Vegetable Pulav/Pulao

We make biriyani often, but we are not pulav fans. As far as I understood, there is a subtle difference between pulao and biriyani. I wonder if pulav could be an easy and mild version of biriyani for it can be made in a very short time and still tastes good. In a biriyani, rice and masala are cooked separately, and then the rice is layered between the masala at the final stage. But pulao is a one pot dish in which everything is cooked together. For me, pulao is like a 30 minute meal recipe which comes handy when I am in a hurry. Any side dish that you serve with a biriyani goes well with pulav too. We usually serve this with pickles, yogurt, and pappadam.

Basmati rice – 1 cup
Ghee/Oil – 1 tbsp or more
Cinnamon – 1 small piece
Cloves, Cardamom – 2-3 each
Onion, chopped – 1 medium
Green chillies – 2 (or more, depending on how spicy you want it)
Garlic and ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Tomato – 1 chopped
Mixed vegetables(Carrots, Green beans, Potatoes, Peas etc.) – 1 ½ cup, chopped
Kashmiri chilli powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Mint and coriander leaves – a few

Heat oil/ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and add the whole spices. Add onions and green chillies. Saute until the onion is translucent. Add garlic ginger paste and cook for a couple of minutes until the raw smell disappear. Add all the masala powders. Cook for a minute. Add tomatoes and all the vegetables. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Make sure it wouldn’t stick to the bottom. Add 2 cups of water and salt. When it comes to a boil, add rice and lemon juice. When it comes to a boil again, partially close with a lid. Cook 10-15 minutes on a very low flame until all the water disappear. Add coriander and mint leaves on top. Turn off the stove, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

You can garnish pulav with fried cashews and raisins.
To improve the taste, you can try frying the rice in ghee before adding the water. Wash and drain the rice well before frying.

More pulao recipes from fellow bloggers:

Priya's Channa Pulao

Ashwini's Shrimp Pulao

Archana's Kashmiri Pulao

Sailu's Soya-chunks Pulao

Indira's Cherry-tomato Pulao

Annita's Mushroom-peas Pulao

Inji's Peas Pulao

Prema's Peas Pulao