[luckyredlisa]

Ok, so I'm having a major craving for some Indian food right now. I'm trying to make some good choices here in Phase 2.

Yes, yes, we've all been doing quite well on our simple foods, and you people even have me cooking! But what about some other food choices a little off the beaten path? I don't want to go nuts or anything, I think I just need some direction.

I'm thinking Tandoori Chicken? But with what? Not the rice or the bread. I'm ok with that, I just need something else! Any Indian food experts who could tell me what else to order? Everything else I've had is either fried or sauce laden!

And just to keep things interesting, what would you order at other more exotic places?

[luckyredlisa]

Ok, so I searched the Atkins Board, and this is what I found:

http://www.dwlz.com/WWinfo/indian.html

Any Beach ladies have any other suggestions? And ok, ok, how about some recipes? Although I did find some over on the Atkins board, but oh, so much butter!

But seriously, I need some home delivery options right now. I don't know how you Canadians do it. I haven't even left the house today!

[Ruthxxx]

Hmmmm - you are right on the rice and bread.

The problem with Indian food is the ghee used in cooking most of it. I hope you get some suggestions but I am completely stymied (and drooling!) at the moment. I have a type of tandoori chicken recipe that might be OK but I'd have to check it out. I'm sure it's not the same as a restaurant one.

Greek food uses lots of olive oil and broils skewers. Some Chinese or other oriental food would be OK.

On the other hand you could move to Delta and not be faced with these decisons! "Do youse want gravy on those fries?" "Whaddaya mean a ceasar salad? This ain't Itly, ya know!"

[luckyredlisa]

Ahhh, thanks for the support Ruth. I think I'm going to go with Tandoori of some kind, a salad, and raita (should be ok- don't you think? ). Then I'm just going to cook some cauliflower in some spices. Should work.

Wow, I'm impressed with self, I didn't even THINK of dessert- used to be I would think of galabjaman (or however you spell it!), THEN I'd just order the dinner part to justify it. Don't even really want it. Although maybe I'll get some rosewater at the store nexttime and add that to my ricotta? Hmmm. Yummy or gross?

Of course now, I'm obsessed with finding some low-carb, low-fat Indian recipes. And I'm fascinated with my crockpot despite my chili mishap, and I'm dying to cook with it again. I found your recipe for Ethiopian Chicken/Beef awhile back and I may give that a shot. I've been googling for low-fat low-carb Indian crockpot recipes. Can't imagine why I'm not coming up with anything.

I'll keep you posted. I'd love to see your tandoori recipe!

Now, no mocking the South! Yes, I did work in a restaraunt with a giant pig on the roof, but, but, ... well, yes, the food was extremely un-SBD, but oh, those nights eating Catfish Almondine on the bamboo-enclosed patio, the sound of the fountain in the background, the smell of honeysuckle in the air, sipping on tea with mint syrup.

Thanks again!

[Lou Lou Belle]

http://www.carb-lite.au.com/ethnicindian.html

Check this out!! This is from the site that Little Chick posted. I have neve tried Indian food, but my 16 year old daughter has been dying to try it. Any sugguestions for two people new to Indian food? Go easy on us, nothing too exotic please.

[luckyredlisa]

Oh, thanks so much for the link! That should set me up quite well.

Last night's Indian dinner did not go so well, so it looks like I'll just have to learn how to cook it. I spent $30 , and it took an HOUR to get two blocks , although I think part of that was the poor guy took the stairs- 17 flights of them

After all that, I was no longer in the mood for my mulligatawny soup, and my salad was already drowned in oil. I pretty much had to throw out (and I mean throw it in a bag and take it outside my apartment because I couldn't take the aroma) half the food- the salad, the papadam, the rice, the oh-so-gorgeous-and-fluffy-naan.

Although I did eat half of one of the papadams (like a lentil cracker), which I usually love, and I was like- what's the big deal? I can live without this.

But on the wonderful subject of Indian food generally, my dad is from the Caribbean, where they use a lot of curry, but it wasn't until I spent a year in Glasgow, Scotland that I totally fell in love with Indian food. There were so many great restaraunts serving in so many different styles, and for late-night after pub food it was either the haggis joints or all-night Indian stands. YUMMM. On the Indian, not the haggis. Not that one needs to be drunk to try Indian, although I was never drunk enough to try haggis. Ok, maybe once.

But I've never learned to cook it. Who am I kidding, I never learned to cook anything.

Are you and your daughter going to go out to a restaraunt to try some? Are you anywhere near Cambridge? There is a great Indian place just down the block from my old apt, actually in Davis Square in Somerville. Very "user friendly"- terrific place to go to start out, and a gorgeous restaraunt. Wherever you go, consider ordering a "thali"- basically a prix fix variety meal- it is a GREAT way to get to try a bunch of stuff, and most places will be happy to explain what everything is. You might want to start off vegetarian, also. It is far less intimidating, unless you really like lamb. Tandoori chicken is also quite nice. It isn't too spicey, either, although the bright red color sometimes scares people!

If you're going to cook up some stuff- I'd say start with something simple- things like chicken and/or vegetable curry, maybe? I think there's even a recipe somewhere here for Lentil Dal. Just so you can see how you like the spices/spiciness. Curries can be very flavorful without being "hot," and there are so many flavors besides just curry as well.

There are so many lovely things to try, but I wouldn't know where to begin to cook them OR make them SBD friendly. The bread is really so integral to the experience. You don't just mindlessly munch it, you use it scoop up your food and sauce. And the fried delicacies are out of this world. Sigh. Although there's and okra dish I swear I can figure out- okra with some trace of mango. amazing.

Let's keep each other posted on our Indian adventures!! I'm thinking of ordering a low-fat Indian Cookbook and seeing what happens.

[Lou Lou Belle]

Thanks for the sugguestions! I'm not very close to Cambridge, and I don't venture up that way very often. I was going to try a restaurant in Providence that I have passed a number of times. It looks intriguing! My DH does not like to stray too far away form prime rib, filet mignon...you know what I mean.. So, when DD said, "I'd like to try Indian food....Whooooeeeee...my heart started pounding ! Maybe I'll try making the Chicken recipe for us at home and see how that goes over. I am sure the restaurant is quite pricey as are most restaurants in Providence, so maybe that is a better place to start. I would hate to have her order something that she won't eat, I, on the other hand, would eat anything.....that's my problem ..... I think in all of my years of dining out, I only passed on one meal--ya know it had to be BAD !!

[luckyredlisa]

The more I think about it, the more I think you're best off going to a restaraunt for the first tasting. Buying the spice and supplies to cook just wouldn't be worth it for a test run. And the premade sauces and stuff are hit or miss.

My suggestion- go to the restaurant. Order the thali for one, then maybe add one additional appetizer or entree that sounds really terrific, I would think about the tandoori chicken, that way you'll have something SBD appropriate. I think you'll get to try a lot without spending a lot, and the thali gets you all the "extras" (ie chutney, raita, bread, etc) that really make the meal, but can start to add up if you order them separately, especially since the two of you don't need that much- just a taste! The thali will usually include soup and/or a small selection of appetizers, either one large or several small portions of several different types of entree, rice, bread, chutney, raita, and similarly with the dessert, either one dessert or a couple of "bites" of different ones (for DD), and hopefully some exotic spiced tea (for you). I would try to find a place that gives you several small portions of things on the thali- that way if your daughter hates it, there's always something else.

I think if you order this way you can sort of stay on SBD. Have a bite of the bread, SO GOOD. But the real flavor is in the meat and veggies. I think this coulud be a really fun "girls night out" for the two of you- let hubby go to the steak house, right? And it doesn't have to derail the diet. I have to believe that!

[Lou Lou Belle]

Thank you so much, wish you could come with us! It would be so much fun!

[spamtravels]

I have been able to make Chicken Vindaloo (sans potatoes), Beef Rogan Josh and Chicken Sate' from premixed spice blends from my favorite spice company. I reduce the amount of oil (I use olive) and since some of them rely on plain yogurt in the marinade, there isn't too much added fat. The recipes I follow are right on the package.

Is it permissable for me to put down the url?

[luckyredlisa]

Louloubelle- Thanks, I wish I could come, too! Have fun. Let me know how it goes.

Spam- yes, yes, yes, please post that URL and any tips, I'm a cooking newbie. Thanks!

[spamtravels]

The company is Penzeys http://www.penzeys.com . Look in the online store under curry.

They have great customer service and excellent products. I love reading their catalogs because of the travel stories they put in by the owner. They are based in Wisconsin, but have stores all over now. I've been using their stuff for about 10 years now. When we lived in Chicago, we would drive up to their Brookfield store. Oh how I miss the wonderful smells - they used the sacks of spices as displays. I think I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it!

[lhendricks]

Indian food is not easy. I think I'd order tandoori or maybe saag paneer or a vegetable curry. Some have chickpeas or other acceptable legumes included. Some places make whole-grain breads, or offer brown rice as an option. You really need to pick and choose and not be too dogmatic.

Ditto the cooking at home. I make "indian style" food with curry spices quite often, especially during these drab NE winters. A good way to make vegetables palatable.

I was once at a drunken "Robbie Burns" party that sent one person to the emergency room after he was hit in the mouth with a frozen haggis and then another who cut himself with his own saber requiring stitches. No curry was involved.