Chicken biryani — 669 kcal, and where they actually are

The verdict

Better balanced than most restaurant food. The portion is the problem, not the recipe.

Component by component

Per one restaurant plate, ~350 g. Estimates.

Basmati rice

~2 katori cooked · ~80 g

285

Carbs63 g

Protein6 g

Fat0 g

Fibre2 g

A restaurant plate is roughly twice a sensible serving of rice.

Computed from IFCT A015 rice raw milled 80 g dry

Where the damage is

Chicken

~100 g · ~100 g

200

Carbs0 g

Protein18 g

Fat14 g

Fibre0 g

Real protein, and more of it than most Indian restaurant mains.

Computed from IFCT N002 chicken thigh skinless 100 g

Worth eating

Ghee, oil and fried onion

— · ~63 g

184

Carbs4 g

Protein1 g

Fat18 g

Fibre1 g

Birista and layering fat. Necessary for the dish, and worth knowing about.

Computed from ghee 18 g standard reference + IFCT G017 onion 45 g

Where the damage is

Three ways to fix it

Ordered by what you give up.

Option 1 · Two thirds, with raita−220

Eat two thirds and stop. A full katori of plain curd raita alongside.

The curd adds protein and volume and slows the meal down. The single most effective change to biryani.

Taste cost: None

Option 2 · Shift the ratio−180

Ask for extra chicken and less rice where the kitchen allows it.

Same plate, materially better composition. Many places will do this.

Taste cost: None

Option 3 · Rebuild it−350

Home version, half the rice replaced with cauliflower, 1 tbsp ghee total.

Survives the swap better than most dishes because the spice does the work, not the rice.

Taste cost: Moderate

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