Advice on Indian / Pakistani restaurant food

eviltimeban

This is my first post here, hello to you all.

I've recently started a weight loss program, essentially just cutting out junk food and getting rid of soft drinks (not that I drank too many), crisps, chocolate, cakes, etc. Also cutting down on bread, baguettes, anything heavy on sauce or cream, etc etc. I'm 33, 6'5", and weight 235 pounds (just under 17 stone). Sounds loads but I carry it well as I'm a big fella with big legs etc, just a bit of a roll around the middle which is my main aim to work on. BMI is 27.9 which is "moderately overweight".

Anyway I'm doing really well, snacking on nuts and berries and fruit, ryvita, yogurts etc instead of cakes and biscuits. However I don't mind having an occasional treat, namely pizza or going out for dinner (which isn't a weekly occurance I can tell ya).

Which brings me on to my point. I'm going out to Kinara in Clontarf this evening, great restaurant, have organic dishes and lighter fair from Pakistan.

I would normally order lamb bhuna (a tomato based sauce) and would have with pilau rice, and I'd share a naan with my partner. I might nibble some pompadoms but will skip starter and may treat myself to a bit of dessert.

So how's all that looking? As I said, its an occasional treat but I want to make the best of the situation, should I look to the "lighter fare" menu, rather than the regular? Is anyone familiar with the restaurant? Or is this kind of dish normally OK (in full knowledge that the naan is probably the worst part of it)?

olaola

Defo stick with the tomato based sauces, but if you want to go one step better - go with meats from the tandoor oven. Try to go with fish if you're going for saucy meals, and ditch that naan! Chaptis are better, but better off having none at all. You could eat the meat with a veg side or lentils/chickpeas dish. If you're going to go for rice, get steamed basmati.

I'm just looking at that website - the best dish would probably be the chicken from the tandoor served with salad - Lahori Charga. And the Behari Kebab for starters - or even ask for the Tandori Jhinga or the crab claws minus the sauce.

Piste

Go with naan or rice, but not both!


Or alternitavely eat half naan and half rice, though this will be hard to do as you'll probably want to eat the leftover naan and rice seeing as you paid for it!

eviltimeban

Thanks for the advice - I think I'll stick to the Bhuna Gosht but will definitely try the behari kebab as I haven't had it before. The other starter is great, I've had that before. I will also get basmati rice (is pilau that much worse?) but leave half of it, and leave half the naan - I never really WANT the naan, its just nice to have it there!

I'm looking forward to this now!

olaola

eviltimeban wrote: »

Thanks for the advice - I think I'll stick to the Bhuna Gosht but will definitely try the behari kebab as I haven't had it before. The other starter is great, I've had that before. I will also get basmati rice (is pilau that much worse?) but leave half of it, and leave half the naan - I never really WANT the naan, its just nice to have it there!

I'm looking forward to this now!

They brush ghee on the naan - prob best not to touch it at all! (about 300 cals in half a naan) They add oil/ghee to pilau rice when cooking. Basmati is just steamed.

pwd

get a roti instead of a naan bread if available. A roti is a wholemeal naan essentially.

eviltimeban

pwd wrote: »

get a roti instead of a naan bread if available. A roti is a wholemeal naan essentially.

They've no Roti but according the menu they have:

Paratha
Layered wholemeal bread enriched with a touch of clarified butter.

Sounded OK until I got to the butter part... at least its only "a touch".

olaola

eviltimeban wrote: »

They've no Roti but according the menu they have:

Paratha
Layered wholemeal bread enriched with a touch of clarified butter.

Sounded OK until I got to the butter part... at least its only "a touch".

No harm asking them to lay off the 'touch'

rubadub

Tandoori as mentioned, my favourite anyway. Rice and naans pack a lot of calories, I would rather have a prawn starter and tandoori with no side at all, or the salad as mentioned.

You mention pizzas as a treat, they do have savage amount of calories, while other fast food might not be so bad, like burgers or fish in batter, not the best but less calorie since most people I see eating pizza have massive portions, pizzas intended for 4 people.

I hope you have exercise in your programme. I cannot recommend weightlifting enough for fat loss. As a big bloke as well as fat you will have a lot of muscle underneath, while on a calorie deficit and lifting enough you will not lose any muscle, you might even put on some to begin with. Your strength will certainly increase, and it gives your more energy for daily life, making it easier to do without as much food. If you do no exercise you will lose muscle along with the fat, and most guys do not want to lose weight just to be a skinny runt, you have the muscle so don't lose it. It also greatly increases your metabolism, so you can get away with eating more without putting on fat.

check out www.exrx.net

eviltimeban

Thanks, yeah I'm getting back into the weight lifting and sit ups. I'm not "fat" per se, just a bit wobbly round the middle, so will be doing weights to supplement the new calorie controlled diet. I just do free weights, at home, twenty minutes here and there, a variety of sets etc. Gym occasionally.

The pizza thing... man I know its so hard. I do eat the whole pizza when I get it, and I worked out today that the frozen pizza variety has about 1700 calories in it! Insane. I guess once more won't hurt. I'm not gonna eat anything today to make up for it (Friday was traditionally pizza night in our house)!

Dinner was good last night - just had half a naan, half the rice and only a spoon of cake. Laid off the pompodoms as well (I'd normally finish the lot).

olaola

eviltimeban wrote: »

The pizza thing... man I know its so hard. I do eat the whole pizza when I get it, and I worked out today that the frozen pizza variety has about 1700 calories in it! Insane. I guess once more won't hurt. I'm not gonna eat anything today to make up for it (Friday was traditionally pizza night in our house)!

If I get that pizza craving - M&S do a 'count on us' affair that's about 300 cals. It's a one-portion thing. But you satisfy that itch!
OR you could make your own - or even ask the pizza place to make the base really thin and hold the cheese! Load on the veggies and defo dump the pepperoni.

eviltimeban

Unfortunately its the Chicago Town deep filled pepperoni pizza with extra tomato sauce in the crust. Its about 1700 calories for the whole pizza. Which is why I'm eating a salad right now.

Beks

When I have an indian I never get rice as well as a naan, I find that way too many carbs and I can't finish it all anyway, so I like to get a couple small bahji selections - the wet kind with sauce not a dry one - (either mushroom/okra/aubergine/spinach/potato) with a naan.. and have popadums with mango chutney for a starter. No dessert. Hope that helps. I always find indian food waaaaay too filling, but the taste is amazing, so I prefer to get a variety of smaller dishes. It's good to get a variety amongst a few people and just share everything!