Veg Pulao Recipe|Easy Step-By-Step Guide [Quick & Healthy]

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If you love eating rice just like me and if you want an alternative to biryani, let me share with you my mother’s veg pulao recipe. Pulao, otherwise also known as pilaf or pilau is an awesome assortment of flavorful long-grained rice, vegetables, and spices.

I am sure even your mouth is watering as I utter the word pulao. My mother thought me this perfect recipe. Trust me, readers, it is healthy, easy to cook, and can be quickly made. Veg pulao with raita goes very well, however you can also enjoy this dish with sides like papad, mango pickle, or mirchi ka salan. 

In this blog post, I would share everything you need to know about vegetable pulao. Most importantly, I will show you how to make it healthy to eat.

So let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

What Is Pulao

Pulao is one of the most popular rice-based dishes in Indian cuisine after biryani. I love this dish because it doesn’t require a lot of effort to cook, unlike a biryani which requires effort and patience.

This dish can be cooked either with vegetables or with meat, however, in this blog post I am going to cover veg pulao recipe. Even vegetable pulao has different variations like tawa pulao, peas pulao, Kashmiri pulao, etc. Very soon I shall share my recipes for each pulao variations.

Popularity and variation of pulao depend on where this dish is been cooked. However, besides veg pulao, my personal favorite is tawa pulao which is a popular street food eaten in Mumbai. Readers, I urge you to try tawa pulao, you will thank me 😃.

Difference Between Pulao And Vegetable Biryani

Ok, some myth buster here for my readers regarding pulao and vegetable biryani, before I share my mother’s recipe.

I had already covered this topic in my post on vegetable biryani, do check out my post. But I will address this topic of briefly even here. Vegetable Pulao stands independent and should not be mixed up with a veg biryani.

Veg pulao and veg biryani are cooked in a different way. The draining method of cooking is adopted to prepare a vegetable biryani. While an absorption method is used to cook vegetable pulao.

Please refer to the image below to understand the difference.

Semi-boiled basmati rice is used to cook veg biryani. Later-on the water is drained from it. While water or vegetable stock is used to prepare a veg pulao. The stock used for cooking gets completely absorbed by the rice.

Please refer to my detailed recipe on veg pulao further down in this post in order to understand in-depth how this dish is prepared. I have covered my veg pulao recipe with pictures.

Key Ingredients You Need For Veg Pulao Recipe

Now that I have helped you understand the basic difference between a veg pulao and a veg biryani, let me share with you what ingredients you require to cook a delicious vegetable pulao at home.

Three major ingredients needed to cook your tasty pulao are rice, spices, and vegetables.

• Rice:

Well, the pulao recipe is incomplete without rice. Rice is an integral part of a pulao dish and you must select the right kind of rice.

I recommend using a long grain extra-large basmati rice. I use India Gate basmati rice for cooking pulao. Soak rice in a cup of water for a minimum of one hour, before using it for cooking this dish.

You can also use sona masuri or ambe mohar rice if you are seeking alternatives to basmati rice.

• Spices and Herbs:

Spices add nice aroma and flavor to your pulao dish. Commonly used spices for this dish are cloves, green cardamoms, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, star anise (chakr phool), and fennel seeds.

• Vegetables:

Vegetables make this dish very healthy. One way to make your kids enjoy vegetables is to serve them vegetable pulao. Not only will they enjoy this dish, but it will also be a healthy meal for your kids.
Commonly used vegetables for this dish are baby carrots, green peas, french beans, cashews, and nuts.

Hotel Style Veg Pulao Recipe

Please review my detailed list of ingredients below to cook a yummy hotel style vegetable pulao in a cooker. However, you can also cook this in an instant-pot or an oven.

All Ingredients For Veg Pulao

• Long grain basmati rice of your choice. Soak the rice for at-least half an hour.
• Pure ghee or oil for cooking.
• Sliced onions.
• Green chilies which are finely chopped.
• Grated ginger also called adrak in Hindi.
• Freshly chopped cilantro leaves (dhaniya) and mint leaves (pudina).
• Salt as per your taste.
• Hot water required for cooking.

Vegetables For Veg Pulao

• Chopped carrot also called as gaajar in Hindi.
• French beans pieces.
• Green peas also known as matar.

Spices for Veg Pulao:

• Green cardamoms also known as ilaichee in hindi.
• Clove, also known as laung in hindi.
• Cinnamon stick also called daalacheenee in hindi.
• Bay leaf (tej patta) and star anise (chakr phool).
• Garam masala powder. 

Tips For Preparation:

Please follow my easy yet detailed preparation tips mentioned below to get you started for cooking vegetable pulao.

• Rinse and wash the rice under running water until the water runs clear.
• Soak long grain basmati rice in enough water for at least half an hour. Now drain the water with the help of a strainer and keep the rice aside.
• I usually use a pressure cooker for a quick pulao recipe and make pulao over a medium flame.
• Add hot water to pulao than cold water which prevents soaked rice grains from breaking. 
• Keep all the required spices and ingredients ready.
• Wash and finely cut all the vegetables and keep them aside. For this recipe, I have used green peas, french beans, and carrots. You can also use potatoes and cashews if you would like. 

How Veg Pulao Is Made [Printable Recipe Card]

Please read below my in-depth recipe guide for vegetable pulao. You can also print this recipe free. In this way, you can have my recipe in your record. I really hope you like my recipe and that you enjoy my recipe with your friends and family

Readers can cook pulao in an instant pot or a pressure cooker. I have cooked my vegetable pulao in an instant pot. I bought it from Amazon. Readers can see below links for an instant pot and pressure cooker.

Side Dish For Pulao

Veg pulao is often made as a main course meal. It is most often a go-to recipe for occasions like birthdays, potlucks, festivals, family get-together, house-warming parties, etc. If you have guests coming over, serve them some hot and filling vegetable pulao.

Side dishes that complement a veg pulao are plenty. Do check out my blog post on how to make these side dishes as well. These side dishes will surely give your pulao an extra edge.

The following are side dishes that you can have with your biryani.

• Onion and Cucumber Raita: This is a yogurt-based side dish. It is the easiest side to make and it hardly takes 15 minutes to prepare. Irrespective of veg or non-veg pulao, it compliments both dishes very well. Veggies like cucumber, onion, and tomato bring down the spice levels and help your digestion as well.
• Mirchi Ka Salan: Salan means curry in Urdu. A pungent curry made with spices and chili or capsicum. Salan is most commonly eaten with rice-based dishes. It complements dishes like pulao, biryani, or tahari very well.
• Vegetable Kurma: This is the most common side dish to be had with a pulao. It is a curry-based side-dish just like salan but it is made either with potatoes or with mixed vegetables.
• Masala Papad: This is my favorite sides to be had with veg pulao. Simply roast papad and top it up with finely chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Sprinkle some Chaat Masala (a powdered mix of spices) over the papad to add some sour taste.

Is Veg Pulao Recipe Healthy?

Absolutely yes! Well, you can be rest assured and enjoy your vegetable pulao guilt-free. Wondering how? Let me share some easy tips and hacks that will make your veg pulao healthy.

While cooking your pulao, use olive oil instead of pure ghee or regular cooking oil. I often use olive oil. Instead of using regular yogurt for raita, go for a low-calorie yogurt.

Instead of using white long grain basmati rice, you can use brown rice. If you are too concerned with calories, you can also use quinoa, shirataki rice, or riced cauliflower.

Closing Thoughts

I am so glad that you discovered my recipe. Moreover, if you have tried this recipe at home, I want to hear from you. Did you and your friends enjoy it? Please let me know in the comments or on your favorite social media channel.

Are you hosting any party at home and don’t know what to cook? Well, don’t worry as vegetable pulao will save your day. And now you also know how super easy it is to make.

Do check out my other recipes on my blog. You can thank me by sharing my recipes with your friends on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. Also, subscribe to my recipe newsletter. In this way, you will get notified every time I post new recipes.

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