The best way to prepare Vegetable Pulao like a chef

Vegetable Pulao is a fragrant, spicy rice dish with vegetable and spices. A lot of people get confused between pulao and biryani, but actually there is a significant difference between the two. One significant difference lies in the method of cooking. Where pulao involves cooking of vegetables and spices along with the rice, Biryani involves separate cooking of vegetable and rice and then assimilated together. Moreover Biryani is more about flavour, aroma and spice whereas pulao is a fast forward version of it.

So, let’s get on with it.

Ingredients

1 cup Long grained Basmati rice

2 tbsp ghee

2-3 bay leaf

2-3 cardamom

3-4 cloves

1 tsp cumin

1 stick of cinnamon

1 Onion chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp grated garlic

1 chopped tomato

1/4th cup of small diced carrot

1/4th cup of small diced potatoes

1/4th cup of finely diced french beans

1/4th cup of green peas

1 tsp of garam masala

1 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp of red chilly powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp of oil

Juice of a lemon

Method

1. Wash and soak the rice for at least 30 minutes for best results.

2. Start by taking a deep bottomed pot or pan and add ghee to it.

3. Now add the whole garam masalas to the hot oil.

4. Once the masalas begin to crackle add the onions to it and saute till lightly brown.

5. Now add the grated ginger and garlic to it and cook till its raw aroma fades away.

6. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.

7. Now add the vegetables and saute for a little while and add turmeric, red chilly, garam masala powder and salt to it.

8. Add the rice to the vegetables and mix till everything is nicely assimilated.

9. Now add the water to the rice. Keep the ratio 1:2 and 1:1.5 in case you are cooking in a pressure cooker.

10. Add lemon juice and oil to the water to make each rice grain separate.

11. Bring the water to a boil and put a lid on the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

12. Once done open the lid to awesomeness of the vegetable pulao and serve it.

You can serve the Vegetable pulao garnishing with chopped coriander, golden fried onions, mint leaves or fried cashew nuts.