rice

Chicken Pilau

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Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Chicken Pilau

Chicken Pilau

 

Ingredients

  • 3 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 packet Laziza Yakhni Pilau spice mix
  • 100g 0% Greek yogurt
  • 2 cubes Maggie seasoning (optional)
  • 3 chicken breasts, chopped
  • 2 cups rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes

Method

Spray a large pan with plenty of low calorie cooking spray. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes.

Add cumin seeds and chilli flakes and continue to cook the onions till golden brown (around 15 minutes). Use hot water if the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken, ginger/garlic paste, Maggie cubes (if using, or use salt to taste) and one packet of the Laziza spice mix. Fry until the chicken has browned all over before adding the yogurt. Cook for 10 minutes then add 4 cups of boiling water to the chicken. Check for seasoning and add the drained water.

Cook the rice on high heat till most of the water has evaporated then place the lid on the pan and cook on a low heat for 25 minutes or until all the water has evaporated and the rice and chicken is cooked.

 

Spicy Rice

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I have adapted this recipe I saw online and it turned out delicious! It is supposed to be a ‘fakeaway’ to Nando’s spicy rice, although it doesn’t taste exactly like the Nando’s version, it tastes amazing anyway. We had it with chicken tikka (made using Laziza spice mix, mixed with ginger/garlic paste and lemon juice).

Serves: 6

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30-40 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Spicy Rice and Chicken

Spicy Rice and Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
  • 1 vegetable stock pot
  • Handful of frozen peas
  • 2 cups of rice

 

Method

Spray a pan with low calorie oil spray and fry all the veg together in medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the rice to the spices and mix thoroughly so all the rice is coated in the spices and veg.

Add 4 cups of boiling water, the vegetable stock pot and the chicken stock cube to it.

Lower the heat and cover the lid on the pan and cook the rice gently for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes into the cooking, add a handful of frozen peas and gently stir them into the rice and replace the lid again to cook for a further 5 minutes.

 

Laziza Biryani Mix

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I’ve had a few people asking me for the biryani recipe I posted on my Instagram a few days ago, so I thought I’d write a post about it so people can refer to it when needed!

Laziza Biryani Mix

Laziza Biryani Mix

 

I use Laziza Biryani Mix spice which is syn free. You can keep the whole dish syn free by replacing the oil with a syn free spray oil or count the syns accordingly if using regular cooking oil. Remember 1 tbsp of oil (regardless of what type – sunflower, vegetable, olive etc) is 6 syns. I know a lot of my members use only water to fry the onions which is possible but may be a little time consuming.

I also use a fat free natural yogurt instead and sometimes I even leave the yogurt step out if I don’t have any and it tastes just as good too!

I cook for a family of 5 (2 adults and 3 children) and use half of one of the spice packets as that is spicy enough for my family, I don’t use the whole packet. I like my food super spicy so I usually cut up green chillies to add to my food separately.

I follow the recipe on the back of the spice box and once I’ve layered the rice with the chicken/meat, I add a few drops of yellow food colouring to the top of the rice to add some colour to the rice. And that is it! It really is a very easy and simple recipe to follow.

 

I absolutely love the Laziza brand spices as most are syn free and they are very easy to follow, even if you are not a very confident cook. Hope this helps those that were wondering how to make biryani Slimming World friendly 🙂

If you do anything differently please do share how you make yours.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Egg Fried Rice

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This recipe took me less than 10 minutes to prepare using leftover rice! It is a delicious way of using up leftover rice. You can serve it with any meat or fish or have it on its own too. We had it with grilled salmon. You can add any veg to this as it is such a versatile dish, I was pressed for time when I made this so kept it really simple. But veg like peas, sweetcorn, grated carrots, peppers, mushrooms etc work really well with this.

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Egg Fried Rice with Salmon

Egg Fried Rice with Salmon

Ingredients

  • 3 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 green chilli, chopped (remove seeds if prefer less spicy)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
  • 3 tbsp dark soya sauce
  • 3 eggs
  • 1.5-2 cups cooked rice

Method

In a hot wok fry the spring onions with the chilli for a couple of minutes with spray oil. Add the garlic powder.

Add the cooked rice to the wok and stir to mix everything together. Add the Chinese 5 spice powder (available in most large supermarkets) and soya sauce. Stir again.

Move the rice to one side of the wok and spray more spray oil to the wok and crack the eggs to it. Stir the eggs till cooked and mix with the rice.

Chickpea & Red Kidney Bean Curry

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This curry is super easy to make, I always have these ingredients in my cupboard! You can use all chickpeas or use any other type of tinned pulses you enjoy. Using tinned pulses saves a lot of time in cooking.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 20-30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Curry Ingredients

Curry Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp. curry powder
  • 1 tsp black onion seeds (optional)
  • 1/2 carton passata
  • 2 Maggie seasoning cubes
  • 1 tin each of red kidney beans and chickpeas
Chickpea & Red Kidney Bean Curry

Chickpea & Red Kidney Bean Curry

 

Method

Spray a pan with fry light and cook the onions till they are golden brown (around 10 minutes). Add a little bit of hot water to the pan if needed if the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the ginger/garlic paste and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the passata, the curry powder, crumbled seasoning cubes and black onion seeds if using.

Let it cook for a further 5 minutes on a low heat. Then add the chickpeas and the red kidney beans and cook for 10 minutes. You can serve this with boiled rice and a speedy side salad.

 

Chicken Biryani

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This is one of the easiest ways of making a delicious and syn free biryani. If you don’t use Fry Light you can replace it with oil and just syn accordingly. You can also use any other brand of Biryani masala, I love the Laziza brand plus it is syn free!

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Serves: 6

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60-90 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 750g chicken breast, cubed
  • 1/2 packet Laziza Chicken Biryani mix (use more if you prefer spicier, I keep it mild so the kids can eat it too)
  • 2 cups of basmati rice
  • Yellow food colouring
  • 1/2 bunch each of fresh mint and coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)
  • Fry Light

Method

Spray lots of Fry Light in a pan and add the onions. Cook them on a moderate-high heat until golden brown. Add boiling water to the onions to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pan as needed. Keep stirring, this should take around 20-30 minutes.

Onions

Onions

Add the chicken, tomatoes and the spice mix and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the chicken is no longer pink.

Chicken, tomatoes and spice mix

Chicken, tomatoes and spice mix

Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rice. Add the rice to double the quantity of boiling salted water and cook till half done, around 8 minutes. Drain the water, rinse it in cold water and set aside till needed.

Once the chicken is cooked you can start to layer it with the rice. Use the pan you’ve used to cook the rice and add a third of the rice to the bottom of the pan. Top it with half of the chicken, then rice again, chicken, and finish off with a layer of rice reserving some to mix with the food colouring to add colour to the rice. Add the mint and coriander if using at this stage.

Cover the pan and cook the biryani on a low heat for 30 minutes.

 

 

Chicken Katsu Curry

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This is a mild Japanese curry with a Slimming World take! To save on time and convenience you can use ready made breadcrumbs, just remember to look up the syns beforehand. I served it with boiled rice and pickle cucumbers.

Serves: 4

Syns: 1.5 syns per serving

Time Taken: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 4 skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 slices of wholemeal (from a 400g loaf)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the curry sauce

  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 4 celery sticks, thinly sliced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 600ml chicken stock
  • Low calorie cooking spray
Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

Method

Pre heat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place the chicken breasts between cling film, beat until 1 cm thick and season.

Whizz the bread in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Tip onto a large plate and season well. Dip the chicken breasts into the eggs, then lightly coat each in a quarter of the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the baking tray sprayed with low calorie cooking spray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Season the breadcrumbs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place each chicken breast in some clingfilm and flatten with a rolling pin or meat tenderiser. Remove the clingfilm and dip the chicken in the egg, then coat with breadcrumbs and place on a baking tray sprayed with low-calorie cooking spray.

For the sauce, spray a large frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Stir fry the onions for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, carrots and celery. Stir fry for a further 5 minutes then add the curry powder, stock, soy sauce and season. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Blend the sauce for a smooth curry.

To serve, slice the chicken breast into pieces, spoon over the curry sauce and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Vegetable Risotto

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You can add anything to the risotto, meat, fish or other veggies of your choice. I kept it really simple by using what I had in the house. Adding the dairylea cheese triangle at the end gives this risotto a lovely creamy texture. One triangle is 1.5 syns only or you can use it as part of your healthy extra A choice (5 triangles) making this dish completely Free!

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30-45 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Vegetable Risotto

Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients

  • 125g risotto rice
  • 500ml chicken stock, use more if needed
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, chopped
  • Handful of frozen peas
  • Tinned sweet corn
  • Artichoke hearts
  • 2 dairylea blue cheese triangles (optional)

Method

Spray a pan with fry light and fry the shallot, celery, chilli and rice for 5 minutes.

Mix the dried herbs into the stock. Add the stock, a little at a time, to the rice whilst mixing it throughout.

Keep mixing the rice until all the stock has been used. If the rice still feels too Al dente, add more stock if needed.

Add the veggies and cook for a further 5 minutes, mixing all the time.

Add the cheese triangles, if using, and stir till melted into the rice. Serve the risotto immediately.

Dhaal & Rice

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This is one of our favourite family meals – pure comfort! I like to use Toor Dhaal but I am sure you can replace it with your favourite.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Dhal & Rice with Fish

Dhal & Rice with Fish

Ingredients

  • 200g Toor dhal, washed and soaked (if time permits)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely crushed
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • Boiled rice to serve

Method

Place the dhal with the onion, tomato and salt in a pressure cooker covered with enough water and cook for around 20 minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can make this in a standard pan but it will take longer for the dhal to cook. I put enough water to cover the dhal and a little bit extra on top. It is best to not put too much at this stage or you will end up with a thinner dhal. You can always thin it down if too thick but harder to do it the other way round!

Once cooked, blend the dhal with a hand held blender.

In a pan spray lots of frylight (or any other spray oil – count syns if needed). Add the garlic, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and fry for about 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring so that the garlic doesn’t burn!

Add the blended dhal and check for seasoning. If needed, add boiling water to thin the dhal if too thick.

Serve with boiled rice and a speedy salad. We like to have fish with it too.

Chicken & Egg Fried Rice

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Great way of using up leftover rice or you can make a fresh batch of boiled rice for this. You can replace the chicken for prawns or leave it plain.

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • cooked rice
  • 2 chicken breasts, chopped
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 grated carrot
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Chinese 5 Spice powder
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 eggs, beaten
Chicken & Egg Fried Rice

Chicken & Egg Fried Rice

Method

Spray a large frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and cook the spring onions, pepper, carrot and chicken for 5-8 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, garlic granules, Chinese 5 spice, chilli flakes and soy sauce. Stir fry for another 5 minutes.

Add the cooked rice.

Once the chicken is cooked pour the eggs over the mixture and cook over a low heat stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the egg has set.