Easy Veg Pulao Recipe

Veg Pulao is an Indian style rice pilaf made with long grain basmati rice, an array of vegetables and whole spices. This fragrant one-pot dish can be made on stove top, in a pressure cooker or in an Instant Pot.

Love vegetable pulao with fluffy aromatic basmati rice, tender vegetable? I am gonna share my way of cooking restaurant style Veg pulao, that I have been making for years now.

I am also adding a video that would demonstrate to cook pulao in an Instant pot because I love Instant Pot rice.

If there is one food that I can eat for the rest of my life, then it is rice. Yes, I love rice for with my life and is on the top of my comfort food list. Be it a bowl of plain white rice with dal and curry or something fancy, I love it every form.

I have shared so many recipes in the past that involves rice. Cajun Shrimp and Rice, Vegetable Shrimp Stir Fry (Meal Prep), Thai Basil Chicken Rice Bowl etc.

Now let’s talk about this Vegetable Pulao.  One of the most common dishes in every Indian household. The recipe might differ from house to house but the ingredients are mostly similar.

I remember my mother preparing pulao everytime we expect guests at home.  Even during winter Veg pulao used to appear frequently on the table because fresh vegetables were available in abundance.

Ingredients

There is not a fixed list of ingredients when it comes to Pulao. You can basically play around and use whatever you have at your disposal.

• Good quality aged Basmati rice is a must.  For a fluffy, separate grain of rice, you must use good quality basmati rice. You can also use any other short grain fragrant rice for making Veg pulao.
• You can add various types of vegetables. Cauliflower, potato, Green Peas, Carrots, Capsicum, Tomatoes, Beetroot, corn etc. Just add whatever vegetables you have in hand but not more than 3-4 veggie.
• Spices used to a make a Pulao is as per preference. The recipe I am going to share here has only whole spices. I prefer to have subtle flavours and its good serve with curries. But If you want you can also add little garam masala to it for a robust smell.
• Coriander and mint leave is kind of optional but I really like the extra flavour. You can either use only coriander or skip both.
• I always make fresh ginger garlic paste in a mortar and pestle for pulao. You can use a grinder as well.

Different Methods Of Making Veg Pulao

You can cook Veg Pulao in various ways. With different methods of cooking all you have to do is take care of rice to water ratio and the cooking time.  Growing up I have seen my Mom makes it either in a vessel or in Indian Pressure cooker depending on the time she has on hand. Below are there main methods of cooking Pulao.

On Stovetop in a vessel – Make sure the vessel has a tight lid and can be sealed. So that very less steam can escape while cooking. Another thing is the vessel needs to have a heavy bottom because when the rice is almost cooked and all the water has evaporated, heavy bottom pan prevents the rice from burning.

In traditional Pressure Cooker on stovetop –  Cooking in a pressure cooker is way quicker than the above vessel method. You need to reduce the amount of water. Second thing is to adjust the cooking time so that the rice or veggies doesn’t turn mushy.

In Instant Pot – My new favourite way of cooking rice is in the Instant Pot. I am in love with this cool electric pressure cooker. Take less than 10 minutes to cook the pulao with fluffy, separate grain rice.

Top Tips

• For a fluffy perfectly separate grain of rice make sure you soak the rice for at least 20 minutes and then drain well. I am sure soak rice is a common practice but draining all the water well is also important. Any extra liquid in the rice might overcook the rice. SO after soaking rice place it in a colander for at least 15 minutes.
• Roast rice for a couple of minutes along with other vegetables so that it is well coated with ghee/oil. Be careful not to break the grains while roasting. You can also roast rice separately in little ghee and add it back.
• Add hard vegetables like potatoes to the oil first and cook it for 2-3 minutes then add softer vegetables like green beans, carrot, peas. This makes sure all the vegetables are cooked through.
• I always prefer adding warm water to the roasted rice and vegetable mixture. It not only reduces the cooking time but also makes the grain fluffy.

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