Indian · Lunch, Dinner
Vegetable pulao
Vegetable pilaf
- Total time1 hr 5 minstart to table
- Hands on25 minactual work
- EffortModerate
- Serves4as written
- Per serving~386 kcalapprox.
A mild Indian vegetable pulao in which soaked basmati rice, peas, carrot and French beans absorb a cumin, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and bay-leaf broth in one pot. The grains finish tender and separate, with vegetables in distinct pieces rather than a wet masala coating.
Method
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Put 300 g aged basmati rice in a bowl and rinse 3 to 4 times, moving the grains gently, until the water is much less cloudy. Cover with 750 ml water for soaking, soak for 20 minutes, then drain completely without breaking the grains.
Done when: The rice rinse water is much less cloudy and the soaked long grains are fully drained without visible breakage.
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Slice 150 g onion thinly and slit 2 piece green chillies. Peel 120 g carrot and cut it into 1 cm pieces. Trim 100 g French beans and cut into 2 cm lengths. Keep 100 g shelled green peas ready; frozen peas do not need thawing.
Done when: Onion and chilli are prepared, carrot is in 1 cm pieces, beans are in 2 cm lengths and the complete pea amount is ready.
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Heat 25 g ghee in the pulao pot over medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 piece Indian bay leaf, 3 piece green cardamom pods, 4 piece whole cloves, 1 piece 3 cm cinnamon stick and 6 piece black peppercorns. Stir for 45 seconds until the cumin sizzles and the spices smell fragrant; do not let them blacken.
Done when: Cumin sizzles and the whole spices are fragrant without scorching.
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Add the sliced onion and chillies. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion is translucent with pale-gold edges. Add the carrot, beans and peas; cook for 2 minutes so they are glossy but still firm.
Done when: Onion is soft with pale-gold edges; vegetables are coated in ghee but remain firm.
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Add the drained rice and fold gently for 1 minute so every grain is coated without snapping. Pour in 530 ml hot water and add 1 1/2 tsp fine salt. Stir once, scrape down stray grains, and bring to a steady boil uncovered.
Done when: Rice is glossy and the measured water has reached a steady boil.
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Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes. Open once: the surface should show steam holes and no pool of water. If water is still visible, cover and cook 2 minutes longer.
Done when: Steam holes appear across the surface and no free water is visible.
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Reduce to the lowest heat, cover again and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat; do not stir yet.
Done when: A grain is tender through but still distinct, and the carrot and beans are tender with a slight bite.
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Keep the pot covered off heat for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cloves as you find them. Fluff from the sides with a fork or flat spoon, lifting rather than mashing, and serve hot.
Done when: Steam has redistributed and the rice lifts in separate, fluffy grains.
Or have it read to you
In the app these same steps are read aloud one at a time, hands-free, with the timers running — and the cook guide speaks eleven Indian languages, so whoever is at the stove can follow along without reading English.
- English
- Hindi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Bengali
- Marathi
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Gujarati
- Punjabi
- Odia
Good to know
- Diet
- Vegetarian
- Contains
- milk
- Eaten at
- Lunch, Dinner
- Nutrition, per serving
- ~386 kcal · 8 g protein · 72 g carbs · 7 g fat (approx.)
- Keeps
- 2 days in the fridge