It’s a lazy winter morning. Although I need to wake up and start my day, I could not get a hold of the warmth and comfort of my bed. When I finally opened my eyes, it was almost 8:00 AM and there was nothing for breakfast. I was puzzled indeed. What could I possibly eat or make in such haste? I checked my fridge first and found a lot of vegetables, so I got the idea of making vegetable pulao. Winter days are best for veg pulao because every type of vegetable is available in this season. I started washing and chopping vegetables as planned. I washed the rice too. In no time, the veg pulao was ready to serve. It took around 40-60 minutes for it to be cooked and we were ready for work. I also took it for our lunch. Needless to say, veg pulao is one of the best options for daily jobholders.
Veg pulao, commonly known as Vegetable Pulao, is a rich or Shahi rice dish in Indian cuisine. It is a simple and savory rice dish in which plain cooked rice is combined with sautéed veggies and seasonings. Because of the bright veggies, the veg pulao appears delicious and inviting. The veggies also boost the nutritional value of the dish. If your kid is picky about veggies, veg pulao should be good to go!
Vegetable Pulao is a quick and easy-to-prepare dish. It can be prepared in either a pressure cooker or an open pot. Pulao prepared in a pressure cooker is a speedier variant of pulao, whereas the other is prepared in a restaurant manner. Restaurant-style pulao takes a little longer to prepare, but this is a more appealing dish.
This specific pulao is semi-cooked in an open pot, combined with your choice of fried veggies and cooked again. It looks amazing and is a great visual treat since each grain of rice is separated by cooking in this manner. Vegetable pulao may be made with any veggies of your choice to make it a bowl of nutritious rice. To make pulao flavorful, you can add whole spices.
When you’re running out of time, take a leap of faith. Cook this veggie pulao and serve it with a raita of your choosing. It is a spicy rice meal made by combining rice, veggies, and spices. In this dish, a variety of spices, vegetables, and rice are sautéed in oil and ghee before being cooked in a pressure cooker. This quickly mixed veggie pulao, on the other hand, is distinctive.
How to Cook Veg Pulao/Pulao Recipe
Rice and veggies are often cooked separately and then combined. Some people add spices to their rice as it cooks to add aroma and flavor. I, too, use spices to add taste and scent while retaining the natural color of the rice and veggies.
It is critical to select the rice for this dish. Use high-quality long-grain basmati rice with a pleasant scent. Pulao is typically made with vegetables such as beans, carrots, peas, and cauliflower. This veggie combination has a nice color and flavor balance. You are free to add veggies of your choice.
It is important to balance the proportions of grains and veggies. It should not be necessary to look for veggies while eating. Also, the veggies should not be greater than the rice, else we would feel as if we are only eating vegetables. As a result, rice and veggies are served in a 2:1 ratio.
Remember that rice will practically double the original quantity after cooking, but vegetables will drop by 1/4 to half their original quantity after cooking.
Here I’m sharing my recipe for Vegetable pulao which I always make for my family and also sharing some ideas for side dishes. So, instead of eating plain rice on a daily basis, go for this dish.
Ingredients
- 450 g 1 lb pulao rice
- ½ cup mixed vegetables carrot, green beans, peas, corn, etc
- 2 green chili
- 2 sticks of 2.5 cm piece cinnamon
- 2 cardamoms
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp onion paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ cup oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice for at least 30 minutes when you’re at home. Warm up the milk. Warm up the oil and add cinnamon, cardamoms, bay leaf, and fry. Afterward, add onions, ginger, and garlic paste and fry very well. When the mixture turns light brown, add ½ cup of warm water so the spices cook very well.
- Add rice to the spices and mix very well. Add 1 tsp of salt and fry the rice on medium-low heat for 5 minutes without covering. Add 3 cups of boiled water, milk, and vegetables. Stir, cover, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Check the salt and add more salt if necessary. Add ghee, and chili and mix very gently so the rice does not break. Stir and if there is still water left then turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and do not uncover it for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve warm.
