Cooking hints for Indian foods for weight-loss

Reduce use of Ghee Butter and Oil. Make fat free dairy products. Use poached defatted meats

Buttery Canola oil spray and No Stick Cooking oil spray can effectively serve as low fat substitutes for Ghee. Fat-free dry milk can be used to make many low fat Dairy products at home.

1. Basting Roti

Roti is made of whole grain wheat. The skin side is normally basted with approximately ½ teaspoon of Ghee or Butter adding about 19 calories to each Roti.

For weight loss program, the Roti can be basted with Buttery Canola oil spray adding only 2 calories

2. Chopped Onions Masala

To make typical curries, Ghee is heated in a pan. Chopped onions are fried. Minced garlic and ginger are added and fried. The curry spices are added and fried. Then the items to be curried are added. Liquids maybe added. Then the curry is cooked over medium heat till done.

This process adds about ½ Tablespoon of Ghee or 56 calories to every cup of finished curry.

For weight-loss program, scatter the finely chopped onions on a plate. Coat onions with a squirt of No Stick Cooking oil spray . Baste a cooking pan with a squirt of No Stick Cooking oil spray Heat the pan. When hot, add the onions and fry them till edges are brown. Now add the garlic and ginger. There should be enough oil to cook out the dish. This will add only 4 calories to every cup of finished curry.

3. Ground Onion Masala 

Traditionally, Ghee is heated in a pan. Ground onions, garlic and ginger are fried till the mixture starts to turn brown. At this point spices are added and fried. Chopped tomatoes may be added and Masala fried till the oil starts to separates

This process adds up ¾ Tablespoon of oil or 74 calories to every cup of finished curry.

For weight loss, the ground onions garlic and ginger should be fried till almost all the moisture is gone. Now squirt No Stick Cooking oil spray and continue sautéing. Add spices and ground tomatoes. Continue sautéing till almost al the moisture is gone. Squirt No Stick Cooking oil spray two times, and fry.

This will add only 6 calories to every cup of finished curry.

4.  Dosa Cheela

Normally, the cooking surface is basted with Ghee or oil. You can  use No Stick Cooking oil spray to baste the cooking surface to pan fry Dosa

5. Tarka/Bhagar for Dal

Traditionally, Oil is heated. In the hot oil, cumin seeds are roasted. This is added to Dal. It is also called Tempering.

Tarka adds one teaspoon (41 calories) of oil to one cup of Dal.

You have two choices

i) Dry roast cumin seeds on hot griddle to dark brown. Add dry roasted cumin seeds to Dal.

ii) Scatter dry roasted seeds in a plate. Squirt No Stick Cooking oil spray over seeds. Microwave for 90 seconds. Add to Dal. This adds only 2 calories of oil to one cup of Dal.

6. Low-fat Fat-free Dairy Products

i) Dahi

You can make fat-free yogurt with fat-free dry milk  and live culture Fat Free yogurt Recipe

ii) Paneer

You can make fat-free Paneer (Cheese) using fat free dry milk and vinegar Fat free Paneer Recipe You can make dishes such as Palak Paneer or Mattar Paneer. Do NOT fry Paneer in Ghee or oil. Just add the Paneer to the Curry.

iii) Chach

The butter milk in United States is not same as Chach. Chach has live culture and low amount of lactose. Traditional Chach is difficult to make. Use Yogurt with live culture to make Yogurt out of 2% milk without adding dry milk. Let it over ferment and stir. This will have same nutritional value and taste as Chach.

iv) Batti Khoya (Hard Khoya)

Substitute with fat free dry milk.

v) Chickna Khoya (Smooth Khoya)

Process Fat-free Ricotta Cheese, Fat free dry milks, and Canola oil together in a food processor to get the right consistency. Sorry, you do need some oil

vi) Daane-daar Khoya (Granular Khoya)

Process Fat-free Ricotta Cheese with a hint of cream of Tartar in a food processor to get the right consistency.

7. Rasgulla Rasmalai

Make light syrup, of 3 cups water to ½ cup of Splenda. After the dishes are finished, remove them from the syrup and immerse them in fruit juices. Most appropriate juice is apple juice. You can use grape juice or even orange juice. Keep the dish immersed in fruit juice for one hour in refrigerator before serving.

8. Spices

Use Cinnamon, Cloves, Fenugreek Nutmeg. These spices mimic insulin

Use fresh ginger and hot red peppers. They are Thermogenic

Add fresh lime juice in small amounts when possible

9. Chicken Curry

Always use skin-less boneless chicken. Use Poached and defatted Chicken. Do Not brown chicken in Ghee or oil for braising. Make chopped onion fry Masala add poached defatted chicken to finish curry

10. Lamb Curry

Always trim out the visible fats. Use Poached and defatted Lamb. Do Not brown lamb in Ghee or oil for braising. Make chopped onion fry Masala add poached defatted lamb to finish curry