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veg pulao
Lavanya

Restaurant Style Veg Pulao (White Vegetable Pulao)

An aromatic, delicious, and fluffy one-pot Indian rice dish made with premium basmati rice, mixed vegetables, and mild whole spices. Perfect for quick weekend lunches, lunchboxes, or special occasions.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 person
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mughlai, North Indian
Calories: 280
Method Notes

Method
 

  1. RICE PREP: Wash and soak basmati rice for 20-30 minutes. Drain the water completely and keep it aside.
  2. TEMPERING: Heat ghee and oil in a pressure cooker. Add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and jeera. Let them splutter.
  3. SAUTÉ: Add slit green chillies and sliced onions. Sauté until onions become soft and translucent (Do not brown them, otherwise pulao color will change).
  4. PASTE & VEGGIES: Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute until raw smell goes. Add all chopped vegetables and sauté for 2 minutes.
  5. WATER & SALT: Pour 2.25 cups of water. Add required salt. Mix well and bring the water to a rolling boil.
  6. ADD RICE: Once water boils, add the soaked rice, mint leaves, and coriander leaves. Stir very gently.
  7. COOKING:
  8. Pressure Cooker Method: Close the lid and cook for 1 or 2 whistles on medium flame.
  9. Kadai Method: Cover with a tight lid, turn flame to low, and cook for 10-12 minutes (Dum).
  10. SERVING: Once the pressure releases completely, open the lid. Gently fluff the rice from the sides using a fork so the grains don't break.
  11. Serve hot with Onion Raitha or Veg Kurma

Notes

  • Note 1: Rice to Water Ratio Always use a strict 1 : 1.5 ratio for Basmati rice (1 cup rice = 1.5 cups water) when cooking in a pressure cooker or tight-lid kadai to ensure the rice grains stay separate and don't get mushy.
  • Note 2: Maintaining the White Color Do not let the onions turn golden brown or caramelize while sautéing. Sauté them only until they are soft and translucent. Browning the onions will change the signature white color of the pulao to brown.
  • Note 3: Fluffing the Rice Once cooking is done, do not stick a heavy ladle into the center immediately. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes, then use a fork to gently fluff the rice from the outer edges to prevent the long grains from breaking.
  • Note 4: Vegan Alternative To make this recipe completely vegan, simply skip the ghee and use 3 tablespoons of any neutral cooking oil (like sunflower or canola oil) or coconut oil instead.
  • Note 5: Customizing Veggies You can easily add paneer cubes, meal maker (soya chunks), or mushrooms to make it more protein-rich and filling.