Pakistani, Afgan, and Indian Foods.

  • So I have discovered that a lot of the vegan stuff I have been eating actually fits mostly into one of the above categories.

    Anything anyone recommends for a low calorie diet? I had some pan-fried yams earlier with a cool yogurt sauce on top with jasmine rice some spinach looking stuff and yellow stuff. It was all really good. I looked up the items individually using MyFitnessPal and the whole meal really ended up being about 600ish calories which worked great for me(I try to eat heavier during the day and light for dinner).
  • Are you looking for recommendations eating out, or cooking at home? I love Indian food but rarely eat it out these days since I find the vegetarian appetizers more tempting than any other appetizers in the world. Just be aware of the creamier dishes. Though if you are vegan, you are probably already avoiding the ghee and cream that can make the regular vegetarian restaurant dishes calorie dense.

    With that said, I've made acceptable samosa substitutes with some spiced mashed potoatoes and wonton wrappers, and curries of all sorts are pretty easy to make at home and to make in a really healthy way.

    Here is a link to a chana masala recipe that I am going to try this weekend, I think!
  • I am vegan and we have a lot of Pakistani and Indian places around here. Basically, I ask what on the menu has no butter or yogurt, which is where most of your calories would come from for vegetarian items and if you eat vegan, things you'd want to avoid due to dairy. They often have saucy things like Chana Masala (chickpeas in a tomato sauce). Ghee (butter) is used a lot and yogurt (full fat) is used in many recipes but luckily not all.

    There are also a lot of cookbooks out there that you can use. Madhur Jaffrey is one cookbook author I'd recommend if you want to make some Indian food.
  • Just something simple I enjoy is baked sweet potatoes with curry powder. Depending on size, it is probably between 100 to 200 calories.