Vegetable pulao is a wholesome, delicious
and nutritious dish that does not actually
require a lot of time to make. It looks intricate
but the process is really quite easy.
My version for today is a 30-minute, or more
like 35 minute, one pot rice dish that requires
minimal supervision and stirring.
The ideal rice for this pulao dish 
is basmati rice
as it cooks in about 15 minutes. This
is about the same amount of time that the veggies
will take to cook. Rinse the rice a few times
until the water runs clear. Then drain as
much of the water as possible. Then cover the rice
with 3½ cups of water and let soak for about
15 minutes while we prepare the other ingredients.
To deseed the tamarind paste, place it in
some warm water. Let it soak until softened.
We have a more explicit video on how to deseed
tamarind. I’ll leave the link in the description
if you’d like to watch it. If you don’t
have tamarind, you may substitute it with
tomato puree.
While the rice and tamarind are soaking continue
preparing the vegetables. I’ll be using
about ¼ of a cauliflower head cut into small
florets.
Instead of fresh vegetables, you can also
use mixed frozen veggies. They are just perfect
for this dish and will cut the preparation
time to even less if you are really short
of time, or you are making this on a week
night or just want to take
the day off prepping.
You may peel the carrot if you wish
and then dice it.
I am using a couple of shallots for today.
You can use any types of onion of your choice
— red, yellow or white; they all work fine
for this dish.
Peel and finely chop or mince the garlic.
It’s important to cut the potato into small
cubes for this recipe so that it cooks well
along with the rice and other vegetables.
If the pieces are too chunky, they may remain
a little crunchy. So cut it into cubes of
about 2 to 3 cm or one inch.
By now the tamarind would have softened enough.
So mash it in between your fingers to dissolve
the pulp and strain out the seeds.
Leave the tamarind juice aside for the moment.
The spices that I am using for today are ground
cumin, cinnamon. Instead of ground cinnamon,
you can also use a stick of about 5 cm or
2 inches. Garam masala is optional. Nutmeg,
whole cloves, a few juniper berries. I’ll
also be adding whole cardamom and saffron
threads later on.
You will need a thick bottom pot or pan for
this dish. I am using a wok-style pan. You
can also make this pulao in a pressure cooker
or instant pot if you have one.
Heat one tablespoon of coconut oil
on medium temperature. Add the onions, garlic
and minced ginger. I usually keep pre-minced
ginger on hand. I have another video where
I’ve shared a few tips on how to pre-mince
and preserve ginger or garlic. Check the description
for the link.
Sizzle for about 2 minutes until onions are
a little translucent. Then add the whole cumin.
Roast for about 20 seconds. Next add the ground
spices (cumin, garam masala, nutmeg and cinnamon),
the whole cloves and juniper berries. Roast for about
30 seconds. Add a little water if required.
Then add the tamarind juice or tomato puree.
Simmer and let the tamarind juice reduce.
Then add the chilli and bay leaves.
Add all the vegetables. If you are using
frozen vegetables add them in at this stage
directly from frozen. Add a little salt and
water (if necessary).
Stir and saute for about
5 minutes. Add the chickpeas and frozen green
peas. I have used brown chickpeas but you
can also use regular chickpeas or other beans
like red beans, black eyed peas, or black
beans. You can even use tofu or tempeh in
which case, I would suggest that you pan-fry
them first before adding them in.
Next add in the rice along with all the water
that it has been soaking in.
If you decide to substitute the rice with
any other type like brown rice, you may need
to half cook it beforehand depending on how
long the rice takes to cook.
Add the whole cardamoms and saffron threads.
Saffron is optional but it does add another
depth of flavour to this pulao. So, if you
can get hold of it, I do recommend it.
It is one of the priciest spices that exists but
a little goes a long way. We only need about
4-5 threads. Distribute the threads around.
Stir and mix the rice with the vegetables.
Add a little more salt to taste.
Now cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
If using a pressure cooker or instant
pot, it will only require about 7 minutes.
Then turn off the heat and let the pan stand
covered for another 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, uncover and fluff the rice. 
Garnish with fresh coriander or mint leaves.
Serve hot accompanied with assorted pickles, 
a cucumber raita and coriander chutney.
We have videos of the raita and chutney, 
I’ll leave these links in the description.
This veg pulao keeps well in the fridge and is
even tastier the next day. To reheat, just
add a little water in the pan, cover and heat
on medium-low temperature until steamy.
This dish is so fragrant and delicious that
it actually does not look that it was made in
just about 35 minutes. It is a nice dish to
even serve to guests.
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Until next time, take care.
