Easy Vegetable Pulao recipe with step by step instructions. This veg pulao is quite similar to biryani but yet a pulao with the taste of biryani. The dish is easy simple but loads of veggies and spices goes in making. Also this is the best way to include veggies in your family’s diet. At my house also I make this quite often with the intention of eating healthy veggies at one go.
Vegetable Pulao taste great with raita, salad, papad, pickle or any gravy based dish. I had made onion salad, papad and chana masala. I have made them in a non stick vessel / pan you could make in a pan or pressure cooker or even bake in the oven.
It’s better to use a long grained rice preferably basmati for pulao. Although you could make them from any rice available at your place. Now various kind of pulaos are made but veg pulao is the most popular one. Even in hotels it’s served with papad and raita. The other famous pulao is tawa pualo recipe.
The main veggies which goes in making this recipe are french beans, carrots, peas and potatoes. But you could add any veggies of your choice. To give a tangy taste I have added yogurt but you could replace with lime juice if you wish to. Also to give the biryani touch I have added fried onion and cashews.
The only challenge to make this dish is to chop the veggies and cook the pulao till al-dente. Once you chop them just immerse them in salt water for some time. Also soak the rice for 30 mins in water before cooking. My mom used to make pulao for us and we used to love them to eat with fish fry, chicken fry, salad and papad. My mom’s is a easy version mine is slightly like a biryani.
Let’s make step by step Vegetable Pulao Recipe:
1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30-40 mins.
2. Chop all the veggies and place aside.
3. Immerse veggies like french bean, potatoes and carrots in water with little salt.
4. Keep all the dry whole spices ready.
5. Now take a pan or cooker add ghee + oil. Once oil is hot add all the whole dry spices.
6. Saute until they leave aroma but don’t burn them. Now add onion julienne.
7. Also add salt and sugar which would help in caramelizing process of the onion.
8. Once the onion changes color add the raisina and cashewnuts.
9. Now saute the onion until they are light brown in color.
10. Time to add the tomatoes. Saute until they soften.
11. Pour the green paste and cook fro 2-3 mins.
12. Also add the yogurt and combine everything.
13. Put the chopped carrot, potatoes, french bean and green peas.
14. Mix all nicely then add the soaked rice.
15. Add water and salt for seasoning.
16. Cover and cook until rice is cooked and water is evaporated.
17. You would start getting the aroma of the pulao and you could also check if the rice is cooked al dente (perfectly) or not. Alternatively you could pressure cook until 3 whistles. Also shallow fry one onion until light brown in color. In the same oil fry the cashews.
18. Garnish the pulao with fried onion, cashews and coriander leaves. Serve the vegetable pulao hot with papd, salad and some gravy based dish like dal or chana masala.
If you are a rice lover then do check recipes on blog like curd rice, jeera rice, veg fried rice, tomato rice recipe, spinach rice, stir fried rice, chicken fried rice, curd rice, indian rice with vegetables, garam masala rice, paneer biryani, chicken biryani, chicken zafrani pulao and prawns biryani.
Vegetable Pulao recipe below:
- [b]For the Green Paste: [/b]Grind all the ingredients with little water until smooth and keep aside.
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 2-3 green chilies chopped
- [b]For the Vegetable Pulao:[/b]
- 1.5 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil (clarified butter)
- 2.5 cup basmati rice or long grained rice soaked in water for 30 mins
- 3 big sized onion chopped into juienne + 1 onion for garnish (pyaaz)
- 12-14 french beans chopped
- 2 carrots chopped finely (gajar)
- 2 potatoes peeled and chopped (aloo)
- 1 cup green peas (matar)
- 2 tomatoes chopped finely (tamatar)
- 12-14 cashew-nuts + 6-7 more cashew-nuts for garnish (kaju)
- 2 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1-2 bay leaves (tejpata)
- 2 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 3-4 mace blades (javitri)
- 1 star anise
- 1-2 stoneflower (dagadphool)
- 3-4 Messua Ferrea (nagkesar)
- 6-7 cloves (lavang)
- 10-12 peppercorn (kalimirch)
- 4-5 green cardamom (elaichi)
- 1 tsp cumin seed or caraway seed (jeera / shahi jeera)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 10-12 raisin (optional) (kishmish)
- 2 tbsp yogurt (dahi)
- 5 cups water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish (dhaniya)
- salt as required
- Soak the basmati rice in water for 30-40 mins.
- Chop all the veggies and place aside.
- Immerse veggies like french bean, potatoes and carrots in water with little salt.
- Keep all the dry whole spices ready.
- Now take a pan or cooker add ghee + oil. Once oil is hot add all the whole dry spices.
- Saute until they leave aroma but don’t burn them. Now add onion julienne.
- Also add salt and sugar which would help in caramelizing process of the onion.
- Once the onion changes color add the raisina and cashewnuts.
- Now saute the onion until they are light brown in color.
- Time to add the tomatoes. Saute until they soften.
- Pour the green paste and cook fro 2-3 mins.
- Also add the yogurt and combine everything.
- Put the chopped carrot, potatoes, french bean and green peas.
- Mix all nicely then add the soaked rice.
- Add water and salt for seasoning.
- Cover and cook until rice is cooked and water is evaporated. Alternatively you could pressure cook until 3 whistles. Also shallow fry one onion until light brown in color. In the same oil fry the cashews.
- Garnish the pulao with fried onion, cashews and coriander leaves. Serve the vegetable pulao hot with papd, salad and some gravy based dish like dal or chana masala.
Mrs.Bhavani shree says
I tried out vegetable pulao yesterday Maria. It came out so well. My husband loved it. Thank you so much.
Proceedure of cooking given through images gives me clear picture and confident in trying out the recipes. Thanks again.
maria says
Firstly thankyou for trying the vegetable pulao I am pleased to know your hubby loved it. You are welcome and do keep trying different recipes and post your views. Also you are always welcome Mrs Bhavani 🙂
ashwini says
Hey Maria
Made them yesterday night as a side for a thanksgiving potluck I was hosting. It came out great and everyone loved it. Thankyou!
Love the recipe.
maria says
I am pleased to know that Ashwini 🙂 hope you had a great potluck and thanksgiving. You are welcome.