Pulao recipe With step by step photos. veg pulao Is comfort food as well as satisfying. Pair this mildly flavored aromatic vegetable pulao with a raita, pickle and roasted papad and you don’t need anything else. Pulao is also called as pilaf and pulav.
Veg pulao is a one-pot dish made with rice and vegetables. Some spices and herbs are also added to give pulao more flavor and taste.
I make veg pulao when I want to cook something quick and easy. This is my mom’s vegetable pulav recipe and one of our favorite rice recipes, the other being Veg biryani.
I have many veg pulao recipes On the blog like Peas pulao, Kashmiri pulao, Tawa pulao, Paneer pulao and so on. However most of the times I always end up making vegetable pulao this way.
I also tried some other variations of making vegetable pulav but it did not suit our taste buds. There is no addition of any pulao or biryani masala in this recipe. Just the whole garam masala spices are added.
What I like about making veg pulao is that it gets made quickly. If you have a food processor for chopping the veggies, then its more quick. Usually I like the texture of the rice to be a little soft in pulao than being Al dente or the way they are served in restaurants.
What you look in a pulao recipe is that the rice grains have to be cooked perfectly without sticking or becoming mushy. So a pulao should have separate non sticky rice grains after being cooked. I have compiled below some tips and suggestions to make a really good vegetable pulao with separate non-sticky grains of rice.
Tips to make pulao
1. Type and quality of rice
Usually basmati rice is used to make it. The basmati rice has to be fragrant and long-grained to get good results. Aged basmati rice gives very excellent results in a pulao or biryani recipe. You can even use other types of long-grained rice and short-grained rice varieties like seeraga samba or sona masuri or ambe mohar. In some parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, seeraga samba rice is widely used to make pulao and biryani. Even parboiled basmati rice (sela basmati) can be used to make both pulao and biryani.
2. Sticky rice grains vs separate rice grains
To get separate rice grains in a pulao, firstly the quality of rice should be good and it should be aged. Secondly do not add more water or extra water. Thirdly after adding rice, sauté them for 2 minutes on a low to medium flame, so that the rice grains are coated with fat (oil or ghee). the rice grains have to be separate & yet well cooked in a pulao or biryani. Addition of lemon juice also helps in making the rice grains fluffier.
Its always better to soak rice for 20 to 30 minutes. Soaking rice grains gives a better texture when they are cooked. If you do not have time to soak rice grains, then just rinse and then add them. But here you will need to add some more water. Presoaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soaked.
3. Rice to water ratio
The rice to water ratio is generally 1:2 for rice and water respectively for most rice varieties. However, this ratio varies with a particular type of rice used or the method of cooking rice.
- Example – organic basmati rice requires more water while cooking. Parboiled basmati rice will need more water as compared to regular basmati rice. So when cooking pulao, use rice which you have cooked earlier, so that you know how much water to add.
- Example – when cooking pulao in a pressure cooker, generally less water is added. The steam generated in the pressure cooker, helps in cooking the rice grains. But here the amount of water to be added depends upon the size of the cooker. In larger cookers more water has to be added.
Methods of cooking pulao or pulav
Pulao can be cooked in five ways –
- In a pan or pot (as shown in this recipe post)
- In a pressure cooker
- In an instant pot
- In an electric cooker
- In a microwave
You can use any method for cooking pulao. But just remember to add correct amount of water.
Example: in an electric cooker, you will need to add more water. in a pressure cooker you need to add less water, then when making pulao in a pan. In the notes section of recipe card, I have mentioned the amount of water to be added when cooking veg pulao in a 3 litre pressure cooker.
How to make veg pulav in a pressure cooker
One of the easiest and quickest method to make vegetable pulao is in a pressure cooker. It saves time as well as fuel. While Making veg pulao in a pressure cooker is easy, but it can be tricky. The size of the pressure cooker, the quality of rice and amount of water added can yield a very good pulao or sticky, mushy or lumpy pulao or even a burnt undercooked pulao. So make pulao in a pressure cooker with a particular brand of aged basmati rice which stays separate even after pressure cooking. Keep in mind the size of the cooker. Larger the cooker, more water needs to be added and vice versa.
Variations in making pulav recipe
1. Various types of vegetables can be added in a pulao. You can add these vegetables alone or in a combination of two to three or more. It depends on what you and your family likes and prefer. Usually a vegetable pulav is made with veggies like green peas, cauliflower, french beans, carrots, potatoes. Apart from these vegetables, you can also add broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, capsicum (bell peppers), cabbage, beetroot, tomatoes. The flavors and taste of pulao will vary with the type of vegetables added in it.
2. there are many pulao Varieties made in the Indian cuisine with a mix of various masala or spice pastes added.
- Some variations add curd.
- Coconut milk is also added in some recipes. E.g. Coconut milk pulao or brinji rice.
- I also make red pulao and green pulao on occasions. In green pulao, the green masala paste made from coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, ginger and garlic is added. Some coconut can also be added in this green masala. Green pulao is similar to chutney pulao. Red pulao has tomatoes as one of the major flavor and taste contributor.
- Instead of whole spices, you can even add pulao-biryani masala.
- Some pulav recipes are cooked in vegetable stock instead of water. Pulao made in a vegetable stock has a different taste and color.
- You can always alter the amount of spices and herbs as per your taste. If you like spicy veg pulao then you can add more green chillies and include some spice powders like garam masala powder or red chilli powder. You can also reduce the whole garam masala in the recipe, if you want a less aromatic and mild veg pulav.
3. A vegetable pulao can be made more delicious and restaurant-style by incorporating the following methods:
- Add some crisp golden fried onions (birista) as a garnish on the vegetable pulao. Fried onions not only taste good but also give a nice crunch in the soft textured pulao.
- Some fried dry fruits like cashews and raisins can also be added.
- You can even add some saffron strands while cooking pulao. This will impart the lovely saffron aroma and flavor in the pulao. Even rose water or kewra water can be added.
How to make veg pulao
1. Firstly rinse the rice in water runs clear of starch. Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. Then strain the rice and keep aside.
2. When the rice is soaking, prep the veggies and keep the whole spices aside. Picture of the whole spices added in the pulao, except cumin. If you do not have any particular spice, then you can skip it.
3. Heat ghee or oil in a deep thick bottomed pot or pan. Add all whole spices and fry till they become fragrant.
4. Add the thinly sliced onions. Saute the onions on a low flame till golden and stirring them often for uniform browning.
5. Once the onions become golden, then add crushed ginger+garlic+green chili paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger & garlic goes away.
6. Add chopped tomatoes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
7. Now add all the chopped veggies and saute again for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame. Please note that at this step you can even add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and 2 tablespoons of mint leaves.
8. Add the rice.
9. Saute rice gently for 2 minutes on a low to medium-low flame, so that the rice gets well coated with the oil.
10. pour water.
11. Stir well.
12. Add 6 to 7 drops of lime juice or lemon juice.
13. Season with salt. To find the amount of salt added, check the taste of the water. You should feel some saltiness in the water. This means the amount of salt added is right. If the water does not feel salty, then you need to add some more salt.
Cooking veg pulao
14. Stir and cover the pot or pan with its lid tightly.
15. Cover and cook the rice till all the water is absorbed. Cook on a low to medium flame. Usually in the beginning, I cook on a medium flame and then half way lower the flame. Check in between a few times to check if the water is enough. Depending on the quality of rice, you may need to add less or more water. With a fork too, you can gently stir the rice without breaking the rice grains.
16. Once the rice grains are cooked, fluff and let the rice stand for 5 minutes covered with the lid.
17. Serve pulao garnished with coriander leaves or mint leaves or fried onions and cashews. As a side accompaniment with pulao, you can serve onion tomato raita or boondi raita or cucumber raita or just plain yogurt along with roasted papad and mango pickle or lemon pickle.
Serving vegetable pulav
It is served either with curd (yogurt) or raita or a curry or korma. But if you do not have time or ingredients to make korma or raita, then just serve with some pickle and papad (roasted or fried). You can even serve it with plain curd. Some sliced onions and lime or lemon also accompany a pulao well. Even a simple kadhi can be served with it.
pulao recipe
INGREDIENTS
main ingredients
- 1.5 cups long grained or basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes
- ¼ cup heaped each of chopped potatoes, cauliflower/broccoli, french beans, green peas (fresh or frozen) and carrots - or 1 to 1.5 cups chopped vegetables of your choice
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium size tomato, chopped
- ½ inch ginger + 2 to 3 medium garlic cloves + 1 green chili - crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle
- 6 to 7 drops of lime juice
- 2.5 to 3 cups water or veg stock * check notes below for details. i added 3 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons ghee or 2.5 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
whole spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ¾ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
- 4 to 5 whole black pepper
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf or tamalpatra)
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 to 3 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 single strands of mace - optional
- 1 small star anise (chakriphool) - optional
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 small piece of stone flower (dagad phool or patthar ke phool) - optional
INSTRUCTIONS
soaking rice
- Rinse rinse till the water runs clear of starch and become transparent while rinsing.
- Soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. Drain all the water and keep the soaked rice aside.
making pulao
- In a deep thick bottomed pot or pan, heat ghee or oil and fry all the whole spices mentioned above, till the oil becomes fragrant
- Add the onions and saute them till golden. Saute the onions on a low flame and stir often for uniform browning.
- Add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste and saute for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium-low flame.
- Add all the veggies and saute again for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium-low flame.
- Add rice and saute gently for 2 minutes on a low or medium-low flame, so that the rice gets well coated with the oil.
- Pour water and stir.
- Sprinkle 6 to 7 drops of lime juice or lemon juice. Season with salt and stir again.
cooking veg pulao
- Cover tightly and let the rice cook on a low flame, till the water is absorbed and the rice is well cooked.
- Check in between a few times to check if the water is enough. Depending on the quality of rice, you may need to add less or more water. With a fork too, you can gently stir the rice without breaking the rice grains.
- Once the rice grains are cooked, fluff and let the rice stand for 5 minutes.
- Serve the veg pulao hot with some side salad, sliced onion & lemon wedges or raita. You can also garnish it with chopped coriander or mint leaves.
NOTES
- If you are making veg pulao in a 3 litre pressure cooker, then add 2.5 to 2.75 cups water. For an al dente texture, 2.5 cups is fine and for a softer texture 2.75 cups water is fine. Pressure cook rice on medium flame for 2 whistles. In case the rice grains are undercooked, then add ¼ cup water and pressure cook for 1 whistle more.
Tried this and it turned out to be awesome, all liked it and quick to make. Thank you so much, I take help from your site whenever there is special occasion! All receipes are well explained and turned out superb in taste each time!
thank you vaishali for this lovely feedback and review on veg pulao. most welcome and happy cooking. thanks again.
Hello, Today I made this for lunch. It tasted well but I guess I added a little more water. I realised that your water measurement was for the pressure cooker as you have mentioned. I made it in an open pan. Can you please tell how much water to keep to cook in an open pot? Also, does soaking the rice for more than 30 minutes also affect the texture of the rice? TIA!
hi sukanya, did you cover the pan or pot with a lid? i have mentioned the water amount for a pot or a pan with lid covered. you can add use the ratio of 1:1.5 to 2 for both rice and water respectively. here the rice is presoaked for 30 minutes. if you soak rice for more than 30 minutes, then the water to be added will be less. the amount of water to be added also depends on the quality of rice. some basmati rice grains need less water as compared to some other varieties. hope this helps.
Your recipe seems to be great though I din’t try it yet.Is the ratio of rice:water required always the same,that is 2:1 if we cook veg pulao or biryani it in a pan as this is the greatest hindrance I face while preparing it.
thanks. the ratio of 2:1 is not the same always. most rice grains including basmati rice works well with this ratio, but depending on the quality and strain of rice, the ratio will change. for some rice varieties, 1.5:1 works well. for some 2.5:1 works. so when you buy a certain variety or brand of rice, experiment the first few times with the water ratios and then you will know which ratio is the best for that particular brand or variety of rice. hope this helps.
Superb way to guide. I usually prepare pulao from my self experience, but this time I referred ur page and prepared pulao for a larger number of guests, and it came out perfect! Thanks to you!
You should also upload video of the dish so that it may help beginners.
for making recipes, a step by step format in pictures is more helpful than videos. though videos are popular while cooking a process photo shots help. that said making videos requires a team. for one person to make and edit professional videos is too time-consuming. maybe when i have a staff i can make videos.
I tried your receipe it was great experience..The result was awesome and mouthwatering..The aroma was so that neighbour asked what I was preparing. THANKS A LOT
thanks jayshree for this lovely feedback on veg pulao recipe. glad to know. happy cooking.
Hiiii diiii…aaj m kafi time baad apki site p aayi hu…but i love your recepies…..a big thank u for dum biryani…..m usko bhut baar bnati hu….thanks a lot diiii…god bless
Welcome M S khokhar. Thanks for your positive feedback and best wishes.
I made this last night and added zuchini, cauliflower and baby potatoes, since these were the veggies I had, and the saffron you suggested. It was very tasty. Thanks for all your recipes that are so easy to follow.
thanks melie. pulao can be made with various mix vegetables. usually i also add vegetables which are there in the kitchen. saffron gives a good aroma and flavor. welcome and happy cooking.
I really enjoy this pulavo mam
thanks ????
I tried it ,turned out really yummy..thank you..for your recipe ????
thanks sarika for the feedback as well as the review on veg pulao recipe. welcome and happy cooking.
The water to be used in this recipe,is it normal water or should we boil water and then use it.
beena, its normal water. i do not add boiling water. by normal water i mean filtered water at room temperature.
Thankyou so much for your reply.I boiled water and added the boiled water directly.Maybe that is why the rice grains were not separate and looked liked kichdi.
welcome beena ????. thanks for letting me. if you use boiled water, the cut down on the cooking time. you can also add less water if using boiled water. sometimes i just cook plain rice with boiled water. so the time taken is less.
All these recipies in the site are very helpful and easy to make and serve. Having a nice taste. It encourages the cooking. I am so happy for finding the site. Thank you very much for this useful site. It will be very useful for everyone
thanks shenba and i am glad that you liked the website and the recipe. happy cooking ????
Your all recipes are very very nice and damn easy to understand. Thank you for sharing such
Welcome Shubham. Thanks for giving positive feedback on recipes.
This is my favourite pulao recipe. Always turns out perfectly!
Thanks Mrs M D’souza for your positive feedback on Vegetable Pulao Recipe.
Nice recipe. I prepared it today and it was very tasty.
Thanks Kirti for your positive feedback on vegetable pulao recipe.
Hello Dassana,
Have tried many of your recipes.. All are very neatly explained… Yesterday tried veg pulao and as usual this also came very well.. Thank you very much
Welcome Geetha. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback on recipes.
thank u so much i prepared it for my siblings dey were very happy.Ill try some more recipes
Welcome Sneha
Pls give me a Rice Recipes for school students.
you can check this category of rice recipes and see what suits you for preparing it for school students – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/rice-recipes/
I wanted to surprise my mom on her birthday and thought of cooking something from her favorite list…thank u for the recipe…its very prompt and easy….ur help means a lot to me..my mom is very happy…
Welcome Akhila. Glad to know this. Hope you had a good time.
Very good
I have made veg pulav but measurment pf water is not perfect. Plz tell me how many water will be for 1 glass of rice? Plz tell me fast.
mayuri, for cooking rice always use 1:2 ratio of rice to water. so for 1 glass of rice, you can use 2 glasses water. this ratio also depends on the quality of rice and if soaking is done or not. so if a rice is pre-soaked for 30 minutes, then you can use 1.5 to 1.75 glass of water.
Thank you ma’am guiding me this means alot. Thank once again.
welcome aafrin.
Hello Maàm , today i’m very much upset. Actually I’m a teenager and I’m good in sweet dishes but salty…. every time ya to spices me garbar ho
jaygi ya kabhi salt kam ho jayga and all these down my confidence. to kya main kbhi achchi cook ban paungi?
with practice and experiences, any one can cook amazing recipes. one just needs patience, practice and perseverance. for salt, first always add less and then you can taste the dish and add more salt if required. for addition of spices, you will learn this through practice.
Hii..actually i want to ask as you have not mentioned..the elaichi laung and kalimirch…this spices have to be crushed a little or not….i tried without crushing..but it was not so aromatic…so my mom says i was suppose to crush these spices a little..because Boro people like fragrance…so is it needed to crush.
i generally do not crush the spices when adding to pulao. but yes if you crush them a bit, then the fragrance is more. the sensitiveness of the aroma of garam masala differs from person to person. i know some people who cannot stand aroma of garam masala. while for some, even this much that i have added is less. agree with what you say. so you can crush and add.
Oh…thankyou very much for ur reply
welcoem charan 🙂
I grew up eating boring rice and beans. My co-worker in India said she brought Veg Pulao to their pot luck today. I had no idea what that was so I asked for the recipe and she said she does not cook so did not know (imaging that). I google it and came across your recipe which I read in details, it seems so wonderful and easy to follow. I will find the ingredients in local Indian store and make it ASAP. Thank you so much for sharing with the graphic details Dassana. I will check out your other recipes as well, I can not wait…
Juan
very pleased to know this juan 🙂 thank you for your positive feedback and views. surely try our blog recipes and do share your views on it.
I have been searching for a yummy pulao recipe. This one is too satisfying. U r gifted Dassana.
thank you sushma 🙂 for your kind and encouraging words.
Pulao is aromatic and delicious. I did notice that carrots is mentioned twice in the ingredient list, I realized one of it should be potato when I saw the pics. Thanks for the lovely recipe. You’re recipes are the best!
thanks askhatha for the feedback on the recipe and the carrot part. you guessed it right. it should be potatoes. will make the changes.
easiest and the simplest recipe
thanks shweta.
Veg pulao is beat it’s yum
thankyou rakhi 🙂
Want to try it soon . looks too good
thankyou so much indrayani 🙂
Brilliant recipe, thanks! I overcooked the rice a bit, but it still tasted great.
thankyou ant.
I am wondering how jeera and sha jeera can be substituted for each other in this recipe. They taste completely different to me.
yes they taste different. but in recipes like these, they can be replaced for each other. though they are not substitutes of each other, but a replacement.
its awesome
Very good explanation. Helped me to prepare pulao for the first time. It really came out good. Thank you !!!!
pleased to know this thankyou rajesh 🙂
I tried this recipe. But it didn’t turn out good. 🙁 rice was not that puffed! I used basmati rice but still it looked like khichdi! Not pulav! 🙁
sheetal, did the rice cook well. how much water did you add? depending on the quality of rice, you can add from 2.5 to 3 cups of water. also the rice has to be rinsed very well before cooking.
Hi…can we avoid the 7 spices which u have mentioned.. As we don’t use these… Or..Which is more important from above spices.
which 7 spices are you referring to. there are 10 spices listed. from these 10, you can skip black cardamom, star anise, stone flower and black pepper.