Pulao, or pulav or pilaf, is comfort food at its finest. I make it whenever I need something quick and easy. This simple one-pot dish is made with fragrant rice and healthy vegetables. It has been flavored with spices and herbs to give it a mild, spicy taste. My mom’s special vegetable pulao recipe is the one I use when making vegetable pulao. This dish can be vegetarian or with pickles, raita (Indian yogurt), and roasted papad (an Indian snack).

About Pulao Recipe

Veg pulao, known by different names like pilaf and pulav, is one of India’s two most popular vegetarian rice dishes.

A pulao can be described as a single-pot dish that includes rice, vegetables, or protein. It is made with aromatics such as onions, garlic, ginger, spices, and herbs. There are many ways to make a pulav.

There are many vegetarian pulao recipes that I share on my blog, including Tawa Pulao (Peas Pulao), Kashmiri Pulao (Paneer Pulao), Tawa Pulao (Tawa Pulao), Paneer Pulao) and many others. The recipe I share is my favorite and what I almost always make.

Making veg pulao is easy. It will be quick to assemble if you use a food processor to chop the vegetables.

About This Veg Pulao

My recipe does not include any pulao, biryani masala, or pulao. The dish is full of the aromas of spices.

I prefer the texture of the rice to be soft when making pulao. This is because it’s easier than what is served in restaurants. If you’re like me, this recipe will be a hit. For more tips on how to make the perfect rice for your pulao, read on.

I add carrots, green beans, cauliflower, and French beans. You can also make pulao with other vegetables. You can also consider broccoli, baby corn, capsicums, spinach, cabbage, and other vegetables.

Pulao is usually made from the best fragrant basmati rice. To make vegetable pulao, I mainly use old basmati rice. You can also use other aromatic varieties of nonsticky rice.

Pulao can also be prepared in a skillet on the stovetop or a pressure cooker. The rice grains should be separate and fluffy. The pulao is designed in a skillet on the stovetop.

You can make vegetable pulao on the stovetop pressure cooker or in an Instant Pot if you are short on time.

My tips are in the tips section for making the perfect pulao to suit any occasion.

How to make Veg Pulao Recipe

Preparation

1. Start by washing 1.5 cups of basmati rice in warm water. Rinse the rice until it is free from starch. Then, let the rice soak in sufficient water for 20-30 minutes.

2. Allow the rice to drain for 20-30 minutes, then let it cool.

3. Prepare the vegetables while the rice is still warm. Rinse the vegetables and chop them. Cut the vegetables into small pieces.

Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets—slice one large onion thinly. You will need the green peas and tomatoes to make 1.5-2 cups of chopped vegetables.

4. You can leave out all the whole spices. You can leave out black peppercorns and star anise from the following list of herbs.

5. Combine roughly chopped ginger (1 to 1.5 inches), garlic (4 to 5, small to medium garlic cloves peeled), and 1 to 2 green chilies in a mortar pestle.

6. Make a paste by crushing the ingredients. These can be overcome with a small grinder. You can also add water to the hero or mixer to make it more efficient.

Make vegetable pulao

7. In a large, heavy saucepan or pot with a thick bottom, heat three tablespoons of ghee/oil.

8. Heat the ghee and add the spices below after the ghee is melted.

  • One teaspoon cumin seeds (1 teaspoon caraway seeds) (shahi jeera).
  • Optional: 5-6 black peppercorns
  • One tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
  • Four cloves
  • Three to four green cardamoms
  • Optional: 1 black cardamom
  • Optional: 1 small amount of mace
  • Optional: 1 slight star anise
  • 1-inch cinnamon
  • One small piece of stone flowers (dead Phool or Patthar Ke Phool). – Optional

Fry the spices for a few seconds to make them fragrant. While frying, the herbs will also start to splutter. Ghee should not be smoked or heated.

9. Add 1 cup of thinly sliced onions.

10. Mix the onions and ghee, then saute them.

11. Sauté the onions over medium to low heat. The onions will first turn light golden. Continue to stir fry.

Serving Suggestions

Serve vegetable pulao with these sides:

  • Raita is an Indian yogurt dish. I recommend several variations, such as onion tomato raita and boondi-raita.
  • Korma or Curry: Select any mildly or spicy vegetable curry or korma.
  • With pickle & papad: If time and ingredients are limited for making korma and raita, you can make it with pickle and roasted (or fried) papad (an Indian flatbread).
  • Plain curd (yogurt)
  • Some sliced onions, lime, or lemon
  • A simple Kadhi (a thick chickpea flour gravy topped with vegetable fritters)

Expert Tips for Veg Pulao

A pulao dish should have rice grains that are perfectly cooked without sticking to the pan or becoming mushy. After being cooked, the rice grains must be separated and not sticky.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the perfect rice for your pulao.

Type and quality

  • Pulao is made mainly from basmati rice. For best results, basmati rice must be aromatic and long-grained. The best results are achieved with basmati rice that has been aged.
  • Other types of long-grain rice can be used, as well as short-grained Indian varieties such as sona masuri, steerage samba, and ambe mohar. These rice varieties are often available on Amazon.
  • Some parts of Tamil Nadu (Southern Indian States) are home to steerage samba, which is used widely in making pulao or biryani.
  • This recipe can also be made with parboiled basmati rice (sella Basmati).

Sticky rice vs. fluffy rice

Once you’ve selected the proper rice, you can follow these steps to ensure you have separate rice grains for your pulao.

  • Soak your rice. It is better to soak the rice for at least 20-30 minutes before you cook it. When rice grains are cooked, soaking them in water will give them a more natural texture. You can rinse the rice after soaking it if you have time. You will need to add more water to rinse the rice. Presoaked rice grains are less likely to require water to cook than rice grains that have not been soaked.
  • Use the right amount of water – Make sure not to add too much water to your rice, especially if it has been presoaked, as suggested above.
  • Saute the rice. – After adding the rice grains to the pan, heat them on low to medium heat for about 1 to 2 minutes. Make sure they are well coated with oil or ghee. Separate the rice grains and cook them in a pulao or biryani. The rice grains will become fluffier if you add lemon juice.