Pilaf is one of the ancient and popular dishes of Asian cuisine. Gradually, residents of India, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus and the Balkan Peninsula learned to cook it and made their own changes to the recipe. Traditional pilaf can hardly be called dietary - pilaf with chicken or meat is a rather filling, fatty and heavy option.
For fans of dietary nutrition, recipes for light and low-calorie pilaf were created. In this article we will look at dietary options for the dish, the nuances of cooking in the oven, slow cooker and in a frying pan.
How is pp pilaf different from regular pilaf?
Firstly, the amount of oil. One of the secrets of any pilaf is not to skimp on vegetable oil. But with dietary interpretations, you can get by with one tablespoon. When cooking, be sure to use non-stick cookware - this makes it possible to reduce the amount of oil to a minimum.
Secondly, you need to choose the “right” meat. Traditional pork and lamb are not the best options. So, let's take the usual chicken fillet, turkey or veal (it takes a little longer to cook). You can also cook pilaf with shrimp and other seafood . Finally, instead of traditional white rice, you can use brown or brown rice, as well as bulgur.
When preparing any pilaf, do not forget about spices and garlic - everything here is the same as with classic recipes, there are no restrictions. Stock up on barberry, cumin, saffron and turmeric.
Here are some of the best diet pilaf recipes.
Main conclusions
Using a dietary recipe, you can prepare a hearty pilaf with minimal calories. It perfectly diversifies your diet and provides benefits for the body. Rules:
- emphasis on vegetables or dietary meats;
- reducing the amount of salt;
- adding a minimum amount of oil or eliminating it.
You can add your favorite vegetables, a variety of spices and dietary meat to low-calorie pilaf. Such recipes will make it easier to stay on a diet.
How often do you cook pilaf? How do you reduce its calorie content? Share with our readers in the comments below.
Original recipe without rice or any other grains
Before moving on to the recipe itself, I want you to take a close look at the photo below. What do you see? A plate of delicious pilaf, isn’t it? In fact, there is no rice or other grains at all ! This is a unique dietary analogue of the famous dish, which is cooked with cauliflower! His kbju is so low-calorie and low-carbohydrate that this pilaf can be safely eaten for dinner even by those who are currently losing weight.
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Calories: 60,6
- Proteins: 8
- Fats 1,4
- Carbohydrates: 4
Ingredients:
- cauliflower – 1 kg
- carrots - 150 g
- onion - 120 g
- chicken fillet – 500 g
- garlic - 2-3 cloves
- salt, pepper - to taste
- spices for pilaf - 1 tsp.
- olive oil 1 tbsp.
Cooking method:
Preparing everything is not difficult at all. First of all, in a thick-bottomed saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil.
Then add finely chopped onion and diced carrots. Simmer until golden brown. Don't fry, but rather stew - we have recipes for healthy, proper nutrition here!
Add chicken fillet, cut into small pieces. Simmer with vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring.
Grind the cabbage in a chopper or grate it. It’s convenient that you don’t have to divide it into inflorescences or cut off too much. Just cut the whole “bouquet” into convenient pieces and chop it!
Add cabbage to the pan, add spices, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes under the lid and turn off. Leave to brew for another 10-20 minutes.
Summary
Diet pilaf with chicken will be an excellent reason for the whole family to gather around the table. This is a hearty dish that will in no way harm your figure and will provide the body with many useful substances. Children especially love the dish with tender chicken meat. Chicken pilaf can also be served for guests who will appreciate its taste.
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PP pilaf with chicken and rice
This version of dietary pilaf is prepared with rice. However, I advise you to take brown instead of white, as it is much healthier. But you see for yourself, you can do an ordinary one.
KBJU per 100 g: 116/7.5/2.8/13.7
To prepare it you will need:
- non-deodorized vegetable oil - 1 tbsp.
- chicken fillet – 1 pc.
- brown rice - half as much as fillet
- carrots - the same amount as rice
- onion – 1 pc.
- salt, spices
- raisins - a handful.
How to cook:
- We wash the rice and leave it to dry. When rinsing, the water should become completely clear. So, we wash it 3-5 times. Dry on a paper towel.
- We cut the carrots into strips. To do this, first cut it into circles, then turn it into straws.
- Place a wok with oil on the stove. While everything is warming up, chop the onion. Pour oil to the very bottom of the wok. We put onions. If you have veal or lamb instead of fillet, first fry the meat, only after it add the onion. But the fillet can be placed immediately after the carrots.
- When the onion is slightly browned, add the carrots to it. Reduce the fire. Let's boil the water. If you have ready-made broth, you can use it, just bring it to a boil first. We cut the fillet.
- As soon as the carrots are browned, put the fillet in it. It is better to fry the spices together with fillet and vegetables.
- After the spices, it’s the turn of the rice; we also stew it with meat and vegetables for about 5 minutes. You can add raisins. Stir and add broth or water. The liquid should cover all components.
- Set the fire to maximum. Salt and add a whole clove of garlic (you can have it in the peel),
- When it boils, set the power of the stove to minimum. After three quarters of an hour you can turn it off.
Bulgur pilaf in a slow cooker
Bulgur is an indispensable grain for fans of pp-cooking, many appreciate it (here is a selection of simple cooking recipes). It is also suitable for diet pilaf recipes. We will cook it in a slow cooker.
KBJU per 100 g: 141/6.3/2.4/23.5
We need:
- chicken breasts – 2 pcs.
- raisins – 150 g
- vegetable oil – 1 tbsp
- salt - to taste
- turmeric – 1 tsp.
- garlic – 3-4 cloves
- spices for pilaf
- onions – 2 pcs.
- carrots – 3 pcs.
- khmeli-suneli
- bulgur – 3.5 tbsp.
Cooking steps:
- Cut the onion into cubes and carrots into strips. We also cut the fillet into cubes. We wash the bulgur three times. Turn on the frying mode of the multicooker.
- First, onions and oil are sent there. After 3 minutes it’s the carrot’s turn. After 15 minutes, add the fillet, spices, raisins and salt. We wait 8 minutes and add bulgur and garlic.
- Pour boiled water (800ml) through a slotted spoon. We set the “pilaf” mode for 35 minutes. Let it brew and invite everyone to dinner!
Low-calorie pilaf in a frying pan
A similar pilaf can be easily prepared in a frying pan, preferably in a wok. The set of products is similar, it's just a matter of personal preference.
KBJU per 100 g: 93.7/9.6/1.2/9.5
To prepare we take:
- bulgur – 400 g
- turmeric
- any natural seasoning for pilaf – a tablespoon
- carrots – 400 g
- garlic – 5 cloves
- barberry
- onion -300 g
- olive oil – 1 tbsp.
- chicken – 1 kg.
Let's prepare it like this:
- Pour oil into the wok and wait until it warms up. Add onion and simmer until golden brown. Add carrots. Cut the chicken into pieces and add to the onion. Simmer over high heat, mix everything.
- Add spices and salt. Fill with water. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in the bulgur, fill it with water so that it covers the grain on your finger. Insert garlic. Simmer for a third of an hour under the lid.
- Mix. Add salt and pepper, let it warm up over low heat. This is such beauty.
Lenten vegetarian pilaf
Vegetarians are people too))) In general, it is quite possible to combine proper nutrition and vegetarianism, although it is not easy to do. PP pilaf with mushrooms and brown rice is an excellent example of this combination. The recipe is also suitable for those for whom the word “fasting” has a lot of meaning. We will cook it in a slow cooker.
KBJU per 100 g: 92/3.1/1.8/16.2
For preparation you need:
- brown rice - 0.5 kg
- royal champignons (or other mushrooms) – 0.5 kg
- bulb
- carrots – 2 pcs.
- vegetable oil – 1-1.5 tbsp.
- garlic – 5 pcs.
- salt, spices for pilaf
- black pepper
- turmeric
- boiling water – 900-1000 ml.
How to do:
- Soak the rice, and at this time set the multicooker to frying mode. Chop the onion and cut the carrots into strips. Place them in a multi bowl.
- We cut the mushrooms into 4 parts and send them there too. Mix everything. Add all the spices and salt and fry for 4-5 minutes.
- Strain and wash the rice. Place in a slow cooker. Pour boiling water over it. We set it to “pilaf” mode. Then add the garlic and set it to the same mode again. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes.
Red rice pilaf in the oven
Red rice is a rare thing, but worthy of the attention of a true food lover. And I suggest making pilaf with this grain without any vegetable oil at all. It's easy if you cook it in the oven! The main thing is to find a comfortable heat-resistant form. Thick-walled ceramic and cast iron are good for such purposes.
KBJU per 100 g: 103.7/10.4/2.2/9.1
To prepare we take:
- red rice – 150 g
- carrots - the same amount as rice
- chicken drumsticks with bones – 450 g
- bulb
- garlic, spices, salt.
- water - 300 ml.
Description of cooking:
- We wash the rice three times, remove the skin from the drumsticks, we don’t need excess animal fat with its calories. Cut the onion and carrots. We put the vegetables in a baking dish, red rice on them, and drumsticks on top.
- Mix water with spices and pour into the mold. Preheat the oven. Cover the form with foil.
- Place in the oven. Bake for about an hour at 180 degrees. It turns out crumbly, aromatic, very appetizing!
How to cook
In the oven
Pilaf in the oven can be prepared in different ways: baked in a saucepan, a special form, small pots or directly in a kitchen oven.
The preparation process is quite simple: you need to wash and prepare all the ingredients, put them in a mold and mix. Next, the pilaf base is filled with water and spices are added. The mold is covered with a lid or foil, then the dish is cooked for about 1.5 hours at 180 degrees.
The specific cooking time depends on the chosen shape and the power of your oven.
On a frying pan
It is best to use a deep pan with thick walls. During the cooking process, vegetables, rice and meat are sequentially laid out on it as desired. After a short frying, the mixture is poured with water and simmered under the lid until cooked.
Note! Vegetable and mushroom pilaf in a frying pan will cook much faster than meat pilaf. Therefore, they are suitable as an express option for guests.
In a slow cooker
To prepare such a dish, you can use the following modes:
- Pilaf. Most devices have this function and greatly simplifies the process of creating a dish.
- Rice. This mode works best for vegetarian and dietary meat-free recipes.
- Bakery. Due to the combination of different temperatures, the pilaf will be as soft as possible with a light crust; this mode is suitable for recipes with poultry and meat.
- Porridge. This function will not allow the cereal to be overcooked, due to this the texture of the dish will be ideal without sticky lumps.
Pilaf with barley beef
Veal or beef are meats that are also suitable for pp recipes. But many people like it less than the popular chicken - it’s difficult to cook beef so that it’s tasty. But in pilaf it always “looks” good. Especially in combination with pearl barley.
KBJU per 100 g: 92.5/9.5/2.1/11.9
To prepare we take:
- veal – 150 g
- carrots – 100 g
- pearl barley - 75 g
- dried red bell pepper, dried garlic, salt, spices
- water – 170 ml
- vegetable oil – 1\2 tbsp
- onion – 50 g.
How to cook:
- We cut the veal into pieces approximately the size of a hazelnut. Turn on the multicooker to baking mode - the meat should be stewed. You can cook it in a regular frying pan.
- Wash the pearl barley, chop the onion and carrots. Add vegetables to meat. Fry, add oil.
- When the vegetables and meat are fried, add seasonings and add water. Mix. Add cereal and level. We turn off the “baking” function and switch to the “pilaf” function. Cook for 35 minutes.
Diet recipe with seafood
Any seafood is ideal for proper nutrition and weight loss! They contain a lot of protein, but almost no carbohydrates and fats. Do you remember that we already discussed this issue when we were preparing mussels? For our special pilaf recipes, seafood can and should also be used. This recipe contains mussels, but any others (squid, shrimp, etc.) can be safely used. It turns out very tasty. But the main secret here is to cook seafood so that its meat remains tender and juicy.
KBJU per 100 g: 97.2/4.6/1.7/13.3
For a large campaign you will need:
- brown rice - 500 g
- peeled boiled-frozen mussels – 400 g
- carrots - 2-3 pcs.
- onions - 2-3 pcs.
- dill, parsley
- vegetable oil - 1.5 tbsp.
- garlic, thyme, Provencal herbs, hot pepper, salt - to taste.
We prepare in several stages:
- We chopped onions and carrots, as in previous recipes, that is, onions - into cubes, carrots - into strips. Stew first the carrots in a deep cauldron, then the onions.
- Boil the rice in water separately. Here are all the nuances of cooking. We leave the mussels on the table to just defrost.
- Mix prepared rice, mussels, chopped garlic, herbs in a cauldron with stewed vegetables. Salt, pepper, add spices. Leave on low heat under a closed lid for 15 minutes. If necessary, stir a couple of times. Now the pilaf with mussels is ready.
All diets in the world
But in general, polished white makes the most tasteless pilaf. Well, I won’t argue with you here. “Crooked hands” spoil any dish. But steamed pilaf is simply made with a bang, without any tricks or wisdom.
A teaspoon per serving. You can use a little oil, without fanaticism. Only registered users can leave comments. Register.
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Secrets of delicious low-calorie pilaf
Feel free to add frozen vegetable mixtures to your pilaf. If desired, you can replace part of the cereal with them.
Experiments with spices and seasonings are welcome! They greatly influence the final taste of the dish.
As you can see, pilaf can be completely adjusted to the laws of proper nutrition. Experiment and you will succeed.
Irina Polyanitsa My name is Irina, I am the owner and admin of the site, as well as the author of most of the recipes and articles. I love to cook simple and healthy delicacies. Certified gym instructor, personal trainer. She completed a course on nutrition and health at Stanford University, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, as well as a course at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy (about nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy).
What to remember
So, today I told you how to prepare delicious pilaf for those who are watching their diet and weight. Follow these basic guidelines:
- Eat pilaf in the morning.
- It is better to prepare a dish without meat (I wrote about the dangers of consuming it in the article “How nutrition affects human health”)
- Choose the right varieties of rice.
- Don't include pilaf too often in your diet.
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