A standard Indian takeaway can contain enough food for two people, health chiefs have warned.

In general, such meals included a starter, such as an onion bhaji, a main course, such as a chicken korma or tikka masala, served alongside pilau rice and a naan bread.

Experts said that traditional Indian food is healthy, but a study of 280 takeaway samples from 36 outlets across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland revealed that they contained far more than an adult’s recommended daily calorie intake.

Researchers at the University of Ulster found that the average portion of peshwari naan bread contained 748 calories, while an average dish of tikka masala main course harboured 1,249 calories.

The starters which were tested contained one third of an adult’s total daily amount of salt, while eating a peshwari naan was like having a slice of cake - containing 168 per cent of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat.

Rice portions, meanwhile, were in general large enough for two people.

The study also pinpointed that the most popular dishes in Northern Ireland and Ireland were onion bhaji, chicken pakora and chicken tikka, boiled and pilau rice, plain and peshwari naan and poppadoms.

Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, director of human health and nutrition with the Safefood group, said: "While traditional meals in India are low in fat, high in fibre and rich in fruit and vegetables, chefs here have adapted their recipes to suit local taste buds favouring foods high in fat and salt and serving bigger portions.

"These dishes have become very popular, but the Indian dishes tested in this survey were less than healthy."

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Ruth Price of Ulster University who carried out the research, urged people eat moderately.

"Our advice is not that consumers should avoid these takeaway foods, but rather consider consuming them less often and in moderation, by either choosing smaller portions, sharing portions or limiting the added extras such as starters and side orders," she said.