Name: Low Fat Chicken Curry (Gallbladder Friendly)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 onion (finely chopped); 4 skinless chicken breasts (cooked and sliced or diced); 1½ tbsp curry powder — mild or medium (whichever you prefer); ½ tsp turmeric — mostly for that classic golden colour; 30 g plain flour; 250 ml chicken stock — a low-salt cube or pot is fine; 200 ml skimmed milk; 200 g frozen mixed vegetables — peas (carrots and sweetcorn work beautifully); 1 tsp vegetable or rapeseed oil (or a few sprays of low-calorie cooking spray); Salt (to season)

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If there’s one thing people miss after gallbladder surgery, it’s a takeaway.

I remember it clearly. Everyone else ordering, and me sat there working out whether it was worth the consequences. Usually deciding it wasn’t.

This is the recipe that gave me Friday night back. It’s a proper Indian takeaway-style chicken curry — that golden, mildly spiced, comforting sauce — made with about 4g of fat per serving instead of the 30g or more you’d get from the real thing.

It’s on the table in 25 minutes, uses ingredients you probably already have, and it’s become one of the most-requested meals in my house. Not “surprisingly good for a low-fat version”. Genuinely good.

Please note: This recipe reflects general low-fat eating principles and my own experience of living without a gallbladder. It isn’t medical advice. Everyone’s tolerance is different, so please follow the guidance from your own surgeon, GP or dietitian, particularly in the early weeks after surgery.

Why This Works Without a Gallbladder

Indian takeaway curry sauce is actually a good starting point, because unlike a korma or a tikka masala it isn’t built on cream, coconut milk or ground almonds. The flavour comes from spice, stock and onion — none of which cause anyone any trouble.

The fat in a takeaway version comes from three places: a generous amount of oil, skin-on or thigh meat, and often a fried element on the side. Take those out and you’re left with something naturally gentle.

Here’s how this version keeps the fat down:

Skinless chicken breast — one of the leanest proteins there is, at roughly 3g of fat per breast

Skimmed milk instead of cream or coconut milk — you still get a silky sauce, because the flour is doing the thickening, not the fat

1 teaspoon of oil, not 2 tablespoons — the single biggest saving in the whole recipe

Served with plain basmati — no fried rice, no prawn crackers

And because it’s not heavy, you don’t get that leaden feeling afterwards that so often follows a takeaway. That was the bit I really didn’t miss.

low fat chunky chicken curry in a pan for after gallbladder surgery

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 onion, finely chopped
4 skinless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced or diced
1½ tbsp curry powder — mild or medium, whichever you prefer
½ tsp turmeric — mostly for that classic golden colour
30g plain flour
250ml chicken stock — a low-salt cube or pot is fine
200ml skimmed milk
200g frozen mixed vegetables — peas, carrots and sweetcorn work beautifully
1 tsp vegetable or rapeseed oil, or a few sprays of low-calorie cooking spray
Salt, to season

A few notes on the ingredients:

The chicken — I cook mine in the air fryer at 190°C for about 18–20 minutes, turning halfway, until it reaches 74°C in the thickest part. No oil needed at all and it stays lovely and moist. You can just as easily poach it in stock, or use leftover roast chicken with the skin removed.

The milk — skimmed keeps the fat lowest, but semi-skimmed works fine if that’s what you’ve got and you’re a bit further on in your recovery. It’ll add roughly 1g of fat per serving.

The curry powder — this is where all your flavour lives, so use one you actually like. Mild is the safer choice early in recovery, as very hot spice can irritate some people’s digestion even though it isn’t fatty.

The frozen veg — no need to defrost, and it’s a genuinely easy way to get some vegetables in.

Method

1. Soften the onion. Heat the oil in a deep-sided frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for about 7 minutes until soft and translucent. If it starts to catch, add a splash of water or stock rather than more oil.

2. Add the spices and flour. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and flour, and cook for about a minute until it smells fragrant. It’ll look quite dry and clumpy at this stage — that’s exactly right, and it’s what gives you a smooth sauce rather than a lumpy one.

3. Build the sauce. Mix the milk into the chicken stock, then pour it into the pan a little at a time, stirring continuously. Let each addition thicken before adding the next. Keep going until it’s all in and you have a smooth, glossy sauce.

4. Add the vegetables. Tip in the frozen vegetables straight from the freezer and simmer for 4–5 minutes until piping hot, stirring now and then.

5. Add the chicken and serve. Stir through the cooked chicken and heat for another 2–3 minutes until hot all the way through. Season with salt to taste and serve with basmati rice.

The one thing that matters: add the liquid gradually. Tip it all in at once and you’ll get lumps. Add it in stages, stirring as you go, and you’ll get a beautifully smooth sauce every time. If lumps do appear, a quick whisk sorts it out.

What to Serve It With

Best choices:

Plain basmati rice — the classic, and virtually fat-free

Boiled or steamed rice with a squeeze of lemon

Boiled new potatoes — not traditional, but lovely with the sauce

Extra steamed vegetables — broccoli, green beans, pak choi

Save these for later in your recovery:

Egg fried rice, especially takeaway versions
Prawn crackers (in moderation)
Spring rolls and anything else deep-fried (in moderation)
Naan brushed with butter or ghee

Rachel’s Tips

Cook the chicken in the air fryer — no oil at all, and it stays far moister than you’d expect
Use low-salt stock, as curry powder and added salt can quickly make this a salty dish
Start with a smaller portion if you’re newly post-surgery, and see how you feel before going back for more
Make double and freeze half — it freezes beautifully for up to 3 months
Add extra vegetables to bulk it out without adding any fat
Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving; the sauce thickens slightly and the flavours settle

Reheating: gently in a pan with a splash of milk or water, as it thickens in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3 days chilled.

If you like this recipe, you may also like Chicken Noodle Soup, tasty yet gentle on the tummy.

More low fat ideas ? If this one worked for you, there are plenty more where it came from. Have a browse through my gallbladder friendly recipes — all tested at home, all genuinely low in fat.

low fat chicken curry in a frying pan for gallbladder diet

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat curry after gallbladder surgery?

Often, yes — it depends entirely on the type. Creamy curries like korma, tikka masala and anything made with coconut milk or ghee are very high in fat and usually best avoided early on. Tomato and stock-based curries, like this one, are much gentler. Spice itself isn’t fatty, though some people find very hot curries irritating in the first few weeks.

Is Chinese takeaway curry high in fat?

Usually, yes. A typical takeaway chicken curry can contain 30g of fat or more before you add rice, and considerably more if it comes with fried rice or crackers. The oil used in cooking is the main culprit. This home version brings that down to around 4g per serving.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Yes. Unsweetened oat milk works particularly well and keeps the fat low. Almond milk is fine too. I’d avoid tinned coconut milk, as it’s very high in saturated fat.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast?

You can, though thighs contain roughly three times the fat of breast meat even with the skin removed. If you’re early in your recovery, stick with breast. Further on, thigh in a smaller portion may be perfectly fine.

Is curry powder OK after gallbladder removal?

For most people, yes. Curry powder is a blend of dried spices with virtually no fat, so it’s not the spice causing problems in a typical curry — it’s the oil, cream or coconut milk. That said, a small number of people find hot spice irritating while healing, so mild is the safer starting point.

Can I freeze this curry?

Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool it completely, freeze in portions, and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or water, as the sauce thickens on standing.

How can I make the sauce thicker or thinner?

For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes. For a thinner one, stir in a little more stock or milk. The flour does all the work here, so you can adjust freely without affecting the fat content.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to give up the food you love after gallbladder surgery — you just have to cook it a bit differently.

This curry is proof of that. It’s the same comforting flavour, the same golden sauce, and it takes less time than waiting for a delivery. The only thing missing is the heaviness afterwards.

If it’s your first proper takeaway-style meal since surgery, start with a modest portion and plenty of rice, and see how you get on. Most people find this one sits very easily.

Written by Rachel Segers, founder of The Gallbladder Kitchen. Rachel has lived without a gallbladder for over twenty years and writes about low-fat cooking from personal experience. This recipe is for general information and is not medical advice — please see our full disclaimer.