How to make a healthy curry

Make your own curry paste

Bought curry pastes may be convenient, but many are high in salt and fat. You can make your own curry paste quite easily and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Here’s how:

• Dry roast aromatic whole spices such as cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks and whole black pepper. This will provide beautiful flavours without having to add too much salt.
• Grind the roasted spices.
• Add pureed garlic, ginger and green chillies. Mix in a touch of turmeric for a vibrant colour.
• Tailor to suit your taste and mix with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. This will make a paste with truly authentic, fresh flavour that can be a base for many curries.

Switch saturated fats for healthier oils

Traditionally curry is cooked by first frying onions and spices in either butter, ghee or vegetable ghee. These are all high in saturated fat, and these are the fats we want to cut down on.

Make home-made curries healthier by switching to unsaturated oils: rapeseed, corn or sunflower oils are all suitable for curries as they are neutral in flavour.

A recipe may suggest using quite a lot of fat to fry in, but you can use smaller amounts. One tablespoon of oil should be enough for a curry for four people. Or, if you want to make your curry really low in fat, you can use 10-20 sprays of a spray oil. Using a non-stick pan will help to prevent the onions and spices from sticking. Simply add a little water if it starts to burn.

Swap out coconut milk

Lots of recipes use coconut cream, milk or powder, all of which contain a high level of saturated fat. Adding low-fat Greek yogurt instead will make your curry thick and creamy. If you like, add a tablespoon of gram flour, mixed with a little cold water. It is a low-fat, high-protein flour made from chickpeas.

You can also blend or puree fresh tomatoes and onions and use that as the base of your curry. Cook it in a little oil with your spices, for an aromatic, thick sauce.

Choose your protein carefully

There are no proteins you need to avoid in your curry: meat, fish, eggs, soya mince or chunks, beans and lentils are all good. If you choose lamb or beef, make sure to remove all the visible white fat, and remove the skin from chicken.

Whether or not you are vegetarian, lentils, canned beans or chickpeas make a great low-fat protein addition to your curry, with added fibre. You can make a dal with red lentils or with split mung beans in about 20 minutes as they cook quickly. You will find these lentils in the Asian food aisle of supermarkets. Or, add a handful of cooked lentils to any curry, which will also make it go further.

Tofu is a good substitute for paneer cheese, which is very high in saturated fat. Choose firm tofu, which will hold its shape, and cook it in an air fryer, or dry fry it in a non-stick wok or frying pan.

Rethink your sides

Curry is often served with a lot of side dishes: rice, breads, chutneys, pickles and papadums. They can add a lot of calories, which can lead to weight gain.

Think about swapping from white to brown rice. Brown rice is a wholegrain, which has more fibre. The same goes for chapatis – if you buy these, look for the brown, wholegrain varieties, or use wholemeal tortilla wraps. Avoid spreading butter or ghee on top.

Ready-cooked papadums are high in fat and salt. You can swap these for the raw ones, which are cheaper, and instead of frying them, as the packet often suggests, put them in the microwave for about a minute each to puff up.

Bought pickles are typically made with plenty of oil and salt and some chutneys can be high in sugar. Have smaller portions or make your own. Try carrot sticks mixed with tomato puree, lemon juice and a little chopped, fresh chilli or dried red chilli powder. You can sprinkle on sesame, onion or cumin seeds and you have a delicious accompaniment that also provides one of your 5-a-day. Another idea is to mix finely chopped tomatoes and diced red peppers with chilli and lemon juice.

For a healthy side, make your own raita with low-fat Greek yogurt, cucumber, fresh coriander leaves, black pepper and cumin seeds. There’s no need to add salt – if you like, top with pomegranate seeds for a beautiful, jewelled look.

• Find healthy curry recipes from around the world

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