STEP 1 Forget the fried stuff 避免食用油炸食品

Avoid fried appetizers, like puri, which is fried bread, samosas, which are turnovers, and pakoras, which are fritters. Try the mulligatawny soup, a spicy concoction of chicken and lentils.

STEP 2 Order tandoori 点用泥炉炭火烹饪的食物

Order tandoori chicken or fish, which is baked, not fried. Chicken tikka, made of roasted boneless, skinless chicken, is also a good choice.

STEP 3 Avoid ghee and khopre 避免酥油食品

Ask your server to suggest dishes that are light on ghee, which is clarified butter and khopre, which is coconut oil.

If your dish comes with a pool of oil on top, spoon it off.

STEP 4 Slim down your curry 挑选瘦身咖喱

When ordering a curry, request a vegetable-based one, rather than a cream or coconut milk curry.

STEP 5 Get some dal 吃木豆

Enjoy dishes with "dal" in the title. That indicates a lentil-based item.

STEP 6 Try the cauliflower 试试花椰菜

Try the gobhi matar tamatar, which is cauliflower with peas and tomatoes. Skip the paneer dishes, which indicate a cheese and oily sauce.

STEP 7 Watch the carbs 小心碳水化合物

Don't go crazy with the bread that's served, called naan; the tastiness comes from being brushed with melted butter! Instead, nibble on papadum, or lentil wafers, or roti, which is usually made with whole-wheat flour.

Forgo the pulau rice, which is fried; ask for steamed basmati rice instead.

STEP 8 Indulge in dessert 享受甜点

Indulge in dessert – just not the kheer, a rice pudding made with coconut milk, raisins and nuts that often weighs in at more than 500 calories! Instead, enjoy a til ladoo: These tasty sesame seed balls are under 200 calories.

The average Indian home cook regularly uses about 25 spices.