Using vegetable oil instead of the curry staple ghee (clarified butter) cuts a whopping 10g of saturated fat and 293 kilojoules from your spicy dinner. But no, that doesn't mean you can have the naan. Or the bhaji.

Cayenne pepper is your secret weapon against global warming.

"Eating spicy foods in hot weather raises body temperatures quickly to kick-start perspiration, which is your body's cooling system," says dietitian Diane Radler. So eating hot keeps you cool.

You already know that turmeric's yellow colour can give you an on-shirt reminder of your banquet, but University of California studies show it also slows memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease, as well as protecting against heart attacks.

Investigating low rates of cancer in India, researchers at the US National Cancer Institute found a diet rich in cumin protects against prostate cancer.

By using low-fat yoghurt instead of standard-issue coconut milk, the MH curry saves 1586 kilojoules and 22g of fat per portion.

Choosing brown rice over white stabilises your blood-sugar levels, says the British Nutrition Foundation's Dr Sarah Schenker. This switch saves you a sugar crash, which rather handily eases your hangover.

Chicken Curry
Serves four


You will need:
1 tbsp low-fat margarine
200g brown long-grain rice
2 tbsp ginger root slices
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 stick cinnamon
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp garam masala
A pinch of cayenne pepper
225g chicken breast
375 millilitres chicken stock
250ml plain yoghurt
100g fresh green peas
Plus: colander, large saucepan, large pot

1 hour 10 minutes
Stick the drinks in the fridge, then wash the rice and strain it in a colander. Start frying the margarine in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over a high heat. Add the rice and stir until it's coated in the margarine and turning translucent. Add a litre of water, bring to the boil, then stick the lid on and turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Leave the rice cooking on low for 45 minutes, then turn the heat off and keep the lid on until you're ready to serve it.

55 minutes
Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Then finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. It's an old chef's trick to use the side of a spoon to peel the skin off ginger and a cheat's trick to whiz the veggies into a pulp in a food processor. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil with a pinch of salt and the cinnamon stick in the large pot, over a medium heat. Stir for five minutes until they soften, then blitz the tomatoes in a mixer - or give them a pasting with a rolling pin in a sealed plastic bag. Don't forget the bag.

45 minutes
Add the spices and the liquidised tomatoes to the mixture of onion, garlic and ginger and then fry them gently for another five minutes. Add the chicken pieces and chicken stock. Stir well and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the curry for a further 15-20 minutes to really let the flavours infuse. Add some cayenne. Now, a quick note about spice bravado. We know you can take it, vindaloos are no problem and so on - but please resist the temptation to keep adding cayenne pepper until you've got third-degree throat burns.

5 minutes
Add the peas and cook for five minutes until just tender. Stir in the yoghurt and take the curry off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick. Fluff the rice with a fork, pour the drinks, stick Sitar Classics on the stereo and serve.

Make it . . . veggie

Paneer is an Indian cheese which pairs perfectly with peas in a curry. Replace the chicken with 200g of paneer to up your calcium count by 60mg per portion.

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