‘Indian Chinese’ as we can all call is one of the most popular and loved cuisines. The correct balance of sweet sour perfect hotness makes really mouth-watering. Also it not too spicy as it uses far less spices which is present in the other forms of Indian cuisine because if this we might end up eating a few moss ales extra! The reason to open my write up with ‘Indian’ Chinese is that the taste has been modified to suit the Indian palate which is quite different from the authentic Chinese cuisine. One of the major modifications would be the use of oil which is quantities much higher than the authentic one. That is one reason why the Chinese cuisine in India appears tasty but unfortunately from the nutrition point of view it would not be all that healthy.
But there are a lot of dishes which can still relished in the Chinese cuisine which can be correct for the purpose of your weight management so when you step out you are going to follow smart eating !
If we choose course wise then..
APPETIZERS
Try to pick up options which are not deep fried but either stir fried or steamed options. A few examples Prawns/chicken/vegetable momos, some other form of dimsums like suimai or chee cheong fun. These are all steamed and so are quite healthy over the other fried options. Some stir fry veggies with either chicken or fish are also good options. One request can be made to add less oil while stir frying the veggies. I am sure the standard Chinese restaurants will definitely appreciate and consider this.
SOUP
If the choice for the meal is to settle on a soup and an appetizer choosing a filling soup which would be thick is good. Some examples are chicken, crabmeat or a vegetable soup. Depending on the choice of the flavour it can be a mildly flavoured to a spicy choice hot and sour soup. One thing you need to be careful about it though is the amount of cornflour added to the soup. Suggest less addition of cornflour in the soup.
If the choice of the day is to consume a proper meal then the choice of the soup can be a clear one like clear chicken soup or lemon coriander soup with veggies or still better is tofu and spinach clear soup. Ask for low oil content of the soup an share it one by two!
MAIN COURSE
Choose gravies with steamed veggies over fried ones, tofu, chicken or fish so choose the steamed options over the deep fried. The sauces could include anyone that do use less oil in it like sweet and sour sauce with tofu/chicken and veggies. Along with this order for streamed rice or brown rice even better over fried rice. You may have to avoid eating hakka noodles as it may contain a high fat content. A chow Mein would also be one more option to consider. But mind the portion size control of the main course as it may lead to calorie loading If consumed in excess.
One very important instruction which must be insisted upon is the use of minimal MSG (monosodium glutamate) or total elimination of it when making your meals.
So enjoy your Chinese food over the weekends guilt free! Happy eating to all