How many calories are in plov (pilaf): a macro table

How many calories in plov per 100 grams

On average, classic plov with lamb or beef holds roughly 200–250 kcal per 100 grams. Plov with chicken is noticeably lighter — around 150–190 kcal per 100 grams. The main multipliers are the oil (or tail fat) and the fattiness of the meat: a generous dressing easily adds 100–200 kcal to a serving.

These are ballpark figures, not exact values: every cook has their own recipe, amount of oil and meat, so the real calorie count of your plov can differ significantly.

Plov macro table (approximate)

Approximate values for classic plov with lamb and a moderate amount of oil:

• per 100 g: ≈220 kcal, protein ≈8 g, fat ≈12 g, carbs ≈20 g;
• small serving 200 g: ≈440 kcal;
• standard plate 300 g: ≈650–700 kcal;
• large serving 400 g: ≈850–1000 kcal;
• plov with chicken, same serving — roughly 20–30% lighter.

What affects the calorie count

The main factors that move the number up or down:

• the meat and its fattiness — chicken is lighter than beef, while lamb with tail fat is the most calorie-dense;
• the oil — the more vegetable oil or fat the rice soaks up, the more calorie-dense the plov;
• the rice and its amount — rice provides most of the carbs, so an extra scoop raises the serving's calories;
• add-ins — raisins, chickpeas, garlic and carrots barely change the calories, but extra oil and fatty meat change it a lot;
• portion size — a heaped plate easily turns into 400–500 g.

How to make plov lighter

If you want to cut calories, simple choices help: pick chicken or lean beef instead of fatty lamb, use less oil, add more carrots and vegetables, and serve a more moderate portion.

Home-made plov is almost always lighter than restaurant or street versions: you control the amount of oil and the fattiness of the meat yourself.

How to measure your own serving

Because recipes and portion sizes vary, the most accurate numbers come from your specific plate. Take a photo of your plov in Calvero: the service estimates calories and macros from the picture, and if the meat or size is off, correct it in words ("with chicken", "little oil", "large serving") and the count recalculates.

You can track it in your browser or right inside Telegram. There's a free trial with a few analyses — no card required.