Vegetable Pulao (Spiced Indian Rice with Vegetables) - Indian Vegan Recipe

Vegetable Pulao is yet another Indian classic. This dish has three main components; rice, vegetables and spices. The traditional way of cooking a pulao would involve a pot simmering over a flame or a pressure cooker. However, I have found that microwaving rice is an easy way out for me. The dishes are easy to clean and more importantly, a microwave is accessible almost everywhere you go. Another great thing about this dish is that you can choose your vegetables. There are some I prefer but I always take into account what is left behind in the fridge. Any 4-5 vegetables from the list of ingredients below would make for a fantastic dish in my opinion. Depending on the vegetables you use, the pulao will actually end up having a slightly different colour as you will see in the pictures below. If you do like this recipe, please follow my instagram page (thedesivegan1).

PREPARATION TIME

30 minutes

COOKING TIME

20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

CHOICE OF VEGETABLES (USE 5)
·  Potatoes – 1 chopped
·  Broccoli – 6-8 florets
·  Cauliflower – 6-8 florets
·  Peppers (Yellow, Red, Green) – 1 chopped
·  Courgette – ½ chopped
·  Cabbage – ½ cup chopped
·  Carrots  – 1 chopped
·  Green Peas – ½ cup
·  Basmati Rice – 1 cup
·  Garlic Cloves – 4-5
·  Green Chillies – 3
·  Ginger – 1 inch piece
·  Onion – 1 large
·  Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
·  Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
·  Red Chilli Powder – ½ teaspoon
·  Coriander Powder – ½ teaspoon
·  Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon
·  Coriander Leaves – 2 teaspoons (OPTIONAL)
·  Bay Leaf – 2 (OPTIONAL)
·  Salt
·  Oil – 4 teaspoon

Pulao Made With Courgettes, Red Cabbage, Peppers Among Other Staple Vegetables

METHODS

1) Add the rice to a microwave-proof bowl along with 2 cups of water and cook on full power for 14 minutes. Once cooked, use a fork to mix the rice and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes

2) Place a large pan on the stove. Add some oil and the bay leaves and leave on a medium flame for 30 seconds. Next, add the cumin seeds, potatoes and cauliflower and stir well for 5 minutes.

3) Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies and a chopped onion to the pan. Next, add in the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and the cumin powder.

4) Add the remaining vegetables and stir well for around 5 minutes till the vegetables are well cooked.

5) Add the cooled rice to the pan and season with some salt.

6) Switch off the stove and serve hot.