Sharing my mom's Veg Pulao recipe with aromatic long-grain basmati rice, colorful vegetables, infused with delicately balanced whole spices, and a bold finish of garam masala.
An easy, gluten-free, and vegetarian dish that can be cooked on the stovetop or Instant Pot. Short on time? Use frozen chopped vegetables instead of fresh ones.
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This lightly spiced fragrant and flavorful vegetable Pulao is my mom's signature dish. She chops the veggies perfectly so they cook tender while still having a bite and makes the final dish look pretty with the color contrast against the fluffy white long rice grains. It was my favorite dish growing up and now has become a staple dish in my kitchen for easy weeknight meals as well as for entertaining, parties, and potlucks.
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Ingredients for Veg Pulao
- Basmati Rice - aromatic long-grain basmati rice
- Vegetables - cauliflower, carrot, green beans, onions, peas, and corn cooked so that they still have a bit and make the dish colorful
- Whole Spices - cumin, black peppercorns, green cardamom, bay leaf, and cloves
- Ground Spices - fresh homemade garam masala adds the perfect warmth and depth
- Nuts - Golden fried cashews make for a perfect garnish, but if you are allergic to nuts you can also skip them.
How To Make Veg Pulao
Here are step-by-step photos of the stovetop method. Check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe and also Instant Pot instructions.
- In a medium pan, heat the ghee. And add shah jeera, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorn, and cardamom, and saute for a minute on medium heat.
- Add drained rice, water, and salt. Give a quick stir and bring to a full boil on medium-high heat. Once the rice comes to a full boil, lower the heat and cook covered for 10 minutes.
- In a medium frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add cashews and fry until lightly browned. Take out the cashews and reserve keeping excess ghee in the pan. Add sliced onions to the pan and cook until translucent and lightly golden. Take out the onions and reserve.
- Add ½ tablespoon of ghee and add cauliflower to the pan. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Take out and reserve keeping any excess ghee in the pan.
- Add green beans and carrots and fry for 5 minutes until tender adding more ghee as needed. Reserve the veggies. Add peas and corn and cook for 2 minutes or until fully heated through. Add salt and garam masala and mix well.
- Add the rice to a large bowl and allow it to cool down. Add the veggies to the bowl and mix lightly with a silicone spatula. Return the mixed pulao to the pot and garnish with fried cashews. Cook covered on low heat for 5 minutes.
Serving
Enjoy hot with yogurt or raita. I often pair this Veg Pulao with Pav Bhaji or Kheema Pav and mango lassi when hosting guests. Everyone loves the flavor combo and it also makes for a hearty meal.
Substitutes for Veggie Pulao
- Short on time? Use frozen chopped vegetables instead of fresh
- Want to make it Vegan? Use neutral cooking oil in place of ghee
- Skip cashews for nut-free Pulao
- Regular cumin seeds can be used in place of shah jeera
How to Store Pulao
Any leftover pulao can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for longer shelf life and thaw it overnight. To reheat sprinkle a spoon full of water on the rice and then microwave or reheat on a stovetop pan. This recipe is also perfect for meal prepping. Simply chop and saute the veggies up to 2 days before. Then make the rice and mix in the veggies.
More Indian Rice Recipes
Recipe
Vegetable Pulao Recipe | Veg Pulav
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 cup long-grain basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon shah jeera
- 1 Indian bay leaf
- 6 cloves
- 12 black peppercorns
- 3 green cardamom pods
Veggies
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets
- 2 carrots cut into 2-inch X ¼ inch thin strips
- 1 cup green beans diagonally cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup frozen green peas
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garam Masala
Optional Garnish
- 16 cashews
Instructions
- Rinse rice 2 to 3 times and drain all the water out.
- In a medium pan, heat the ghee. Add shah jeera, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorn, and cardamom, and saute for a minute on medium heat.
- Add drained rice, water, and salt. Give a quick stir and bring to a full boil on medium-high heat. Once the rice comes to a full boil, lower the heat and cook covered for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the lid allowing the rice to cool down as you cook the veggies.
- In a medium frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add cashews and fry until lightly browned. Take out the cashews, keep excess ghee in the pan, and reserve.
- Add sliced onions to the pan and cook until translucent and lightly golden. Take out the onions and reserve.
- Add ½ tablespoon of ghee and add cauliflower to the pan. Cook until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Take out and reserve keeping any excess ghee in the pan.
- Add green beans and carrots and fry for 5 minutes until tender adding more ghee as needed. Add peas and corn and cook for 2 minutes or until fully heated through.
- Add the reserved cauliflower along with salt and garam masala and mix well
- Add the veggies to the cooled rice and mix lightly with a silicone spatula. You can also use a large bowl to mix the rice and the veggies. Return the mixed pulao to the pot and garnish with fried cashews.
- Cook covered on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice is heated through.
Video
Notes
- Short on time? Use 4 cups of frozen chopped vegetables instead of fresh
- Want to make it Vegan? Use neutral cooking oil in place of ghee
- Skip cashews for nut-free Pulao
- Regular cumin seeds can be used in place of shah jeera
- Set Instant Pot to saute mode and heat 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add cashews and fry until lightly browned. Take out the cashews, keep excess ghee in the pot, and reserve teh cashews.
- Add one tablespoon of ghee, shah jeera, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorn, and cardamom, and saute for 30 seconds.
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Add sliced onions and cook for two to three minutes or until they turn translucent.
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Add all the veggies and mix well. Turn off saute mode.
- Add the drained rice, salt, garam masala, and 1 cup of water. Give a quick stir making sure most of the rice is under the water.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on low for 5 minutes followed by quick release.
- Open the Instant Pot, and garnish with reserved cashews.
- Allow the pulao to cool down for 5 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to gently take out the rice and serve hot
- For the Instant Pot use 1:1 rice-to-water ratio
- Allow the rice to cool down a bit after opening the lid. This will allow the excess moisture to evaporate and the rice grains will not break.
- Make sure to not brown the pot when sauteing onions.
Anita says
This recipe was excellent. My daughter loved it too!
Archana says
Thank you!