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Live young with a healthy lifestyle
Live young with a healthy lifestyle

Healthy food options while choosing a north Indian spread

by Qua Nutrition Roti

North Indian food in comparison to the other cuisines in the world is richer where a number of dishes are made in pure ghee and doused in fresh cream. Be it makki ki roti with sarson ka saag, gajar ka halwa, and butter chicken or cholle puri, everyone talks about the irresistible treats that northern parts of India have to offer. Normally, the vegetables, daals, the tandoori chicken are the healthier options available.

Here, we have listed a few favorite north Indian food choices and have given them a few tweaks to make for a far more healthier option. So, you can have these mouthwatering food more often, without pilling on the calories.

Cholle bathura

One serving of this mouth watering food contains 522-580 calories from fat which accounts for 19.9g (34%) of fats, 72.2g (55%) of carbohydrates and 15d (11%) of proteins. This makes it a not so healthy dish to consume. A nutritional modification in terms of flour used to make bathura from refined flour (Maida) to whole wheat can be done that serves as a better nutritional value. Whole wheat contains several vitamins like folate, riboflavin and B vitamins like B1, B3 and B5. Also, it is higher in fiber contents and has low glycemic index. If you cannot do without the fried bhatura, make sure you soak up the excess oil in a tissue paper.

Aloo chaat

Aloo chaat is a popular street food available at every corner of Delhi. This tasty, appetizing dish is probably not that unhealthy but people who are under weight loss programme can modify it a little in order to relish its taste and enjoy without worrying about the food they consume. Since the aloos that are added in this chaat are deep fried crisp brown potatoes, they can be replaced with pulse or corns. Pan fried or baked potatoes with less oil can also be added to savor the taste. Serve it with different spices like chaat masala and pudina or tomato chutney for a delicious evening snack. One serving of aloo chat can give up to 350 calories (based on the serving size).

Butter chicken

As the name suggests butter chicken is loaded with butter and cream that makes it a high fat meal choice. 4-5 oz of one boneless chicken breast with sauce gives 483 calories with total fat of 28g, 14g of carbohydrates and 30g of protein. Opting in for low fat butter chicken by cooking in 2 teaspoons of oil and without butter can lower the fat intake without disturbing its aroma and flavors. Substituting half of the requirement of the cream with curd can further reduce the calorie intake and still make this dish your eternal favorite.


The famous North Indian dish that has gained popularity all over India, is not so healthy if fried and stuffed only with potatoes. What makes it even less healthy is the addition of butter. To enjoy this delicious food, manipulate the dough with other cereals like ragi, bajra, jovar, oats etc., in a higher proportion. A multitude of stuffing’s like paneer stuffing, peas, raddish, cabbage, capsicum, minced meats and a combination of vegetables like carrots, beans, mushrooms can be used to spike up the health and taste quotient. The roasting can be done in less oil or dry roasting it.

Palak paneer

A mouthwatering dish made from two extremely healthy ingredients: palak (spinach) and paneer (cottage cheese). What makes it unhealthy is the deep fried paneer which is the cooked in pureed spinach. The spinach contain vitamic C and B6, which are heat labile and can be lost when overcooked. Cottage cheese from skimmed milk can be chosen, can be used without frying, or shallow frying it or baking. A garnish of curd as against cream will give this dish the complete health makeover.