HOT, spicy, oily, creamy and not for the calorie conscious. This tends to the general view of Indian food, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Jashim Ahmed, co-owner of The Mint Leaf in The Triangle, Bournemouth, says Indian cuisine contains an array of healthy spices and can be cooked in different ways to retain its nutrients.

“We hardly use any ghee at all, if any, in our recipes,” he explains. “We also don’t use any additives or preservatives either and we always try and source locally wherever possible.

“Traditionally people were used to seeing oil or butter floating on top of their curry, but nowadays people are more health conscious, which is why we pride ourselves on being different to the traditional curry houses.”

Although many of the Anglo/Indian favourites are on the menu, there are lots of authentic new dishes too. Jashim invited me to put their two best-sellers to the taste test.

For starters I tried tiger prawns paper fry, which was a vibrant and robust looking dish. The prawns were perfectly sautéed in south Indian spices and served in a hot bhuna sauce with an artistic squiggle of mustard sauce on one side and tamarind on the other.

My main course was lamb shank rogan, which had been marinated and slow cooked in what Jashim describes as their special gravy for over an hour, and served in a medium hot tomato sauce with a delicate blend of Indian spices. The meat was so tender it practically fell off the bone.

The chefs also pride themselves on catering for people with food allergies as long as they have some advance notice. If these two dishes are anything to go by, it is definitely worth a visit.

• IF YOU are counting the calories this month, here are some tips when dining at your favourite Indian restaurant: Try to avoid anything that’s creamy or deep fried. Choose dishes with tomato-based sauces, such as tandoori and madras, plain rice or chapatti. Choose vegetables, including lentil side dishes (dhal).

Try to avoid: any creamy curries such as korma, passanda or masala with pilau rice, naan, bhajis, pakoras and poppadoms.

Go for: tandoori or madras with chicken, prawns or vegetables, plain rice and chapatti.

• HERE are the top four Indian spices and their health benefits: Ginger: Ginger root also has a long history as a home remedy for digestive problems. Steep a slice of peeled ginger root in a cup of hot water when you have an upset stomach. Ginger also appears to assist with inflammation.

Turmeric: Ancient Indian and Chinese healers used turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties, treating everything from menstrual pain to toothaches. Modern scientists interested in the benefits of curcumin, the active agent in turmeric, as a powerful antioxidant in fighting cancer.

Cardamom: A study in the Journal of Ethno pharmacology confirmed cardamom’s use for gastrointestinal ailments such as diarrhoea, colic and constipation, and also its benefits for lowering blood pressure in laboratory animals.

Coriander: Coriander gains its fame for its anti-inflammatory properties and aid to digestion.