Lobia pulao recipe with step by step photos – delicious pulao or pilaf made with black eyed beans, onions, herbs and spices. Gluten-free and vegan dish. Black eyed beans are also called as lobia in hindi, rongi in Punjabi and chawli in marathi language.
Black eyed beans is a favorite with us and so I do make some recipes with it. Most of the times I make Punjabi style lobia curry to go with rotis. I also prepare the chawli usal with it. Both which I serve at times with steamed rice or chapatis. This pulao recipe is one more recipe that can be made with black eyed beans.
The lobia pulao recipe method is similar to the Rajma pulao, I had posted some time back. This is a homely version and not a spicy pulav. I have cooked everything in a pressure cooker. Though you can cook the lobia beans as well as the rice in a pot too. details are given in the notes section of recipe card below.
I did not soak the chawli beans. You can soak them for a couple of hours or overnight. But do note that the cooking time reduces if you soak them.
Serve chawli pulao with a side accompaniment of curd, raita or a vegetable salad or kachumber.
How to make lobia pulao
1. Rinse the lobia beans a couple of times in water. Then add them to a pressure cooker.
2. Add ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. Pour 1.5 cups water.
4. Cover and pressure cook lobia on a medium flame for 7 to 8 minutes or for about 9 to 10 whistles. The cooking time varies with the quality and freshness of the lobia beans. This variety of lobia beans was taking a long time to cook. First, I pressure cooked for 5 whistles and then checked them. They were still uncooked. Then I again pressure cooked for 5 whistles. The beans should be cooked well, but not become mushy.
5. strain the lobia beans and keep aside.
6. When the lobia are cooking, rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak them for 30 minutes in enough water. After 30 minutes, drain the water and keep aside.
Making lobia pulao
7. Use the same pressure cooker. Just rinse and use again or you can use another pressure cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in it. Then add the whole spices – ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms and 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf).
8. When the spices splutter and become aromatic, add ¾ cup thinly sliced onions.
9. Saute the onions stirring often on a low to medium flame.
10. Saute till the onions begin to get golden brown.
11. Then add ½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute till the aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
12. Now add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes and 1 green chili (chopped).
13. Mix well and saute for a minute.
14. Next add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
15. Mix well.
16. Add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves. Stir well.
Cooking lobia pulao
17. Then add the cooked lobia beans. Mix the beans with the onion-tomato masala mixture.
18. Now add the rice. Stir and mix the rice with the rest of the ingredients.
19. Pour 1.75 cups water.
20. Season with salt. Stir. Check the taste of water and it should be slightly salty.
21. On a medium flame, cover and pressure cook the pulao for 7 to 8 minutes or 2 to 3 whistles. When the pressure in the cooker, falls down on its own, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.
22. garnish with some coriander leaves and Serve lobia pulao hot with a side of raita or veg salad.
More Pulao recipes
- Pulao with mix vegetables
- Peas pulao
- Potato pulao
- Tawa pulao
- Paneer pulao
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lobia pulao
Ingredients
for pressure cooking lobia
- ½ cup lobia (black eyed beans or chawli or rongi) or 120 grams lobia
- 1.5 cups water for pressure cooking
- ¼ teaspoon salt
for cooking pulao
- 2 tablespoon oil (can use sunflower or safflower or peanut oil)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ inch cinnamon (dalchini)
- 3 to 4 cloves (lavang)
- 2 to 3 green cardamom (chotti elaichi)
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 90 to 100 grams onions or 2 medium onions or ¾ cup sliced onions
- ½ teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste or ½ inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves - crushed in mortar-pestle
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped or ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 green chili, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch powder)
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- 1 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
- 1 cup heaped basmati rice or 200 grams basmati rice
- 1.75 cups water
- salt as required
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
cooking the lobia beans
- Rinse the lobia beans a couple of times in water. Then add them in a pressure cooker along with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Pour 1.5 cups water. Cover and pressure cook lobia on a medium flame for 7 to 8 minutes or for about 9 to 10 whistles. The cooking time varies with the quality and freshness of the lobia beans.
- This variety of lobia beans were taking a long time to cook. First I pressure cooked for 5 whistles and then checked them. They were still uncooked. Then I again pressure cooked for 5 whistles.
- The lobia beans should be cooked well, but not become mushy.
- Strain the beans and keep aside.
- When the lobia beans are cooking, rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak them for 30 minutes in enough water. After 30 minutes, drain the water and keep aside.
making lobia pulao
- Use the same pressure cooker. Just rinse and use again or you can use another pressure cooker.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in it. Then add the whole spices - 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms and 1 small to medium tej patta.
- When the spices splutter and become aromatic, add 3/4 cup thinly sliced onions.
- Saute the onions stirring often on a low to medium flame, till they begin to get golden brown.
- Then add 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Stir and saute till the aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes and 1 green chili (chopped). Mix well and saute for a minute.
- Next add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder. Mix well.
- Add 1 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Stir well.
cooking lobia pulao
- Then add the cooked lobia beans. Mix the beans with the onion-tomato masala mixture.
- Now add the rice. Stir and mix the rice with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour 1.75 cups water. Season with salt. Stir. Check the taste of water and it should be slightly salty. Stir.
- On a medium flame, cover and pressure cook lobia pulao for 7 to 8 minutes or 2 to 3 whistles.
- When the pressure in the cooker, falls down on its own, remove the lid and gently fluff the rice.
- Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve lobia pulao hot with a side of raita or veg salad.
Notes
Rinse and soak the beans overnight or for at least 3 to 4 hours.
Take a deep bottomed pan or pot. Add 2 to 2.5 cups of water along with the black eyed beans and salt. Cover the pan and on a medium to high flame cook the beans. If required add more hot water.
- for cooking pulao in a pot.
Saute the spices, onions etc in a thick bottomed pot. After adding soaked rice, add 2 cups water. On a low to medium flame, cover and cook till rice is done and all the water is absorbed.
I have made this 3-4 times. I like the recipe and it’s my new comfort food. thanks you for easy instructions.
welcome sanghamitra. glad to know this.