大象传媒

We鈥檝e had some great comments on this subject on the 大象传媒 Food Q&A messageboard 鈥� many posters questioned the idea that some foods or cuisine types are good for you, and other foods unhealthy. Do tell us what you think.

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Dee: I don't believe that any cuisine is intrinsically "bad" for you and that all our diets should be balanced and varied overall - don't worry too much if one meal/day hasn't been a model of healthy eating. I generally bake lots of things that are traditionally fried (samosas, sausages, fishcakes, for example) because I find it easier and safer and I don't own a deep fryer. Poppadoms are stacked two at a time in the microwave (no need for added oil). How do I ensure that it is good for me? Well, in truth, I don't really. My main priority for any meal is how does it taste? Then followed by balance (that is texture, colour, food groups, etc.). I would generally sacrifice "health" for taste on an individual meal basis though.

cookalot: When I cook curry at home its generally a veggie one, with plain boiled rice so I reckon that's reasonably good for you. Favourite choices are cauliflower, chickpeas, spinach or mushrooms. When I have a curry out, or takeaway, I tend to go for the richer "treats" such as korma, butter chicken etc.

Evita: My curries at home are generally healthier than a restaurant. I mix lots of veg with whichever meat I'm using, don't use butter and nuke my poppadoms. When I go to a good restaurant there's no holds barred, I'll choose what I feel like eating regardless of the ingredients and cooking method, but that doesn't happen often.

Karadekoolaid: I cook Indian food at home at least twice a week. How do I make sure it's healthy? First of all, I rarely cook meat; vegetables, lentils, yes; fish or shellfish occasionally. Secondly, whilst I don't skimp on the ghee when I use it, I don't use it all the time, especially if I'm cooking South Indian food. I often find industrial rapeseed oil is good; high smoke point, almost no taste. Thirdly, I use very fresh vegetables. Fourthly, I exercise portion control. Whilst I might cook up to seven or eight dishes, it's a little of this and a little of that. Kachumbars (little salads) and raitas are always present, as is rice. Breads are kept to a minimum. Would I sub tofu for paneer? Or brown rice for white? Or low-fat yogurt for full fat? No I wouldn't - I think they all taste ghastly! However, I've got wonderful metabolism and, were I 40kg overweight, I might well look to the subs. My body tend to tell me when I'm full up or stuffed! There are times when I'll simply eat a plate of salad for lunch to balance out the heavy foods of previous meals.

Mrs Vee: Frankly, I find the idea that some foods are 'healthy' and some foods are 'bad for you' utterly ridiculous. It's a completely skewed way of thinking IMO and does nothing to further the cause of genuinely healthy eating. Healthy to me means having everything in moderation. If I want a curry tonight made with ghee and cream and a couple of deep-fried samosas on the side, I鈥檒l have it; chances are tomorrow I鈥檒l have a salad for lunch and baked beans on two slices of wholemeal for dinner. Moderation in all things, see? The day I start eating foods because they're 'good for me' is the day I need to get out of the kitchen. Permanently.

homeend: I am big fan of dal, which is a basic part of most Indian dishes.

KaveyF: Indian food is not inherently unhealthy. Of course, the ghee-laden dishes that are made for celebrations (weddings and so on) are pretty calorific. And the kind of food made for banquets or at restaurants which are meant to be a bit of a treat. But what Indians make and eat at home is not, these days, so high fat. My mum (Mamta) reduces the amount of fat in many of her recipes, and often uses vegetable oils rather than ghee - unless ghee is integral to the dish. Many of her dishes are healthy and nutritious.

We鈥檝e had even more comments on this issue on the messageboard, with many posters making the distinction between ordinary, home-cooked Indian food and anglicised take-away dishes that include heavy curries and deep-fried snacks; many people are also still questioning the notion of 鈥榟ealthy鈥�. Do share your view.

Mamta: Most of my dishes at home are healthy and nutritious when I am cooking for us. As with every other food, if you eat out a lot or cook for parties etc, it can be a bit more fried and with higher fat, sugar, salt, just like any other food. This is not specific to Indian food. People base their conception of Indian food being unhealthy on the 'curries' they eat at restaurant. I hardly ever make fried stuff, roast my popodoms under a grill, as most Indians do in India, don't butter my chapatties, don鈥檛 add ghee/oil to dough, eat a lot of vegetables. Even meat-eater Indians do not eat meat everyday in India. So, you apply exactly the same principles of healthy eating to Indian food as you do to any other type of food. No special recipes are required. There is no secret special to healthy Indian food.

jonnynic: The term "healthy" really gets on my nerves. I hear it everyday from the same people saying to themselves before they eat "hmmm a nice healthy lunch". Big deal. You don't have to sit their and convince yourself that what you're about to eat might be the best thing for you. Everything is healthy in moderation. Bottom line. Everything is good for you. It's only bad for you if you sit their scoffing your face with 10 samosas or onion bhajis which are saturated in oil. I saw a post on this thread saying that they don鈥檛 cook with meat to make their curry healthy. I mean sorry but that is a ridiculous comment. When was chicken ever bad for you? Turkey ever bad for you? I myself like to make homemade curries, but I would never sit there and substitute anything for an apparent "healthier" option.

meto: It would never have occurred to me that Indian food wasn't healthy except for the occasional poor quality dish which is unnecessarily drowning in oil, though that is hardly representative and easily avoidable by going elsewhere. The dishes I cook at home, usually two plus rice or a paratha, have nothing unhealthy in them. Deep-fried onion bhaji and small samosas are an occasional treat. It seems a shame to downgrade them to dry baked things, some of which taste more like cardboard to me. I don't eat ghee or sweet desserts, although ice cream is usually pretty good in restaurants and is only a scoop anyway. I liked the approach of a lady chef in a programme a little while ago where she cooked dishes with many fewer calories by making similar food rather than by taking a dish and trying to reduce the calorific content of it.

Bozorghmehr: I am Anglo-Indian, so I eat Indian food fairly regularly at home, but I don't know why so many people see Indian food as intrinsically unhealthy, except that it might be something to do with takeouts giving it a bad reputation. But how to ensure the diet is healthy? I eat a lot of lentils and chickpeas. However, I never use any fat like olive oil just because it is 'more healthy'. I always insist on ghee.

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A good thing to watch out for is vegetable oil - often one is unclear as to what vegetables are used to make the oil which could include heavy coconut oils.

What are the fillings in the samosas in Dubai? Are they any different to the peas and potato ones in the UK and Asia?