The healthiest curries from your local takeout – and which family favourite is actually a hidden calorie bomb

It is consistently voted Britain’s favourite dish – not fish and chips, or roast beef and yorkshire pudding, but curry.

Indeed, we are a nation of curry lovers, with almost nine in ten of us enjoying them and tucking into one, on average, at least five times a month.

Chicken tikka masala, butter chicken and korma dishes – the milder end of the spectrum – regularly top polls. 

But with an estimated 8,000 Indian restaurants across the UK and 2,000 Thai takeaways, there is an almost bewildering variety to choose from.

And the good news is, by judiciously picking your dish, curry can also be a healthy option. 

Vince Kelly, a culinary lecturer from Capital City College and member of Culinary Medicine UK, told the Daily Mail that he regards Indian food among the healthiest takeaways. 

He said: ‘These dishes is rich in spices with anti-inflammatory properties, vegetables, pulses, and lean proteins, such as chicken. 

‘One of the best things about an Indian takeaway is the array and vibrancy of spices and colour that it brings to the plate. 

‘If you have ever heard of the “30 different plants a week” rule, it includes not just fruit and vegetables but also spices and having a portion of Indian food definitely contributes to the variety we have in our diet.’ 

Emily Lenoir, Registered Associate Nutritionist (AfN) & Behaviour Change Coach at Voy echoes the sentiment, adding that Indian food’s natural reliance on pungent, anti-oxidant rich spices such as turmeric, cumin, ginger and fenugreek have been scientifically proven to benefit our health.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘Curcumin in turmeric may help reduce inflammation, ginger can support gut health and cardamom may aid blood sugar regulation.

‘Together, these spices enrich meals and, when used regularly, contribute to long-term wellbeing.

‘Equally important is Indian cuisine’s reliance on fresh vegetables, lentils, legumes and whole grains, providing fibre, plant-based protein and micronutrients such as iron, folate and zinc.

While other nutritionists regard Thai as a healthier option.  

‘Thai food is a vibrant blend of herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients that makes it one of the more flavourful—and potentially healthier—takeaway options,’ says Kerry Beeson, a Nutritional Therapist from meal service Prep Kitchen.

‘You’ll also find some authentic Thai vegetables like pea aubergines, which are full of fibre, antioxidants, potassium, and magnesium.

‘Compared to typical Western fast food, Thai dishes are often lower in saturated fats and made with aromatic herbs like coriander, garlic, and ginger. 

‘Garlic is a Thai staple, it is a natural antimicrobial and prebiotic, and great for gut health.

‘Thai food is also flavoured with spicy ginger, which helps reduce inflammation and soothe digestion, and the signature spice in Thai food: the chilli pepper.

‘Chillies contain capsaicin, which improves circulation and blood flow. They are also a known aphrodisiac!’

However before you take the experts’ enthusiasm for Indian food as carte blanche to tuck into a takeaway curry every night, Mr Kelly is keen to stress that when it comes to ordering in, you can’t be sure you’re your getting the cuisine’s full benefits… but you can be sure you’re getting a lot of fat.

Much Indian food relies heavily on coconut oil, cream and ghee, a form of clarified butter.

The NHS advises that no more than 35 per cent of our daily calories should come from fat—around 30g per day for men, and 20g per day for women—with a maximum of 11 per cent coming from saturated fat.

Fat is vital for helping the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, and is also converted into energy.

However, eating too much fat can lead to obesity, which an increasing number of scientific studies has linked to a string of serious, life-limiting health conditions including obesity, heart disease, and dementia.

So here are how to pick the healthiest options according to nutritionists.  

Vegetable curries 

Swapping meat for fish or vegetables is one of the experts’ top tips for making your Indian takeaway healthier, and you can also explore some of the country’s incredible vegetarian dishes. 

It’s estimated that nearly 40 per cent of Indian population is vegetarian, so when it comes to vegetable dishes, they truly know their stuff.  

Mr Kelly said: ‘A baji—not to be mistaken with a deep fried bhaji—is a sautéed or lightly stewed mix of vegetables cooked with spices rather than batter and oil. 

‘This gives you gut-boosting fibre, volume and micronutrients without the heavy calories of rich curries.’ 

Ms Lenoir agrees, and names chana masala, a dish made from chickpeas simmered in tomato and onion, as her top pick. 

 She added: ‘Tomato-based curries like vegetable jalfrezi (300-450 calories per serving) are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, while mixed vegetable curries offer a rainbow of nutrients that support immune and metabolic wellbeing.’ 

‘Unlike cream-based curries, daals are water-based and naturally lower in fat.’

Daals 

Daals are a form of soup or stew made from dried, split pulses such as lentils, peas, and beans, and flavoured with an array of spices. 

Usually served with rice or roti—a traditional flaked bread—they are a staple food on the Indian subcontinent and within the diaspora. 

The famous variety, dal tadka, a spiced lentil curry which is naturally high in protein and fibre while being naturally low in saturated fat, typically contains just 280 calories. 

Mr Kelly also speaks highly of dal, least of all as they are ‘one of the most climate-friendly choices’ on the menu. 

He said: ‘Lentils provide plant protein plus soluble fibre that slows digestion, improves fullness and benefits cholesterol.

Bhuna

If you’re worried that curries are off the menu then don’t fret—you can still indulge, as long as you keep away from creamy and oily sauces. 

‘Creamy curries like chicken korma or butter chicken can reach 800–900 calories per serving, mainly from cream, butter and nuts,’ explained Ms Lenoir. 

‘Similarly, lamb rogan josh is flavourful but often higher in saturated fat when prepared with fatty cuts of meat.’

Mr Kelly agrees, citing both types of dishes as good nutrition no-no’s. 

‘The most calorie-dense items on the menu have cream, butter and sugar leaning gravies, combining saturated fat with curry pastes that can be high in refined sugar.’ 

This combination means high levels of saturated fat and a spike in blood sugar. 

Dishes which involve cooking lamb long and slow can also be a calorific bomb—a lamb rogan josh can reach 600 calories per serving.

This is because lamb can release and retain fat, and it’s often served in thick oil-based gravies, making the dishes even richer. 

But if you can’t skip curry, Mr Kelly advises choosing a bhuna dish, which usually hover around the 350 calories per portion mark. 

What is referred to as a ‘dry curry’, the base of the dish are fried down onions and tomatoes, with meat or vegetables added in. 

To finish, it is baked in the oven, causing the sauce to cling to the meat rather than leaving it floating in oil or cream. 

‘This ‘reduction instead of enrichment’ technique creates intensity without adding fat,’ explained Mr Kelly. 

‘You get robust flavour at a lower calorific cost.’

Saag Aloo

One of the most famous Indian dishes of carefully spiced potato and spinach, saag aloo is a winning choice when ordering in.

It uses modest amounts of oil, and is flavoured with antioxidant-packed spices cumin, mustard and asafoetida—made from fennel root—along with a generous dose of garlic and ginger.

Mr Kelly said: ‘The leafy greens supply iron, folate and antioxidants while the fibre from both the spinach and potato moderates blood sugar absorption.

‘It is flavour dense without being calorie dense.’

You can expect a portion of saag aloo from a takeaway to clock in at no more than 350 calories.

Massaman curry with chicken

Vibrant curries are a staple of any Thai menu, but one in particular should be enjoyed in moderation. 

A major ingredient in Thai cuisine is coconut milk, making many of the creamier dishes suitable for vegans and people with dairy allergies and intolerances.   

‘It’s also rich in medium–chain fatty acids like lauric acid and caprylic acid, which are converted into ketones that the body can use for energy without affecting blood glucose,’ says Ms Beeson. 

‘They also have antimicrobial and anti–inflammatory properties. 

Ms Beeson estimates that a typical serving of a massaman curry, which is made with a dense combination of coconut cream, potatoes, and peanuts, can have 540 calories per serving, and 20g of fat. 

‘Whilst it’s full of Thai flavours, it’s one of the most calorific Thai curries due to its high fat and carb content, and often lowest in vegetables,’ she says. 

‘It’s usually served with white rice, which can significantly increase the calorie content (by about 200 calories) and offers little in the way of nutritional value.’