Low-Fat Curry Recipes - Indian and Thai

Growing up in Thailand, I was so lucky to have savory curry dishes for dinner at least three or four times a week. Curry is a very popular dish there. I remember how my grandmother spent hours in the kitchen grinding the aromatic spices, roasting them, patiently cooking them with meat and a variety of vegetables, then giving her curry the delectable final touch with fresh fragrant herbs.

Curry originated in India. Indian cuisine is so ancient and regionally diverse that they have several hundred kinds of curries. Their exquisite culinary arts have influenced other world major cuisines from Southeast Asia, Africa to the Caribbean. In this article, I will talk about some of my favorite Indian and Thai curry recipes. Indian and Thai curries are quite similar, except for that the essence of Indian curries is in the grand array of spices whereas Thai curries' delicacy relies more on the herbs.

The best thing about these curry recipes is that they are quick, easy and low-fat. Now living in California, I can't prepare curries the traditional way like my grandmother did, due to the lack of fresh ingredients, time and of course my beloved Grandma. So here you will learn how to cook curries the convenient way and reduce saturated fat for better health. Now let's embark on the curry quest!

If you mention this dish in Thailand, Thai people would probably think it is pretty funky. We don't usually cook tofu and curry together. I was introduced to tofu curry the first time here in California by my old boss, Stacie. And I was quite impressed! This unorthodox Thai curry is very quick and easy, a perfect recipe for people who are not a big fan of labor-intensive culinary arts.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

12 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, cubed

1 1/2 tbsps Thai red curry paste

1 tsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsps fish sauce

1 cup light coconut milk

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup shredded sweet basil leaves

2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add curry paste and keep stirring until the spices become fragrant.
• Add coconut milk. Stir constantly until the spices are well blended with the coconut milk (about 1 - 2 minutes).
• Stir in tofu, red bell pepper, zucchini and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally. Let simmer for about 8 - 10 minutes.
• Add fish sauce and brown sugar.
• Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sweet basil and kaffir lime leaves.

This is my favorite Indian curry. Some other vindaloo recipes may include coconut milk, but I prefer it without. If you don't want your chicken vindaloo to be sweetish-tasting, you can replace cider vinegar with the distilled white variety.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks

2 tbsps. vegetable oil

1 medium-size onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tbsp ground coriander

2 tsps ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onion. Keep stirring until it turns light brown.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add chicken and cook until the chicken pieces are browned.
• Remove chicken and onion from the skillet. Set aside on a plate.
• Put vinegar into the same skillet. Add coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, turmeric and garlic. Cook with the browned bits of onion and chicken left in the skillet for about five minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Add chicken broth. Put chicken and onion back into the skillet.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet and let simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes until chicken is tender.
• Remove from stove. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves (optional).

Grilled fish tikka is very simple to prepare. The secret of its delightful taste is in the flavorful curry marinade. You can either eat it as a main course with steamed rice or as a light and nutritious appetizer.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

1 1/2 lbs skinless fish fillets (preferably salmon or swordfish, but any kind of firm fish will work)

salt and lime wedges

(For the tikka marinade)

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsps vegetable oil

Preparation

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the fish fillets and make sure the marinade coats the fish evenly. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• Sprinkle the fish with salt. Barbeque on a grill until the fish turns lightly brown and flakes easily.
• Put the fish fillets on a serving plate. Squeeze lime wedges over them. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Choo chee is a very popular curry in Thailand. Besides shrimp choo chee, the Thais also love to make it with fish fillets and scallops. This Thai curry is supposed to be gently spicy, not fiery hot.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

3/4 lbs medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 cup light coconut milk

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

1/4 cup water

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

a handful of fresh sweet basil leaves

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Stir in curry paste and cook until the spices release their fragrance.
• Add coconut milk and cook until well blended.
• Add fish sauce, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Stir occasionally.
• Turn the heat up to medium. Stir in shrimp and sweet basil leaves. Cook until shrimp curl and turn pink (about 2 minutes).