Make Healthy Asian Food A Diet Staple With These Cooking Tips

Since the western world has been introduced to eastern cuisine, it seems we simply can't get enough of it. Curries, broths, noodles, you name it - we serve it. Of course, it barely compares to the authentic cuisine made by the professionals themselves. But, it is becoming a more and more common fixture in the everyday person's home due to the exciting, spicy flavours and interesting ingredients. The problem is that not many people know how to cook this kind of food in a healthy way. So many of us rely on canned sauces for our Indian curries or Chinese stir fries - many of which are full of chemicals and additives. We also skip many of the traditional vegetables that are used in these dishes, preferring to use ones that are familiar to us. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, but we could be missing out on not only amazing flavors but heaps of brilliant nutrients too. My entire relationship with food was changed once I started shopping at the local Asian grocery store. It has been amazing and exciting. If you think that Asian food is unhealthy and should only be had as a treat, then get ready to think again with these healthy cooking tips.

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Authentic Indian curries

Curry is one of the most popular dishes in the whole world is curry. Although not known by that term in its homeland of India, there are still hundreds of different varieties that we westerners would all class as 'curry'. They differ so greatly depending on the region they come from. For example, the creamy Kerala cuisine varies greatly from the spicier Punjabi cuisine. In order to cook traditional, authentic Indian food, you must have authentic ingredients. Where we use oil or butter, Indian cuisine typically uses ghee. This is a kind of clarified butter high in vitamins A and E. If you are still concerned about the health factor of some of your Indian dishes, why not try simply cutting down on rice and naan? Many authentic Indian recipes are actually vegetarian, so bulk out your curries with chickpeas and lentils to save on carbs. Tandoori grilling is also a healthier way to cook your Indian cuisine and it tastes good too.

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Spicy Chinese stir fries

Authentic Chinese cuisine is one of the healthiest diets around. However, due to greasy takeouts and salt-heavy canned sauces, our perception of it is anything but that. But take the time to learn traditional methods of Chinese cooking and you can enjoy delicious, guilt-free cuisine at any time. It is perfectly easy to make your own sauces by simply mixing soy, black beans and stock, plus any extras you might fancy like ginger. Throwing it all together with some noodles, fish and vegetables means you have a tasty and nutritious meal in seconds.

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Japanese sushi

If the Japanese are famous for any kind of cuisine, it's got to be sushi. This trend of raw fish coupled with a whole host of different ingredients has made it's way across the world, with sushi bars popping up in nearly every city. It's a very healthy food trend, as the raw fish is full of omega 3 fatty acids. It is also usually paired with ginger and wasabi, which both have very high antioxidant properties. Making your own sushi takes time and patience.  But, if you are willing to learn, you will definitely benefit from having some of the healthiest cuisine at your fingertips every day. Just make sure to choose sushi that has not been deep fried or covered in too much spicy mayo!