Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Chicken Korma
395 kcal a serving, against 643 for the traditional version. That is 248 kcal off, or 39%, with 54.2g of protein. Serves 4. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Chunks of chicken swimming in a pale yellow sauce made almost entirely of double cream, clarified butter, thick coconut cream and a massive handful of ground cashew nuts.
What changed, and what each change costs
50g of ghee and 150g of double cream for 15g of ghee and 250g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Ghee and cream are incredibly heavy. They numb the delicate spices and load the dish with fat. Fat-free Greek yoghurt gives you the thick, tangy dairy base you expect from a korma for a fraction of the cost.
What it costs you. You lose that ultra-rich, mouth-coating fat slick. The sauce is decidedly less heavy and lacks the buttery shine of a late-night takeaway.
100g of cashews down to just 30g
Nuts are fantastic for flavour but terrible if you want a large portion of food. By browning onions slowly and blending them with a small handful of cashews, you get the illusion of a rich nut paste without the massive hit to your daily intake.
What it costs you. What you've got is an onion-based curry with a nutty background note. A velvety nut soup anymore is a different dish and you know where to find it. The texture is slightly grainier than the original.
600g of chicken up to 800g
Dropping all that fat and dairy leaves a physical hole in your dinner. Packing the pan with extra chicken breast brings the volume back up and ensures you actually feel full after eating a plate of it.
What it costs you. Chicken breast can dry out very quickly if you boil it to death. You have to keep the heat low and respect the meat.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 643 | 395 |
| Protein | 41.2g | 54.2g |
| Fat | 46g | 13.2g |
| Saturated fat | 22.9g | 4.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 18.6g | 13.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.4g | 13.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk, nuts.
The method is in the book
This is a creamy, spiced chicken dinner that won't leave you feeling totally ruined. I stripped out the heavy dairy and the sugar, but kept the toasted spices and the thick sauce. You've got to be a bit more patient with the onions to build the flavour, but the trade is absolutely worth it. A massive portion of meat in a rich sauce that works brilliantly on a Tuesday night.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback