Pulao or pilaf, is comfort food at its best and I make it when I want to cook something quick, easy and satisfying. This one-pot dish made with rice and vegetables has added spices and herbs, giving it a mild aromatic flavor.
This special recipe is my mom’s and is my go-to recipe when making vegetable pulao. The dish is also vegetarian and is great on its own or paired with raita (an Indian yogurt dish), pickle and roasted papad (a crisp thin Indian snack).
About Vegetable Pulao
Called by various names such as pilaf or pulav, veg pulao is one of the most common rice dishes in India, the other being Veg Biryani.
You will find many different veg pulao recipes on this blog including Peas pulao, Kashmiri pulao, Tawa pulao, Paneer pulao and more. However the recipe I share here is my favorite and how I almost always end up making it.
What I like about making veg pulao is that it comes together quickly. Use a food processor for chopping the veggies and it will really come together fast.
Why this Pulao Recipe Works
- Spices: This recipe uses whole garam masala spices, rather than adding any pulao or biryani masala. Thus the aroma of the spices is distinctly felt in the dish.
- Rice: I usually like the texture of the rice to be a little soft in pulao, rather than being al dente, which is the way it is typically served in restaurants. So if you are like me, you will love this recipe. Read on below for tips on making the perfect rice for you pulao.
Tips for Preparing your Rice
The most important thing in a pulao dish is that the rice grains are cooked perfectly without sticking or becoming mushy. The rice grains should be separate and non-sticky after being cooked.
Below you will find some tips and suggestions to help you prepare the perfect rice for your pulao.
Type and quality of rice for Pulao
- Basmati rice is usually used to make pulao. The basmati rice should be fragrant and long-grained to get good results. Aged basmati rice will give you the best results.
- You can also use other types of long-grained rice and short-grained Indian rice varieties like seeraga samba, sona masuri or ambe mohar. These rice varieties can often be purchased on Amazon.
- In some parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala (Southern Indian states), seeraga samba rice is widely used to make pulao and biryani.
- Even parboiled basmati rice (sella basmati) can be used to make this recipe.
Sticky rice grains vs. separate rice grains
Now that you have the correct rice, follow these steps to ensure you have separate rice grains in your pulao:
Soak the rice – It is always better to soak your rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking rice grains gives them a better texture when they are cooked. If you do not have time to soak them, then just rinse the rice before adding it. Note that if you only rinse the rice, you will need to add some more water as presoaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soaked.
Add the right amount of water – Be sure that you do not add too much water, especially if you have presoaked your rice as recommended above.
Sauté the rice – After adding the rice grains to your pan, sauté them for 1 to 2 minutes on a low to medium flame, so that they are coated with fat (oil or ghee). The rice grains have to be separate & and yet well cooked in a pulao or biryani. Adding lemon juice also helps make the rice grains fluffier.
Rice to water ratio
For most rice varieties, the rice to water ratio is generally 1:2. However, this ratio can vary depending on the particular type of rice used or the cooking method used:
- Example 1 – organic basmati rice requires more water while cooking and parboiled basmati rice will need more water as compared to regular basmati rice. For this reason, I recommend when cooking pulao, to use rice which you have cooked before. This way you will already know how much water to add.
- Example 2 – when cooking pulao in a pressure cooker, generally less water is added. The steam generated in the cooker helps in cooking the rice grains. However, the amount of water to be added will depend upon the size of the cooker. For example, in larger cookers, more water has to be added.
How to make Pulao Recipe in a pot or pan
Preparation
1. Begin by rinsing 1.5 cups basmati rice in water until it runs clear of starch. Next, soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes strain the rice of all the water and keep aside.
3. While the rice is soaking, prep the veggies. Rinse and chop them. Make sure to chop the vegetables in small cubes. For cauliflower, chop them in medium-sized florets. Peel, rinse and slice 1 large onion thinly.
4. Keep all the whole spices aside. From the below list of spices, you can skip black pepper, black cardamom, star anise and mace.
5. Add chopped ginger (1 to 1.5 inches), garlic (4 to 5 small to medium garlic cloves, peeled) and 1 to 2 green chilies (green peppers) in a mortar-pestle.
6. Crush to a paste. You can also use a small grinder for crushing these. Add a bit of water if required while grinding in a small grinder or mixer.
Frying spices and onions
7. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee or oil in a deep thick bottomed pot or pan.
8. Once the ghee has melted and become hot, add all whole spices and fry for a few seconds until they become fragrant. The spices will also splutter while frying. The ghee should not smoke or become too hot.
9. Add 1 cup of thinly sliced onions.
10. Mix the onions with the ghee and begin to sauté them.
11. Sauté the onions on a low to medium-low flame. First, the onions will become light golden. Stirring often continue to sauté.
12. Sauté onions until golden.
13. Once the onions become golden, add crushed ginger + garlic + green chili (chili pepper) paste.
14. Stir and sauté for some seconds until the raw aroma of the ginger & garlic goes away.
15. Add ½ cup chopped tomatoes.
16. Mix and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
17. Now add all the chopped veggies. You will need about 1 to 1.5 cups of mixed chopped vegetables.
18. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves (cilantro). At this step, you can also add 2 tablespoons of chopped mint leaves.
19. Mix and sauté again for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
20. Add the rice.
21. Mix rice gently with the rest of the ingredients.
22. Sauté rice gently for 1 to 2 minutes on a low to medium-low flame, so that the rice gets well coated with the oil or ghee.
23. Pour 2.5 to 3 cups water into the pan. I added 3 cups of water. Depending on the quality of rice you have used, you can add less or more water. You can replace water with vegetable stock.
24. Add ¼ teaspoon lemon juice.
25. Season with salt. Mix very well. To figure out if you have added the right amount of salt, 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
26. Stir and tightly cover the pot or pan with its lid.
27. Cover and cook the rice until all the water is absorbed. Cook on a low to medium flame. Usually, in the beginning, I cook on a medium-low or medium flame and then halfway through, I lower the flame. Check a few times during cooking to ensure there is enough water. Depending on the quality of rice, you may need to add more water. With a fork, you can also gently stir the rice without breaking the rice grains.
16. Once the rice grains are cooked, fluff them and let the rice stand for 5 minutes covered with the lid.
17. Serve pulao garnished with coriander leaves (cilantro), mint leaves or fried onions and fried cashews or fried raisins.
Serving Suggestions with Pulao
I recommend serving vegetable pulao with the following:
- Raita (an Indian yogurt dish): Different variations I recommend include onion tomato raita, boondi raita or cucumber raita
- Curry or korma: Choose any spicy or lightly spiced vegetable curry or korma.
- With pickle and papad: If you do not have time or ingredients to make korma or raita, then just serve with some pickle and roasted or fried papad (an Indian flatbread)
- Plain curd (yogurt)
- Some sliced onions and lime or lemon
- A simple Kadhi (a dish of thick chickpea flour gravy with vegetable fritters)
Pulao Variations
There are many variations that can be made in a pulao recipe. From adding different vegetables to using a vegetable stock or spicing with unique spices. See the points mentioned below.
Vegetables
Various types of vegetables can be added in a pulao, either alone or in a combination of two to three or more, depending on what you and your family like and prefer. Usually, a vegetable pulav is made with veggies like green peas, cauliflower, french beans, carrots, and potatoes.
Apart from these vegetables, you can also add broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, capsicum (bell peppers), cabbage, beetroot (beets), and tomatoes. The flavors and taste of pulao will vary with the type of vegetables added to it.
Masala and Spice Pastes
There are many pulao varieties made in the Indian cuisine with a mix of various masala or spice pastes and ingredients including:
- Curd (yogurt)
- Coconut milk: for example Coconut milk pulao or Brinji rice
- Green Masala Paste: Green pulao includes a green masala paste made from coriander leaves (cilantro), mint leaves, green chilies (chili pepper), ginger and garlic. Some fresh coconut can also be added. Green pulao is similar to chutney pulao.
- Red Masala Paste: Used in making red pulao and similar to green masala paste, however tomatoes are used as one of the major flavor and taste contributors.
- Pulao-biryani masala: A ground spice blend used instead of whole spices.
- Vegetable Stock: Some pulav recipes are cooked in vegetable stock instead of water. Pulao made in a vegetable stock has a different taste and color.
- Spices and Herbs: 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 chilies (chili pepper) and include some spice powders like garam masala powder or red chili powder. You can also reduce the whole spices in the recipe (except cumin) if you want a less aromatic and milder veg pulao.
Making Restaurant Style Pulao
A vegetable pulao can be made more delicious and similar to a restaurant-style dish by incorporating the following methods:
- Add some crisp golden fried onions (birista) as a garnish on the vegetable pulao. Fried caramelized onions not only taste good but also give a nice crunch in the soft textured pulao.
- Add some fried dry fruits & nuts like cashews, almonds and raisins.
- 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.
Methods of cooking pulao
Pulao can be cooked in five ways:
- In a pan or pot (as shown in this recipe post)
- Making Vegetable Pulao in a Pressure Cooker
- Making Pulao in an Instant Pot
- In an electric cooker
- In a microwave
You can use any of the above methods for cooking pulao, but just remember to add the correct amount of water. For example, in an electric cooker, you will need to add more water and in a pressure cooker you will need to add less water, then when making pulao in a pan.
This recipe is from the archives and has been republished on March 4, 2020.
Pulao Recipe (Veg Pulao made in a Pot)
Ingredients
For soaking rice
- 1.5 cups basmati rice - 300 grams, rinsed & soaked for 30 minutes
- water - as required for soaking
Vegetables
- ½ to ¾ cup chopped cauliflower florets
- ½ to ¾ cup chopped potatoes
- ¼ cup chopped carrots
- ⅓ cup green peas - fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup chopped green peas (french beans)
- ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper (capsicum) - optional
- ¼ cup sliced baby corn - optional
Other ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions or 1 large onion, sliced
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
- 1 to 1.5 inches ginger - crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle
- 4 to 5 small to medium garlic cloves
- 1 to 2 green chillies (chili pepper)
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves - optional
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice - optional
- 2.5 to 3 cups water or veg stock * check notes below for details. I added 3 cups of water
- salt as required
Whole spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
- 5 to 6 whole black pepper - optional
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 4 cloves
- 3 to 4 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom - optional
- 1 small piece of mace - optional
- 1 small star anise - optional
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 small piece of stone flower (dagad phool or patthar ke phool) - optional
For garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse rice 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.
- Rinse, peel and chop the vegetables.
- Crush chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies to a paste in a mortar-pestle or grind them in a small mixer or grinder with a bit of water.
Frying spices and onions
- 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 and the spices splutter.
- Add the onions and saute them till golden. Saute the onions on a low to medium-low flame and stir often for uniform browning.
- Add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste and saute for some seconds till their raw aroma goes away.
- Add the tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium-low flame.
- Add all the chopped veggies and saute again for 1 to 2 minutes on a low to medium-low flame.
- Add rice and saute gently for 1 to 2 minutes on a low or medium-low flame, so that the rice gets well coated with the oil.
- Add water and lemon juice. Mix and stir.
- 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 pulao hot with some side salad, sliced onion & lemon wedges or raita. You can also garnish it with chopped coriander or mint leaves or fried cashews or fried onions.
Notes
- Type and quality of rice: Pulao is always made with Basmati rice. The basmati rice should be fragrant and long-grained to get good results. Aged basmati rice will give you the best results. Even parboiled basmati rice (sella basmati) can be used. You can also use other types of long-grained rice and short-grained rice. These Indian rice varieties can be easily purchased from Amazon.
- For separate rice grains: Follow these steps to ensure you have separate rice grains in your pulao:
- Soak the rice: It is always better to soak your rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Soaking rice grains gives them a better texture when they are cooked. If you do not have time to soak them, then just rinse the rice before adding it. Note that if you only rinse the rice, you will need to add some more water as presoaked rice grains require less water for cooking as compared to rice grains which are not soaked.
- Add just enough water: Be sure that you do not add too much water, especially if you have presoaked your rice as recommended above.
- Sauté the rice: After adding the rice grains to your pan, sauté them for 1 to 2 minutes on a low to medium flame, so that they are coated with fat (oil or ghee). The rice grains have to be separate & and yet well cooked in a pulao or biryani. Adding lemon juice also helps make the rice grains fluffier.
- Rice to water ratio: For most rice varieties, the rice to water ratio is generally 1:2. However, this ratio can vary depending on the particular type of rice used or the cooking method used:
- Example 1– organic basmati rice requires more water while cooking and parboiled basmati rice will need more water as compared to regular basmati rice. For this reason, I recommend when cooking pulao, to use rice which you have cooked before. This way you will already know how much water to add.
- Example 2– when cooking pulao in a pressure cooker, generally less water is added. The steam generated in the cooker helps in cooking the rice grains. However, the amount of water to be added will depend upon the size of the cooker. For example, in larger cookers, more water has to be added.
- Vegetables: You can add your favorite vegetables. Note that the vegetables add a lot of flavor to the rice. You can even add mushrooms to a give a meaty texture and umami flavor to the pulao. Button Mushrooms, morel mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms can be added.
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 cooker version 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
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.