges to curry

[Anonymous]

What are sponges?

I also make a lot of curries - I use ghee instead of olive oil because the higher smoke point ensures I don’t scorch my spices - but I just use a small amount, a couple of tablespoons in a curry batch large enough to feed me for a week. I generally stick to tomato based sauces, with only a very occasional coconut milk based one. Some of the curries get a dose of cream at the end, but even that is very modest when split out over all the servings.

I think curries are generally quite healthy if you keep the oil/ghee content low, given all the very healthful spices that are used. I pack mine with veggies - more than the traditional Indian recipe might include - and try to go easy on the rice. It’s the rice that makes it less healthy, since most curries are served with basmati which doesn’t have a lot of redeeming nutritional qualities other than being yummy! I’ve thought about using riced cauliflower instead of basmati, but haven’t yet tried that.

[Anonymous]

Try brown rice instead of white rice. Homemade curries can be very tasty and healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t recommend adding sponges to curry

OP here haha. Iphone Typo. I believe I meant to write "spices."

I do not use coconut milk in my regular every day curries. My only concern is the amount of olive oil. I usually pour some in and have to add in more as things start sticking.

[Anonymous]

Mine is, because I don't add fat and use lean meat.

[Anonymous]

It depends how you make it. Olive oil is healthy but if you’re concerned about the amount, then use less. You may add some vegetables on the side for fiber and vitamins. Otherwise, it should be healthy.

It’s not useful comparing any restaurant food to homemade equivalents, as restaurant food in general would have more fat and salt. So restaurant curries are not indicative of what op is preparing at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Olive oil is very heathy. But it is high in calorie.

It depends what your goals are. If you are just trying to be heathy and maintain your weight, eating homemade curry is fine. If you are trying to lose weight and aren’t, then I would either use less oil, don’t make it as frequently, or eat a much smaller portion than you currently are.

+1

The oil is the part that adds in calorie. Measure how much you put in next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t recommend adding sponges to curry

OP here haha. Iphone Typo. I believe I meant to write "spices."

I do not use coconut milk in my regular every day curries. My only concern is the amount of olive oil. I usually pour some in and have to add in more as things start sticking.

Try measuring it out, just to see how much you are actually using. If it's a tablespoon, I wouldn't worry about it. If you're adding 1/4 cup, that's a lot.

What kind of pan are you using? If it's nonstick, you may need to replace it, the nonstick coating wears out after a while. If it's bare metal, there are tricks for preventing sticking - get it really hot and let it preheat for a few minutes to heat-soak the pan, then turn the temp down and add your oil. Once everything is browned, you can also add a tablespoon or two of water as it finishes cooking, to help release the browned bits from the pan.

[Anonymous]

Sounds amazing. I'd keep the oil and nix the rice.