Curries go ghee-free
Caroline Davies, The Observer | Sunday 21 June 2009
It may be one of Britain’s most popular foods, but curry has not had the healthiest of images. That may now change.
Dishes drowning in ghee – clarified butter – send alarm signals out to nutritionists, and for good reason. Recent studies show that those in the south Asian community have a 50% chance of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease.
Now the Aga Khan, head of the Ismaili Muslim community, has launched a project to transform the eating habits of south Asian households. An online nutrition centre, launched last week by the Aga Khan Health Board for the UK, in conjunction with the Department of Health, will feature a library of authentic recipes and is aimed at families who enjoy African, central and south Asian and Middle Eastern food.
The leading Indian dietitian and TV presenter Azmina Govindji said: “We know that there is an increasing incidence of certain conditions within the south Asian community, typically type-two diabetes and coronary heart disease. And one of the ways to prevent these conditions is by providing healthy recipes for a diet traditionally eaten within the south Asian community.”
Working on the traffic-light system of red, amber and green, website users can call up familiar recipes to check their fat content. “For example, a lamb biryani can have very high levels, but lentil-based dishes, like a dhal, can be healthy,” Govindji said.
The site will suggest which ingredients can be replaced by healthier alternatives without losing the overall taste.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/21/curries-ghee-free-south-asia
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/uk-to-promote-gheefree-indian-food/480300/
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/9742/uk-promote-ghee-free-indian.html
Ismailimail 
I was interested to read this article in last Sunday’s Observer that there is finally going to be a major campaign led by the Aga Khan Health Board for the UK against the fat content of the diet of most South Asians which leads to appalling rates of heart disease and diabetes both in immigrant and native communities. Surely, a more obvious cause of ill-health among these populations is refined, white rice which is commonly eaten up to three times a day in most communities and which nutritionally is little better than pure sugar. No wonder at least 10% of the Indian population of 1.2+ billion suffer from diabetes. I have seen poor farmers in both rural China and India harvesting rice and sending it off to factories to be refined thus having all its nutrition removed. It is then returned for them to purchase. At the same time I visited a health centre which ground up wholegrains for distribution among outlying villages for them to use as porridge. When I ask my Chinese or Indian friends why they eat white, instead of brown or unrefined, rice they say that it “softer”, “nicer” or “easier to cook” while some of them do remember their parents preparing rice almost straight from the fields. A simple change in culture to persuade Asian peoples to eat some unrefined rice would, I’m sure, result in major health benefits. What is the use of massively expanding rice yields when the end product is so disastrous for the consumers.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Stan Morton,
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Dear Dr. Morton – your comment highlights that things are often more complex than they seem. Certainly high carbs and the type of carbs play a big factor, as do trans fats and cholesterol. Genetics is also at play as it has been shown that South Asian vasculature is often more rigid and is smaller. Additionally, it seems that metabolizing of LDL may also be connected to genetics in some of these populations.
Certain things you can change and some things you can’t, so nothing against doing all we can. I’m simply pointing out, however, that not all is because of intake.
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Hi
I read about Curries ghee free article and I agree with it. We run cookery classes under the name of Coriander Connections in Hong Kong. We teach how to cook authentic Pakistani & Indian dishes using vegetable oil. Participants feed back was it’s very very tasty & not heavy. We also talk about the health benefits of individual spices before we start cooking. We show them how to cook basmati rice in a healthier way.
I would be interested to help you in this project. Also if you have any suggestion will be helpful for us.
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Very interesting article. We have not used ghee for ages.
I am interested in the following publication Where is it available?
The Composition and Nutrient Content of Foods Commonly Consumed by South Asians in the UK by Patricia A Judd, Tashmin Kassam-Khamis, Jane Thomas. Published by the Aga Khan Health Board for the UK, 2000.
ISBN 0-9537882-3-7.
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So much fuss. Each body is like a bank account. If you take in more than you use, you grow. With your doctor and understanding of your own set of health parameters (genetics, metabolism, lifestyle) ..you either learn to save or to spend . For anything, weight, cholesterol, Vitamins, etc etc. Simple as that.
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I think at the moment the most important think is awareness and educating people how to cook for e.g. Curry without frying onions? Which really is difficult for those who had been cooking for years and years? Majority of women in our community don’t use computer so they have very limited choice.
At the same time family has developed the taste and they way they have been fed. So it’s a big challenge for the person who is cooking and the family too.
In my opinion finding the ways for them and approaching them and giving them practical evidence that for e.g. curry can be cooked in healthier way or Asian food can be cooked in healthier way.
Like I cook curry in 5 to 6 tbs vegetable oil if frying onions.
Other option is 1 tbs oil and curry gives same taste, colour and flavour.
Also curry can be cooked without oil if you can’t take oil at all and still it taste good
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