40 Minutes Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao

This 40 Minutes Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao is you savior recipe when you want your dinner to be quick and easy.

This dish is a comfort one pot meal when you don’t have time to do elaborate cooking or you have to cook food on a short notice or in a quick time.

Here, a stove top pressure cooker is used. But you can also make this recipe in an Instant Pot. I have shared the recipe with both video and step by step photos.

My recipe of pressure cooker pulao is different from my mom’s Veg Pulao Recipe made in a pot or pan.

Do note that this dish can also be made in a pot or pan. When I have time, I cook in a pot and when no time, I use the pressure cooker.

Tips

1. Pressure cooking rice can be tricky. Different types of rice will cook at different timings. Since I stick to the same brand of organic basmati rice, I now know how much time the grains take to cook. What I have learnt from experience is that it is better to soak the rice first. The proportion I use for rice to water is 1: 2 or 1:1.5
2. While cooking, after adding the rice, stir the grains with the rest of the ingredients well, so that the oil coats each rice grain. I usually pressure cook on a high flame for 2-3 whistles. Then let the pressure drop on its own, since the rice is cooking when the cooker is hot and the pressure is there inside it. Then I gently fluff the rice before serving.
3. What I have also seen, is that the more oil the more the food tastes better. I don’t know why. The same is with pulao too. The veg pulav will be oily, but will taste good too. here I have used 3 tbsp ghee to fry onions and cashews. However, 2 tbsp oil or ghee would also be fine to use.
4. I add the caramelized onions and cashews to the pulao as a garnish. The crisp onion slices and cashews add a lot of flavor and texture to the pulao. On occasions, I also add some mint and coriander leaves while making the pulao. You can easily skip this frying part and make the pulao in just 2 tbsp oil or ghee.

The best part I like about vegetarian pulav recipes are that they are healthy as we add vegetables or legumes in them. In this recipe, I have added green peas, mushrooms, carrots, french beans, capsicum (bell pepper), potatoes, tomatoes and onions. You can also add your choice of veggies.

This dish can be served with plain yogurt or with any raita. I usually serve this pulao with boondi raita or onion-tomato raita.

How to make 40 minutes Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao

Preparation

1. First rinse the rice very well and then soak the grains in water for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, you can chop all the veggies. Then heat 3 tbsp ghee or oil in the pressure cooker. Add ¼ cup sliced onions.

3. Sauté on a low flame till the onions are golden and then remove them with a slotted spoon.

4. Keep the crisp & golden fried onions aside.

5. In the same oil, add cashews and brown them.

6. Keep the fried cashews also aside.

Sautéing onions, veggies and rice

7. In the same oil, add the whole spices – cinnamon, tej patta, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves, black pepper, stone flower, cumin seeds and mace. sauté for a few seconds till the spices become aromatic.

8. Add now ⅓ cup sliced onions.

9. Stir and sauté the onions on a low flame.

10. Sauté till the onions become golden.

11. Then add ginger+garlic+green chili paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away.

12. Add the chopped veggies and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.

13. Drain water from soaked basmati rice after 20 or 30 minutes.

14. Add the drained basmati rice in the pressure cooker.

15. Sauté gently for 1 to 2 minutes till the oil/ghee has coated the rice grains evenly.

16. Pour water.

17. Add salt.

18. Stir gently.

Pressure Cooking

19. Cover and pressure cook the vegetable pulao for 2 to 3 whistles on a high flame. Pressure cooking for 2 whistles will give you an al dente texture. For a softer texture pressure cook vegetable pulao for 3 whistles.

20. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.

Serve Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao garnished with the fried caramelized onions, cashews and mint or coriander leaves. It also goes well with raita like boondi raita, plain raita or onion-tomato raita and you have a comforting meal ready. A mango pickle or lemon pickle also goes well with it. Even a side thin vegetable curry or kadhi or spiced buttermilk (chaas) goes well.

More pulao recipes

1. Kashmiri pulao
2. Peas pulao
3. Tawa pulao
4. Paneer pulao
5. Capsicum rice

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40 Minutes Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao

4.88 from 25 votes

By Dassana Amit

Easy and quick vegetable pulao made in a pressure cooker in 40 minutes.

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 40 mins

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Cuisine Indian

Course: Main Course

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Servings 4

Units

Ingredients

main ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 cups basmati rice or about 300 grams of basmati rice
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped french beans
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium sized tomato
• ▢ ⅓ cup peas (matar) - fresh or frozen
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped carrots - chopped into cubes
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped potatoes - chopped into cubes
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped medium cauliflower
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped capsicum (bell pepper) - chopped into cubes
• ▢ ¼ to ⅓ cup sliced or chopped mushrooms
• ▢ 1 medium sized onion thinly sliced or about ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions
• ▢ 2.5 cups water
• ▢ 3 tablespoon oil or ghee (clarified butter) * check notes

crushed or ground into paste in mortar-pestle

• ▢ ½ inch ginger - roughly chopped
• ▢ 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 green chili - roughly chopped

whole garam masala or spices

• ▢ 1 inch cinnamon stick
• ▢ 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• ▢ 1 black cardamom
• ▢ 2 to 3 cloves
• ▢ 2 single strands of mace (javitri)
• ▢ 1 medium sized tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ a small piece of stone flower (pathar phool) - optional
• ▢ 3 to 4 whole black pepper

for garnishing

• ▢ 1 small onion thinly sliced or about ¼ cup thinly sliced onions
• ▢ 12 to 15 cashews
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves

Instructions

soaking rice

• Rinse the rice till the water runs clears of starch.
• Then soak the basmati rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes. 
• Later drain and keep the basmati rice aside.

making vegetable pulao in pressure cooker

• Heat 3 tbsp ghee or oil in the pressure cooker. Add sliced onions.
• Saute on a low flame, till the onions are golden and then remove them with a slotted spoon. Keep the caramelized onions aside.
• In the same oil, add cashews and brown them. Keep the fried cashews also aside.
• In the same oil or ghee, add the whole spices - cinnamon, tej patta, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves, black pepper, stone flower, cumin seeds and mace. Saute for a few seconds till the spices become aromatic.
• Add sliced onions. Stir and saute the onions on a low flame. Saute till the onions become golden.
• Then add ginger+garlic+green chili paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away. About 15 to 20 seconds.
• Add all the chopped veggies, including tomatoes and peas.
• Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
• Add the drained basmati rice. Saute gently for 1 to 2 minutes till the oil/ghee has coated the rice grains evenly. Pour water.
• Add salt and stir the pulao gently.
• Check the taste of the stock. If it tastes bland, then add some more salt.
• Cover the pressure cooker tightly with its lid.
• Pressure cook vegetable pulao for 2 to 3 whistles on a medium to high flame. 2 whistles will give you a less softer texture. For more softer texture cook for 3 whistles.
• When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.
• Serve the pulao garnished with fried onions, cashews and mint or coriander leaves. 
• You can also gently mix the garnishing ingredients with the pulao.
• This pressure cooked vegetable pulao goes well with boondi raita, plain raita or onion-tomato raita. 
• Also accompany some onion slices with lemon or a vegetable salad or pickle and papad.

Video

Notes

* Skip the fried garnish part of onions & cashews if you prefer. In this case, just make the pulao with 2 tbsp oil or ghee instead of 3 tbsp oil or ghee.

Nutrition Info Approximate values

Nutrition Facts

40 Minutes Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao

Amount Per Serving

Calories 440 Calories from Fat 120

% Daily Value*

Fat 13.3g20%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 4.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 6.1g

Sodium 25.8mg1%

Potassium 394.1mg11%

Carbohydrates 72.6g24%

Fiber 4.3g18%

Sugar 3.6g4%

Protein 8.3g17%

Vitamin A 600IU12%

Vitamin C 40.4mg49%

Calcium 70mg7%

Iron 4.9mg27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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