butter chicken........low fat....oh yes.... quite possible
when we consciously follow a healthy food regime , we become so paranoid about the calories and the type of food we choose........healthy food is always considered boring n dull..........and moreover , certain ingredients n food items are completely labeled as heavy or high calorie n so on............but the truth is if we act cleverly, we can easily accommodate those taboo foods in our diet........just make some changes in the recipe, keep the spices high and the accompaniment simple...........for instance a heavier dish can be served with a smaller portion of brown rice or multigrain chapati........or a paratha which is cooked in minimal ghee can be served with a raita or a chutny like that of tomatoes or amla .........and so on..
there are certainly many ways to reduce calories from food and at the same time making it nutrient rich............and most of all , satisfying your hunger n palate both..........here are some suggestions which i practice , i owe all those tricks to this blog of mine.....
1. first of all if you are following a low cal diet, stick to the cuisine you are grown up eating........it satisfies your palate like none other cuisine........occasional changes are fine.
2. try to make the most favorite recipes in a lighter version and keep the portion size small ....at the same time make those fav recipes frequently so that you don't feel like deprived, but when you eat these slightly heavier recipes, keep the other meals of the day lighter......
3. whenever eating something fried, take a lot of raw salad in the same meal.........it prevents absorbtion of the fats in your intestines....at least some amount.
4. everybody knows that grilling is better than frying and there are many steamed food which we keep ignoring..........find new ways to steam n keep it spicy.........works for me.
5. while making fritters or pakodas first try to steam or microwave them .............shape the fritters n microwave till firm n put immediately in hot oil......it browns within a minute absorbing less oil..........drain on kitchen paper.
6.while making cakes, replace some fat with a fruit puree and some sugar with some honey.............you would love it...........keep the portion size small baby.
7.low fat recipes may not look fabulous with all the glaze n the shining , may not look creamy ...........but it can be very flavorful if you cook these with carefully processed spices and herbs.
8.while making parathas, knead the flour with pureed spinach or other leafy greens, keep the puree content higher than the fluor , roast it in minimal oil or ghee n serve with tomato chutney low fat curds or with coleslaw like salads.....
9.while making gravies , use pressure cooker to fry the masala......fry in minimal oil keeping the flame low and cook the masala gravy for a whistle in the last........ this way all the oil used comes on top n the gravy looks nice..........moreover pressure cooking insures the flavors of the masalas to be released completely into the gravy.
10. opt for one dish meals mostly as the accompaniments may add additional calories or at least salt , which accounts for water retention........salads without seasoning are best accompaniments.
i will keep posting more suggestions as n when it comes to my mind........i have been practicing all this for a long time ( i put on some weight because of overenthusiastic cooking n baking in the past and after that a severe bout of depression due to some prevailing circumstances).....try to keep away from all this.........
now coming to the recipe of today which is a perennial favorite.........the authentic recipe is something which smells of cream and butter n is sure to send you for a cardiologist.........if you are not too obsessed with the sight n taste of butter and enjoy the subtle flavor of chicken in a sweet sour gravy, this is the one recipe you can go for.............i am sure you will repeat it many times in the future............. the pics are not doing any justice as i cooked it for dinner n clicked in poor light....as usual but as they say is that the proof of the pudding is in the .....taste dear....
i dunno why the same dish has resulted in different colors in different shots........excuse me for awful photography.....
the recipe is simple n needs just a few ingredients.........
chicken 4 pieces
onions chopped 1/2 cup
tomato ketchup 1/2 cup
red chilly powder 2 tbsp
salt to taste
low fat cream 2 tbsp
.......trim fat from the chicken pieces and throw it in the heavy bottomed pan with the onions ....keep roasting it on low flame till lightly browned.....in the meanwhile boil the chicken with a cup of water and salt ....i did it in microwave.........
now when the onions are browned add the boiled chicken and the other ingredients except cream and cook covered for 10 minutes on very low flame........turning twice in between..........remove from heat and mix the cream well and serve hot with chapatis.........i had it with mutigrain chapatis.....
other people in the family who are butter lovers may be served the same preparation with some change........just add lots of butter n microwave for 1-2 minutes.......garnish with more cream n make everybody happy....
yummm..looks more like chilli chicken to me..:)
ReplyDeletehe he....first my pictures are to be blamed n then the absence of butter n cream dear....
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading all your suggestions :-)
ReplyDeleteSo many good points about low fat eating,the butter chicken is so popular back home in hyderabad,certainly nice to see your recipe too:)
ReplyDeleteMuch useful post for me. Butter chicken looks tempting. Thanks for the health tips and sending it to the potluck chicken event.
ReplyDelete