How to cook diet chicken pilaf in a slow cooker

2025 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 12:50

Plov is a famous Asian dish that is traditionally prepared from meat, rice, vegetables and spices with the addition of fat. The original recipes use pork or lamb, but the nutritional value of the dish can be significantly “lightened” by preparing dietary chicken pilaf. And if at the same time it is made in a slow cooker, then it is quite possible to minimize the oil content or even do without it.

Diet pilaf

Of course, the combination of high-calorie fat with carbohydrate-rich rice is hardly a dietary option. Animal fat in tandem with carbohydrates is converted into fat, which is further deposited under the skin of a person who abuses such a treat. This is also indicated by the calorie content of an Asian dish prepared according to the original recipe. For a 100 gram serving, it can reach as much as 500 kcal! As you know, for an adult who wants to lose weight, the average daily calorie intake is notmore than 2000 kcal. Accordingly, when using only 300 g of such a treat, the limit will be almost exhausted. But this does not mean at all that such a tasty and beloved dish should be forgotten forever. Diet pilaf with chicken, cooked in a slow cooker, contains almost half the calories, and without compromising the taste and benefits of the dish.

Meat for pilaf

The main ingredient of pilaf is meat. And it, as you know, is different in nutritional value and fat content. The most high-calorie is lamb. Pork is a little inferior to him in this regard, while beef is even less nutritious. But the lowest calorie is chicken, in particular breast. 100 g of chicken contains only 150-180 kcal.

Rice for pilaf

Another mandatory ingredient for cooking pilaf is rice, which is quite high in calories (100 g of cereal contains 360 kcal). But when cooked, rice absorbs water and boils, as a result, in 100 g of the finished dish, its nutritional value is no more than 150 kcal.

Classic round white rice is best for making pilaf.

But supporters of a he althy diet advise using brown rice, arguing that it contains many different trace elements, and it is more useful. The calorie content of such cereals does not differ from white polished. But the appearance and consistency of pilaf from such changes in its composition can be seriously affected. In this situation, each gourmet must determine for himselfwhat is more important to him - the appetizing and taste of pilaf or its usefulness.

Vegetables

The third important component of pilaf is vegetables. In the dietary version of this dish, they are very important. After all, they contain the minimum number of calories. In this regard, the more of them in pilaf, the more they “dilute” its calorie content. Traditionally, carrots and onions are added to the composition of the dish. These vegetables according to the classic recipe are fried in a large amount of fat. But this is not a diet option. You can, and even better, do without roasting at all or fry with a minimum of oil.

To reduce the calorie content of dietary pilaf, it is advisable to stew chopped vegetables directly in a slow cooker with chopped chicken. You can add a little water or a little olive oil if needed.

Diet pilaf: recipe

So, we offer a recipe for a low-calorie chicken pilaf cooked in a slow cooker. For its preparation you will need:

• 300g chicken breast;
• 150g rice;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion head;
• 1 tbsp l. tomato paste;
• ½ tsp ground pepper;
• s alt to taste;
• 1 tsp turmeric;
• greens and garlic to taste.

Spices

It is also worth dwelling separately on seasonings and spices for pilaf, which give this dish a delicate taste, piquancy and aroma. Pilaf is an oriental dish, and, as you know, Asian chefsthey just love spices and almost no dish is prepared without them. According to nutritionists, for people who want to lose weight, spices are very useful. They significantly improve bowel function, speed up metabolism, and this contributes to weight loss. If desired, curry, suneli hops, barberry and others can also be added to dietary pilaf.

Cooking method

Let's consider how to cook dietary pilaf. The process begins with the processing of meat. Wash the chicken breast, wipe it with a towel and cut into small pieces. The multicooker bowl is lightly greased with vegetable oil, meat is poured into it and set to the “Frying” mode. Next, prepare the vegetables. Peeled carrots are rubbed on a fine grater, onions are cut into half rings or cubes. All vegetables are poured into a slow cooker with meat and stew until they become tender and soft. While the meat and vegetables are being cooked, the rice must be soaked for 10-15 minutes in cold water, then rinsed well, put in a strainer to drain the water. Water is poured into the slow cooker at the rate of 2 parts of water for 1 part of dry rice. Bring to a boil in the “Frying” mode and pour rice, add tomato paste, seasonings and mix. Set the "Pilaf" mode. Cooking time may vary, depending on the model of the appliance and the amount of food. As a rule, it takes about 1-1.5 hours. It is no longer necessary to open the slow cooker and mix the dietary pilaf or perform other actions. The device itself will notify you with a sound signal about the end of cooking. The dish can be served immediately to the table. Or leave dietary pilaf inmulticooker on the "Heating" mode for a while. In this case, the dish will remain hot until meal time.

There are even lighter options for dietary pilaf - fruit, mushroom, seafood, eggplant. The calorie content of 100 g of such dishes can be only 100 kcal.