HAVING an Indian meal may be Britain's favourite culinary pastime, but researchers say curries bought over the counter are more fattening than either Chinese or pizza takeaways.

A single meal of Indian curry has been found to have more fat than what is recommended for the entire day.

In a comparison of Indian, Chinese and pizza takeaways, researchers found that an average Indian takeaway contained 23.2gm of saturated fat, 3.2gm more what than a woman should eat in a day.

The popularity of curries among Britons prompted the late minister Robin Cook to once describe the Chicken Tikka Masala as Britain's national dish.

However, the study comes amid mounting concern because the genetic make-up of South Asians means that they are a higher risk group for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Indian takeaway meals are known for their liberal use of oil, and ghee, not only in curries but also naan breads. The researchers found that a naan bread contained more calories than a chicken tikka masala.

Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid - Getty Images