Fit Food

At a time when the world’s running on a treadmill and picking on food consciously,eating out plans are often shelved for the fear that the greasy fare will just lead you to Pile on more calories! But what if there was an alternative that lets you enjoy sumptuous fare without the guilt? That’s precisely what city-based restaurateur Vipul Dua,who runs the Oriental restaurant Purple Rice in Sector 35,had in mind when he decided to toss up his menu. “The idea was not only to bring down the calories but offer nutritious meals with no compromise on taste,” Vipul explains the concept while passing on his low-calorie menu lineup. First things first,grease is out of the restaurant’s window with the Chef here choosing to steam or stir fry the specials. “Yes,all the fare on the low-calorie menu will be steamed or stir-fried and what’s more we have made special efforts to incorporate important nutrients in the dishes,” explains Dua who roped in city-based dietician Shreya to trim down the dishes. “We have combined science,taste and health when designing this menu. For example,paneer has been switched for tofu while salad leaves have been done away with lettuce,” lists out Shreya,as she hands out the break up of micro to macro nutrients in the soups,starters,noodles as well as the calorie-wise chart. Even the cooking oils have been swapped for olive and mustard oil.

Speaking of food,here’s what you can tuck into without the extra calorie-guilt. Leading the lineup is the Purple Rice Noodle Soup followed by a flavoursome ‘Peppery Lemon Soup’. The starters bring in the likes of ‘Raw Papaya Salad’,‘Beans Sprout and Sweet Corn Salad’,‘Thai Steamed Lettuce Wrap’,‘Stir-fried Prawns’,‘Twin Pepper Chicken’,‘Broccoli and Mushroom Skewers’ with peanut sauce… “It’s not just the ingredients but the way a dish is cooked that makes all the difference in the calories,” mentioned Vikram Kapoor of Ozone Health Club who’s also promoting the diet-friendly menu. “One of the best combinations is a mix of fibre and proteins and this menu makes the most of that,” added Kapoor as we sampled steamed noodles with steamed chicken in oyster sauce. The main course too makes the most of the theme by bringing in ‘Stir Fry Chinese Greens’,‘Broccoli with Soy Sauce’,‘Steamed Prawns with Black Beans’,‘Marinated Steamed Red Snapper’ in your choice of sauce…. Completing the treat is a low-fat ice-cream and a juicy fresh fruit platter. Gorge!

Purple Rice goes lean with the calories with its all-new steamed & stir-fried menu