Quick Veg Pulao (Pilaf)

A simple and delicious rice dish with vegetables

 

My mother-in-law makes this quick and simple vegetable pulao and the recipe has been a lifesaver on many a lazy Sunday morning and at the end of many exhausting week days. This yummy pulao contains enough veggies to make it extremely nutritious, so it works out perfectly as a quick fix meal. The types and quantity of veggies used is changeable based on what is at hand too. This recipe is great for the small quantities of different types of raw vegetables left over, that are not enough to cook a full vegetable dish by themselves.

Feel free to omit from or add to the list of the veggies below. You could pick a combination of vegetables that you like and adjust the quantity, to create a dish to your liking. Or you could do as I do, and experiment, with different combinations and quantities of veggies, so that it tastes like a different dish each time. It depends on your taste, and that of your family.

Basically, you just add all the ingredients except salt and rice to the fat. Saute the veggies for a few min, then add water and once it boils, add rice and salt. Cover and cook only till the rice is soft. Usually, I use a pressure cooker, and one whistle on medium flame cooks the rice perfectly. Serve it garnished with coriander, on its own, or with a raita.

Recipe for Quick Veg Pulao

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

3-5 cloves
1 bay leaf

1 tsp cumin
2-3 medium sized onions chopped

2-3 tomatoes cuts into small cubes

1 cup cauliflower broken into small flowerets

½ cup carrot cut into thin strips about an inch long

½ cup green beans

1/3 cup shelled fresh green peas

1½ cups uncooked rice, of a long grain variety

½ tsp garam masala

1½ tsp salt approx

Coriander, for garnishing

1.  Heat the oil and ghee and add cumin, cloves, and bay leaf.

2.  Add the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3.  Add the rest of the vegetables and garam masala, sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
4.  Add 3 cups water. Once the water comes to a boil, add cleaned and washed rice. Add salt and adjust according to taste.
5.  Cook till the rice is soft but not soggy. If using pressure cooker, one whistle on medium flame is usually enough. 
6.  Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh coriander.