For those seeking to embrace a healthier lifestyle without sacrificing the vibrant flavors of Indian cuisine, exploring low-carb options can be a game-changer. This article delves into the world of low-carb Indian recipes, offering a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and non-vegetarian dishes that are both delicious and keto-friendly.
Understanding the Low Carb Diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. The key to any keto diet is to trigger the process called ketosis. A low-carb diet emphasizes foods low in net carbohydrates and high in protein and fat. There are several variations of this diet, such as the keto diet and others that are stricter with carbohydrate intake.
Navigating the Keto Landscape
There are many types of Keto diet, namely Strict (clean) keto, Dirty keto, and Lazy keto. It is essential to choose a plan that aligns with your individual needs and preferences. It's also important to consult with a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
Making Indian Food Keto-Friendly
Traditionally, Indian cuisine relies heavily on rice and bread. However, enjoying low-carb Indian meals is easy by simply switching out white rice or brown rice with cauliflower rice and substituting roti, naan, or parathas with low carb breads. Here are five ways to reduce carbs in your Indian diet:
- Choose low-carb snacks like low carb veggies and proteins (and if you’re not vegetarian, all meat curries - like butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, etc. are typically low carb)
- Decrease your refined sugar intake and use other sweetener options (monk fruit or stevia) instead
- Cut back on traditional bread and switch to a low carb bread option
- Avoid most legumes and rice (some dals are lower carb and can still work)
- Substitute low carb alternative flours (like almond flour, coconut flour, etc) to white or wheat flour
Vegetarian and Vegan Delights
This list of 80 vegetarian low carb Indian food recipes is filled with delicious Indian meals made of aromatic warm spices, vegetables, and more. Vegetable sabji, typical to Indian cuisine, is an easy side dish or main course and great to add to your rotation of low carb diet Indian recipes. It’s made up of sautéed vegetables that are cooked with savory Indian spices and is often served with roti, daal, and yogurt for added protein. This fried snack of Indian cabbage fritters is made with cabbage, onions, gram flour, herbs, and spices, and can be ready in just 30 minutes. The cabbage adds a delicious flavor while making the pakora crispy. This traditional Indian side dish is comprised of cabbage and peas, spiced with cumin seeds, coriander, and turmeric powder, and a kick of cayenne pepper. Savory and full of flavor, cauliflower sabji is an easy and healthy Indian side dish to make with its tantalizing curry spices. Mustard seeds, turmeric, red chili and coriander add tasty flavor to the low-carb, keto and vegan dish, which takes just 10 minutes to make! If you’re looking for keto Indian recipes, you have come to the right place! This ideal healthy dinner option is topped with fire-roasted tomatoes and chickpeas for an extra boost of protein. Mushroom masala is a delicious Indian curry recipe that incorporates button mushrooms. Ready to eat in 15 minutes with 1 pot, this Indian spiced curry has a delicious blend of flavors that is sure to satisfy. If you have leftovers, you’re in luck - the taste is even better the next day! Looking for low carb Indian vegetarian recipes? This is a keeper! Khamang Kakdi is a tantalizing staple of Maharashtrian cuisine, providing a refreshing and crunchy cucumber salad. This comforting low carb Indian food is the perfect dish to satisfy anyone - vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free eaters alike. Coconut chutney is a scrumptious South Indian accompaniment that can be enjoyed with a variety of breakfast and snack recipes like idli, dosa, uttapam and medu vada. Enjoy a vegan version of an Indian classic with palak tofu - the flavorful dish is just as fragrant, without the use of cheese. Dive into this amazing vegan alternative and experience a truly delicious palak paneer meal! Paneer butter masala is a favorite Indian gravy dish, and for good reason! Soft cubes of cottage cheese are coated in a creamy, flavorful tomato sauce, making it irresistibly tasty. Incorporating lentils and fresh veggies, this recipe is simple and straightforward to make. On top of being naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan, it’s packed with nutritious goodness and has the perfect balance of spices. Carrot halwa is great low carb Indian vegetarian food by slowly cooking grated red carrots in ghee, milk, khoya (mawa) and sugar. Use stevia or monk fruit to make this low carb friendly. This delicious vegan tikka masala with tofu is a breeze to make! This delicious twist on the classic gobi manchurian dish from Indian-Chinese restaurants features crispy baked cauliflower florets smothered in a sweet and spicy manchurian sauce. The aromatic flavors of cumin, mustard seeds, green chiles, and turmeric bring life to otherwise boring vegetables. Why You’ll Love It: The perfect low carb dessert! This unique dish is a vegan, gluten-free Indian carrot pudding flavored with fragrant cardamom. Serve it alone or add a topping of toasted nuts, seeds, and chia. Filled with flavorful spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and mustard seeds, these spices make any vegetable taste amazing. Common vegetables utilized in this sabji dishes include potatoes, cauliflower, peas, spinach, squashes, cabbage, and various others. Savor this indulgent and nutritious Golden Milk Latte with Turmeric! The flavor is divine, and every sip provides a bounty of antioxidants. Enjoy an effortless treat with this simple yet delicious recipe. Make sure to make it with full cream milk, unsweetened soy milk, coconut milk, or almond milk to keep this Indian recipe low in carbs. This tangy soup is made with tomatoes (tamatar) and lightly spiced with freshly-ground coriander (dhaniya). This recipe has a light taste and soft texture that pairs perfectly with spices and herbs, making for an enjoyable and nourishing meal. Why You’ll Love It: Spicy, tasty, and great texture - the most delicious way to enjoy okra! Okra is a great low carb and keto vegetable, and this recipe dresses it up to make it taste better than any okra recipe you’ve ever tried! The perfect blend of complex flavors involves cumin, coriander, and channa masala powder, all complemented by green chilies for added heat. This dish is made with tender ridge gourd, moong dal, coconut, and an aromatic mixture of spices. Olan is a classic dish in the South Indian feast Onam Sadhya. It’s made primarily of ash gourd or winter melon, which is the low carb star of this flavorful dish. The array of vegetables in Aviyal - carrots, green beans, cucumber, potato, tindora, pumpkin, and drumstick (mooring) - form an intricate blend that is stirred in a thick and creamy coconut-based sauce seasoned with fiery chilies and aromatic curry leaves. Pineapple coconut chaat is a flavorful low carb Indian snacks that is typically served as an appetizer or side dish. It is a mix of crunchy pineapple, sweet coconut, herbal and spicy chutneys, and tangy tamarind sauce. Kerala egg roast masala is a keto Indian veg recipe made with boiled eggs simmered in an aromatic tomato-based curry sauce! Mixed vegetable vindaloo is warm, comforting, and packed with flavor! Featuring homemade vindaloo paste and a medley of fresh vegetables, it’s a great hearty dinner option. Replace the potatoes with zucchini and/or broccoli for a lower carb option. Onion raita is an Indian side dish made with minimal ingredients. If you’re looking for delicious keto Indian vegetarian recipes, try this one! Rasam, a staple South Indian soup, is a much-loved dish known for its heat and spiciness. Create a hearty, flavorful meal quickly and easily with Punjabi cauliflower dish! Replace the potatoes with more cauliflower, broccoli, or green beans for a vegetarian Indian keto friendly recipe. Enjoy this delicious sabut masoor dal with cauliflower rice or a low carb tortilla an easy mid-week meal. Are you ready for your next curry night? Then try this tasty, spicy, bhindi bhaji recipe! Sev tameta nu shaak is an amazing Kathiyawadi Gujarati curry. This onion bhaji recipe is the best! It creates fantastically delicious onion fritters that are vegan, gluten-free, and tastier than any store-bought variant. Samosas, an Indian deep-fried snack, deliver a tantalizing taste all on their own. But if you’d like to take your savory snack to the next level, serve them with chutneys! It can be used as a dip for samosa chaat or as a marinade for meat and fish. Although it takes a bit of time to cook, most of it’s passive cooking time, so it’s still simple to make. Whether you’re hosting a BBQ or simply looking for a delicious dinner side dish, you can enjoy air fryer Indian cauliflower bites with ease. These eggplant slices are seasoned with traditional spices and then cooked in an air-fryer for a crispy, flavorful outcome. This delicious saag paneer dish is a fan favorite! Made with swiss chard, it has a lightly spiced, creamy flavor that is sure to please. In North India, this delicious and nutritious bathua raita is a winter staple. Fresh spinach leaves and desi ghee are the perfect combination for this classic dish. If you’re in search of a low carb Indian meals mushroom dish that is simple, nutritious, and deliciously spiced, then look no further! A popular summer vegetable in India, it pairs exceptionally well with freshly made low carb chapatis or Indian rotis. Matar kulche is an iconic street food dish from Delhi, India. If you’re trying to create an easy and tasty curry, look no further! Eggplant is naturally low carb, and we have elevated it in this curry by pairing it with warm spices and aromatics. Omit the chickpeas for a lower carb option, or replace them with paneer! Our low carb Indian food list wouldn’t be complete without paneer tikka, a flavorful Indian starter or appetizer! Tandoori cauliflower - also known as gobi tikka - is a flavorful, healthy, and low-carb Indian appetizer or snack that is truly unique. Keto Indian foods like this are hard to find! This keto Indian recipe is an easy, flavorful, and nutritious side dish featuring warm Indian spices. This deliciously flavorful sabzi is a classic Indian-style dish made with potatoes and cabbage. Unlike many Indian restaurant dishes, this home-cooked meal uses only moderate amounts of spices, yet it is still packed with flavor and tastes so much better. Replace the potatoes with green beans for a lower carb option. This Broccoli palak dal recipe is a tasty fusion dish that offers a nutritious blend of lentils, broccoli, and spinach. This snack, which is usually associated with Christmastime, but can be enjoyed year round, is a great option for those looking for a healthy and low carb treat. Quinoa pidi kozhakattai is a delicious and nutritious way to celebrate: it’s a steamed dumpling made with cooked quinoa and enhanced with a spicy tempering. Why You’ll Love It: Looking for low carb Indian vegetarian lunch recipes? This Manchurian dish of golden soya chunks cooked in a flavorful gravy will become one of your go-to favorites. This low carb vegetarian Indian recipe is an amazing blend of smoky eggplant, garlic, ginger, spices, and tomatoes. To maximize the flavor, choose the traditional method of smoking whole eggplants on an open flame, or take a shortcut with the sauté method. Combining just a few everyday pantry staples such as tomato, onion and cucumber, all that’s needed is a quick chop, a light toss and you’re all done - no cooking required! Why You’ll Love It: The spice base can be used with any low-carb vegetable! Recreating the delicious Bombay aloo in your own kitchen is an easy task. When you’re in search of a healthy, meat-free option that’s full of flavor, look no further than low fat Indian dahl. This delicious and nutritious vegan and gluten-free green moong dal curry is like receiving a comforting hug in a bowl! Why You’ll Love It: This popular Mumbai street food dish is vegan, naturally gluten-free, and easy to make! A favorite Indian street food, this dish is prepared on a large Tawa (flat cast-iron or aluminum plate). Turn this recipe into a true Indian low carb veg breakfast by replacing the quinoa with millet! With an array of colors, a few key ingredients and some sauces, you can create a flavorful snack or accompaniment to steamed rice or noodles. This recipe has a flavor that is reminiscent of what you’d find at the best Indian restaurants, and tastes so good it satisfy even the pickiest eaters! The best part? Packed with classic Indian flavors we combine broccoli and potatoes for a mouth-watering side dish that is guaranteed to become a family favorite. It’s already low in net carbs, but to make it into a true keto-friendly version, replace the potatoes with cauliflower. With a combination of nutritious vegetables, flavorful spices, and seasonings, it is sure to please your taste buds. Dal, a traditional Indian favorite, is a beloved dish found in takeaways and restaurants across the country and beyond. This recipe is composed of two parts: first the masala gravy or base is prepared, and then the mutter paneer is cooked using the freshly-made masala as one of the ingredients. This simple and easy mushroom bhaji recipe is a tomato-based curry bursting with flavor. Bursting with savory and creamy flavors, the veggies come out soft and tender. With a simple set of ingredients, this Indian-inspired kara kuzhambu (or kara kulambu) dish is a quick and easy weeknight dinner solution. Modaks are soft and chewy treats that resemble steamed momos. They are usually constructed with a rice flour shell, although wheat flour is sometimes used. We recommend a combination of almond and coconut flours for this recipe, and to use either monk fruit or stevia for a sweetener option. If you love Indian cuisine, then you can continue to love it because there are some low-carb, Indian, vegetarian recipes out there!
Read also: Safety of Low-Carb Diets During Lactation
Delicious Soups
Here are five of our favorite soups that are hearty, warming, and flavor-packed. From the restaurant-favorite Mulligatawny soup to the Lemon coriander soup and a simple tomato beet soup (serve with keto croutons or chips) these one-pot soups are also easy to make.
Flavorful Sides
From the whole Tandoori Cauliflower to Gobi Manchurian and Spicy Tofu Lettuce Wraps, these vegetarian dishes are perfect with a crunchy salad or raita.
Chicken Curries and Protein-Packed Dishes
From Korma to Vindaloo and Tikka Masala to Karahi, I am sharing our family's favorite chicken curries. These curries are perfect to pair with low-carb bread or rice. Protein- packed recipes like Tandoori Chicken, Chili Chicken, Tandoori fish, and kebobs pair well with crunchy salads.
Keto Chicken Tikka Masala
This easy keto chicken tikka masala needs only 25 minutes to cook! It's a simple yet impressive low carb dinner that the whole family will enjoy, whether they're following a keto diet or not. Fry the chicken for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden and almost cooked through. About 8 minutes in total. Remove from the pan.Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and fry the onions for 3 minutes on a medium heat until golden. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and fry for 1 more minute until fragrant. Add the passata and tomato puree. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes or until thick.Add the cream and optional low carb sweeter. Net carbs: 7g per portion.
Low Carb Chicken Biryani
Low Carb Chicken Biryani is Keto Indian Food at its best. I feel like a genius for having created a low carb "biryani" today, that tastes as good as one with rice, but without the rice. Several of you also asked for a lower-carb version, and this morning, I came up with this Keto Chicken Biryani. Low carb. Packed with flavor. One pot meal.
Read also: Best keto-friendly chips
Sweet Endings
Do you crave something sweet after Indian food? Hope you enjoy these low-carb Indian recipes.
Low Carb Indian Chicken Skillet
This low carb Indian chicken skillet has incredible flavor with spiced cauliflower rice, chicken thighs and green beans. Cauliflower rice is one of my favorite side dishes, because it's easy to cook and so versatile- you can really get creative with the flavors!
Low-Carb Breads
There are a few low-carb flatbreads and tortillas you can buy to substitute traditional bread. I have tried mission foods low carb tortillas, available in most grocery stores, and Siete foods' grain-free tortillas available in Whole Foods. Which Roti has less carbs? The best low carb roti is either a coconut flour roti or an almond flour roti. A soya roti (made from soybean flour) could also be a good option for an Indian roti when you’re wanting to stick to low-carb ingredients.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I used chicken breast, but skinless chicken thighs will work just as well (and are a little cheaper). If possible, go for free range organic.
- Yoghurt: The yoghurt helps make the chicken more tender and gives a nice fresh kick. Use either plain full fat yoghurt or Greek yogurt (or sour cream). If you are dairy free, choose a coconut yoghurt instead.
- Butter and heavy cream: To add scrumptiousness to this dish! For a dairy free option, gor for coconut oil/olive oil and coconut milk instead.
- Tomato passata and tomato puree: Choose a good quality passata or chopped tomatoes.
- Onion, garlic, ginger, spices: It's the spices that make a dish! Fresh garlic and ginger will ALWAYS taste superior to dried.
Tips and Tricks
- Adjust the chili: Depending on how hot you like your curries, feel free to crank up the chili - or use cayenne pepper. Start with ½ teaspoon. Adjust the chili when you put the chicken back in the pan. Adding it here will allow the first spices to concentrate before adding more.
- Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. This chicken tikka recipe is great for meal prep. Once you have tried it once (and I'm certain you'll end up loving it), double or triple the dish and freeze in portions.
Read also: Best Keto Tortillas