Asian Inspiration
We're going on a whirlwind tour across Japan, Southeast Asia and Korea in search of inspiration for some low-calorie recipes.
We've got a delicious, low-calorie katsu curry - served two different ways (one that's perfect for slimmers, the other for low-carbers). We've got fragrant Thai crab cakes that are so low-calorie AND low carb, you'll be amazed! Finally, we have a punchy chicken and kimchi wrap bursting with flavour thanks to one of Korea's staple foods.
While these countries foods are all markedly different in taste and style, one thing we can say that unites them all for sure is how delicious and moreish their cuisines are.
Katsu Chicken Curry
Seasoned, breaded chicken. Fruity, mild curry sauce. A mound of simply boiled rice. It sounds almost basic, but this dish is really more than just the sum of its parts and the Japanese katsu chicken curry has very much taken British highstreets by storm in recent years. Competing for our attention against better known Indian, South-East Asian and even Chinese curries and meals, this Japanese curry has really started to win the public round to its charms.
Lo-Dough can be used as a fantastic low-carb crumb for the chicken, but also as the delivery device – in the form of an incredibly low-calorie/low carb wrap (see picture above). If following a low-fat, slimming diet, the classic version with boiled rice is still fine – but swapping panko out for a Lo-Dough crumb covering will give you additional calorie/carb savings, whilst massively boosting the fibre of the dish – always a healthy addition to any meal (also meaning you will feel fuller eating less rice!).
Katsu Curry (and rice): Serves 1
Calories per serving: 347 kCal
Fat: 8 g | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Fibre: 6 g | Protein: 35 g
Katsu Curry Wrap: Serves 1
Calories per serving: 228 kCal
Fat: 7 g | Carbohydrates: 10 g | Fibre: 14 g | Protein: 28 g
Low-Calorie Thai Crab Cakes
Fragrant, sweet, sour, salty AND spicy, these Thai fish cakes are a mouthwatering use of Lo-Dough in its crumb form. The calories and carbs are low as ever, but you wouldn't know it from the flavour. Also, thanks to Lo-Dough's incredible high fibre content, something that would normally be served as a starter, becomes a light but filling meal. They are incredibly simple to make too, using a few simple ingredients and taking no longer the 5 minutes to cook.
Serves 1
Calories per serving: 140 kCal
Fat: 5 g | Carbohydrates: 3 g | Fibre: 9.3 g | Protein: 16 g
Chicken & Kimchi Wrap
Lo-Dough has done it again: We've turned a lunchtime staple - the chicken wrap - into a high performance, healthy-eating powerhouse and without sacrificing one bit of flavour. In fact, for just 5 or 10 minutes of preparation, you will have something that tastes infinitely better than any shop-bought equivalent. There is scarcely a diet that this can't be tweaked to fit with either, so nobody has an excuse not to give this a go!
First up, let's talk kimchi. It has become an increasingly popular ingredient here in the UK over the last 10 years, but if you aren't familiar with it let us introduce you! Kimchi is the national dish of Korea - a staple of many of their amazing recipes (seriously, get familiar with Korean food - it's awesome) and an amazing example of a probiotic ingredient. It is basically a salted and fermented mixture of vegetables - usually cabbage, but also, radishes, roots, spring onions and basically whatever was to hand that required preserving.
Serves 1
Calories per serving: 291 kCal
Fat: 14 g | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Fibre: 12.3 g | Protein: 22 g