If you’re looking to elevate your mealtime with something fragrant, satisfying, and steeped in rich tradition, Hyderabadi Pulao with a healthy chicken twist is the perfect recipe. Known for its bold spices and aromatic layers, this dish hails from the culturally vibrant city of Hyderabad in India. With smart ingredient swaps and portion control, it fits beautifully into your healthy chicken repertoire—ideal for mindful eaters in the UK.
Ingredients & Quantities
For the chicken marinade:
- Boneless chicken breast – 500g (skinless, cubed)
- Low-fat Greek yogurt – 4 tbsp
- Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
For the pulao:
- Basmati rice – 1½ cups (soaked for 30 mins)
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Onion – 2 medium (thinly sliced)
- Green chillies – 2 (slit lengthwise)
- Tomatoes – 2 medium (chopped)
- Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
- Green cardamom – 3 pods
- Cloves – 4
- Bay leaf – 1
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Low-sodium chicken stock – 3 cups
- Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (chopped)
- Mint leaves – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Culinary Process:
1. Marinate the Chicken
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. Add the chicken cubes and coat them evenly. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
2. Prepare the Base
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf. Once they release aroma, toss in the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
3. Add the Tomatoes & Chillies
Add chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil begins to separate.
4. Cook the Chicken
Add the marinated chicken into the pot. Sauté for 8–10 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned and the masala is well cooked.
5. Add the Rice
Drain the soaked basmati rice and gently stir it into the chicken mixture. Let it fry for 2 minutes to soak in the spices.
6. Add Stock & Simmer
Pour in the chicken stock. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is fluffy and liquid is absorbed.
7. Garnish & Serve
Top with chopped mint and coriander leaves. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
🥗 Nutritional Counts (Per Serving)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Protein: 28g
- Fat: 12g (mostly healthy fats from olive oil)
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fibre: 3g
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
This dish serves 4 and provides a balanced mix of macros, perfect for those watching their nutrition without compromising on taste.
Why It’s a Healthy Chicken Recipe
Hyderabadi Pulao gets a wellness upgrade with the use of boneless chicken breast—a lean protein that keeps you full longer. Swapping traditional ghee with olive oil cuts saturated fats, and the use of fresh herbs boosts flavour without extra salt or sugar.
Cooking with low-sodium chicken stock helps manage blood pressure levels, and the antioxidant-rich spices (turmeric, cumin, cardamom) aid digestion and inflammation control.
For a lower-carb version, you could even substitute basmati rice with cauliflower rice or quinoa while keeping the rest of the recipe intact.
🌿 Serving Suggestions
Pair your Hyderabadi Pulao with:
- A bowl of cucumber raita or Greek yogurt dip
- Lightly sautéed vegetables for extra fibre
- A squeeze of lemon for added freshness and vitamin C
Perfect for lunch, dinner, or special weekend gatherings, this pulao also makes for a wonderful addition to meal prep plans as it refrigerates well for up to 3 days.
🧠 Fun Facts About Hyderabadi Cuisine
- Hyderabad’s cuisine is an epic fusion of Mughal, Turkish, and Telugu culinary styles.
- Unlike biryani, Hyderabadi Pulao is often milder in spice but richer in layered flavours.
- The dish was historically served during festive feasts and weddings.
💡 Final Thoughts
If you’ve been looking for a hearty, comforting dish that fits within your healthy chicken goals, this Hyderabadi Pulao is it. It’s flavourful, easy to make, and resonates with the UK’s growing interest in global yet nutritious home cooking.
Whether you’re planning a quiet family meal or a festive table, this dish adds warmth and wholesomeness to any occasion. Packed with protein, fibre, and authentic spices, it’s a one-pot wonder that ticks all the right boxes for both flavour and fitness.
So the next time you’re browsing for healthy chicken recipes that are trending in the UK—especially those that are unique yet low-competition—give this modern take on Hyderabadi Pulao a go. Your taste buds and your health goals will thank you.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
I haven?t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I?ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
Thank you
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to counsel you few attention-grabbing issues or suggestions. Maybe you can write next articles relating to this article. I wish to learn even more things about it!
Yet another thing to mention is that an online business administration course is designed for individuals to be able to smoothly proceed to bachelor degree courses. The Ninety credit certification meets the lower bachelor diploma requirements so when you earn your associate of arts in BA online, you’ll have access to the modern technologies in this field. Several reasons why students have to get their associate degree in business is because they may be interested in the field and want to get the general instruction necessary ahead of jumping into a bachelor education program. Thanks alot : ) for the tips you actually provide in your blog.
Admiring the commitment you put into your website and detailed information you offer. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material. Excellent read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.
I have learn a few good stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you put to create this sort of excellent informative site.
Today, while I was at work, my cousin stole my apple ipad and tested to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
whoah this blog is wonderful i love reading your articles. Keep up the good work! You know, lots of people are hunting around for this information, you could help them greatly.
Can I just say what a relief to seek out somebody who actually knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You definitely know easy methods to convey an issue to gentle and make it important. Extra people must learn this and understand this aspect of the story. I cant imagine youre no more widespread because you positively have the gift.
Hi there I am so thrilled I found your blog, I really found you by error, while I was browsing on Askjeeve for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a remarkable post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the excellent job.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one today..
Wow, this article is mind-blowing! The author has done a fantastic job of conveying the information in an compelling and educational manner. I can’t thank her enough for offering such priceless insights that have undoubtedly enlightened my awareness in this topic. Kudos to him for producing such a work of art!
I’ve been surfing on-line more than three hours lately, yet I by no means found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty price enough for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made just right content as you probably did, the net will probably be a lot more helpful than ever before.
After research just a few of the weblog posts on your web site now, and I truly like your manner of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark web site listing and shall be checking back soon. Pls take a look at my web page as nicely and let me know what you think.
Amazing! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a entirely different topic but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
Right now it seems like BlogEngine is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Hey! Quick question that’s completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My web site looks weird when viewing from my iphone4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Cheers!
Hi my loved one! I want to say that this article is amazing, great written and come with almost all important infos. I?d like to look more posts like this .
Thanks for your submission. I also think that laptop computers have gotten more and more popular nowadays, and now will often be the only sort of computer used in a household. Simply because at the same time they are becoming more and more affordable, their processing power keeps growing to the point where they’re as effective as personal computers out of just a few in years past.
The things i have seen in terms of computer system memory is there are specifications such as SDRAM, DDR and many others, that must match the specifications of the mother board. If the personal computer’s motherboard is reasonably current while there are no operating-system issues, upgrading the memory literally usually takes under an hour. It’s one of several easiest laptop upgrade techniques one can visualize. Thanks for discussing your ideas.
Hey there, You’ve performed a fantastic job. I will definitely digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this website.
Right now it sounds like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Hello There. I discovered your weblog using msn. This is a very neatly written article. I?ll make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I?ll definitely comeback.
Pretty great post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to mention that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I?ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write once more soon!