Green chutney is the lightest condiment in Indian cooking. Two tablespoons: 12-15 calories. Made from mint, coriander, green chilli, and lemon, it is essentially blended herbs with zero oil in the basic version. Compare that to 2 tbsp coconut chutney (35 cal) or pickle (28 cal). If you need flavour without calories, green chutney is … Read more
Two tablespoons of coconut chutney is 35 calories. Most South Indians eat 3-4 tablespoons with each dosa or idli, plus refills. A typical South Indian breakfast with unlimited chutney can include 60-100g of coconut chutney: 70-115 calories from the accompaniment alone. The idli is 40 calories. The chutney can cost more than the main dish. … Read more
Home raita with plain curd and cucumber: 60 calories per bowl. Restaurant raita with cream, boondi, and extra salt: 150 calories. Boondi raita: 120 calories because the fried boondi adds 40-60 calories of oil. The curd is light. What goes into it determines whether raita is a diet food or a calorie trap. Raita is … Read more
One tablespoon of Indian pickle is 25-30 calories. That sounds harmless. But most Indians eat 2-3 tablespoons per meal, twice a day. That is 100-180 invisible calories daily from pickle alone. 3,000-5,400 calories per month. Nearly half a kilogram of fat per month from something nobody counts. Pickle is the most overlooked calorie source in … Read more