This Chicken Keema Matar Lettuce Cups is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 393 calories, 34.8g protein, and 22.3g carbs per serving. Ready in 35 minutes. High in fiber (6.6g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Keema matar is a North Indian classic of spiced mince and peas. This one uses chicken and comes in lettuce cups instead of with roti or rice. Each serving has about 395 calories, 35g of protein and 22g of carbs. It makes 3 lunches and tastes better on day two.
Grocery list:
- Minced chicken (500g)
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Frozen peas
- Garlic and fresh ginger
- Green chillies
- Fresh coriander
- Lemon
- Romaine or cos lettuce
- Cucumber
- Cumin seeds, ground coriander, ground turmeric, garam masala
- Avocado oil
Nutrition notes: figures are per serving of a third of the pan with 60g of lettuce and 50g of cucumber, worked from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient. Garam masala is too small an amount to count.
Keeps: 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Freeze the keema only, not the lettuce.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.Add the onion and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until golden at the edges.Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for 1 minute.Add the minced chicken. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook for 5 minutes, until it is no longer pink.Stir in the ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala, then the tomatoes and salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse and the pan is mostly dry.Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes more. Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and fresh coriander.Spoon into lettuce leaves and top with diced cucumber. For lunch boxes, pack the keema and the lettuce separately.
Why this works for PCOS
A protein-first lunch is the easiest way to avoid the 3pm slump and the cravings that follow. This one gives 35g of protein. Most of the 22g of carbs comes from peas and tomato, with 7g of fibre alongside them.
Serving it in lettuce rather than with roti keeps it grain free. If you eat grains, one small whole wheat, jowar or bajra roti on the side fits better than a large portion of white rice.
The ingredients doing the work
- Minced chicken: about 30g of protein per serving.
- Peas: 50g per serving adds sweetness, fibre and a little more plant protein.
- Lettuce and cucumber: crunch and volume for very few calories. The cool cucumber also balances the heat.
Swaps
Lamb keema works the same way but adds more saturated fat. For a vegetarian version, use 400g of cooked brown or green lentils instead of the chicken and add them at step 5.
How this fits a PCOS week
Most PCOS meal plans are built around Greek yogurt, cheese and toast. If you cook Indian food, or you skip dairy, those plans fall apart by Wednesday. PCOS Meal Planner builds a week around the food you actually cook, keeps out the foods you avoid, and gives you one shopping list.
Why this Chicken Keema Matar Lettuce Cups works for PCOS
With 34.8g of protein per serving (about 35% of calories), this Chicken Keema Matar Lettuce Cups sits at the top end of the 25-35g per-meal range that the 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommends for managing insulin resistance and supporting lean mass. Higher-protein meals also blunt the glucose response when carbohydrates are included, which matters for women with PCOS because chronic insulin elevation drives androgen excess and irregular cycles.
The 22.3g of carbohydrates here come paired with 6.6g of fibre, which slows glucose absorption and produces a flatter post-meal blood sugar curve. Fibre is one of the most under-rated tools for PCOS: it feeds gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids linked to improved insulin sensitivity, and it modestly lowers circulating androgens by binding bile acids in the gut.
Fat makes up about 45% of calories in this dish. Dietary fat plays a load-bearing role in PCOS because sex hormones are synthesised from cholesterol, and very-low-fat eating can suppress hormone production over time. The 2023 PCOS guideline does not specify a strict fat target, but most clinicians recommend at least 25-35% of calories from a mix of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated sources.
Lunch is where most PCOS meal plans either succeed or collapse. A meal like this Chicken Keema Matar Lettuce Cups that combines adequate protein, fibre-rich carbs, and fat keeps blood sugar stable for the rest of the workday and reduces the late-afternoon energy crash that drives sugar cravings around 3-4pm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Chicken Keema Matar Lettuce Cups recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 393 calories per serving with 34.8g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 6.6g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 35 minutes total. Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 25 minutes. It makes 3 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 393 calories, 34.8g protein (35%), 22.3g carbs, 19.7g fat. Plus 6.6g fiber. PCOS meal plans typically aim for 30% protein, 35% fat, 35% carbs to support insulin sensitivity.
Yes, this recipe works well as a PCOS-friendly Lunch. At 393 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Lunch. Pair it with other PCOS-friendly foods throughout the day for balanced nutrition.
This recipe can be part of a structured PCOS meal plan. It makes 3 servings, making it great for meal prep. For a complete weekly plan tailored to your PCOS type, take our free 60-second quiz at pcosmealplanner.com/pcos-quiz to get a personalized 7-day meal plan.
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