HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PULAO/PILAF VEG RICE RECIPE
Vegan vegetable pulao, also known as pilaf veg rice, is a fragrant and comforting one-pot dish made with basmati rice, fresh or frozen vegetables, and aromatic spices. To prepare it, rinse and soak basmati rice for about 20 minutes. In a pot, heat oil and sauté whole spices such as cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon until fragrant. Add sliced onions, ginger, and garlic, cooking until lightly golden. Mix in chopped vegetables like carrots, peas, beans, and potatoes. Stir in turmeric, salt, and a little garam masala for warm flavor.
Add the water (or vegetable stock) and gently stir with the vegetables before adding the soaked rice. Cover and cook until the rice is fluffy and the vegetables are tender. Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. Vegan vegetable pulao is simple, nourishing, and perfect served with plant-based yogurt, pickle, or a fresh salad.
SEASONING FOR VEG RICE
This Indian vegetable pulao/pilaf recipe is full of aromatic and warm flavors, thanks to the delicious spices and herbs you can use to make this recipe. Depending on your taste and preferences, you can make it spicier or milder, as I did. Here you can find a great selection of seasonings to use in this rice dish recipe.
- Ginger garlic paste.
- Green cardamom.
- Star anise.
- Bay leaves.
- Cloves.
- Cinnamon.
- Fresh mint.
- Green chilies.
- Curry of your choice, such as garam masala.
- Lemon juice.
INGREDIENTS FOR VEG RICE
Rice: This recipe goes very well with white Basmati rice; however, if you don’t have this rice at home, you can use other rice types to make this vegetable pulao recipe. For example, long-grain rice, short-grain rice, and brown rice.
Oil: I used olive oil to make this wholesome meal, but you can also use other types of oils, such as sunflower oil. Alternatively, you can replace the vegetable oil with ghee.
Garlic paste: This flavorful ingredient goes very nicely with the rest of the aromatic spices. To replace this ingredient, you can either chop very well 2 garlic cloves, or you can grate them.
Vegetables: I had a bag of frozen vegetables at home that contained carrots, green peas, green beans, and sweet corn. However, you can use other veggies and fresh veggies too, for example:
- Potatoes.
- Broccoli and cauliflower.
- Sweet potatoes.
- Bell peppers.
- Asparragus.
HOW TO SERVE VEG RICE?
This delicious rice recipe can be served warm as a main dish for those busy evenings during the week. Additionally, you can serve it with plain vegan yogurt, which would give a lovely smooth texture to this veg pilaf, and would give freshness to the warm spices.
Lastly, if you don’t want to serve this recipe as a full meal, you can serve it as a perfect side dish or a starter. For example, you can serve this veg rice with naan bread.
THIS RECIPE OF PULAU/PILAF VEG RICE GOES WELL WITH:
- Also, you can make this delicious recipe with homemade garlic powder.
How To Make Vegan Veg Rice Pulao/Pilaf
Fragrant vegan veg pulao with basmati rice, carrots, peas, and spices. Light, aromatic, and comforting—an easy one-pot veg rice meal with wholesome goodness.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- 1 Teaspoon of Cumin.
- 2 Teaspoons of Turmeric.
- 2 Teaspoons of Curry powder.
- 1 Bay leaf.
- 1 White onion.
- A Pinch of salt.
- 1 Teaspoon of Garlic paste.
- 2 Cups of Frozen vegetables.
- 2 ½ Cups of Water.
- 1 Cup of Basmati rice.
- ½ Teaspoon of Salt.
Instructions
- Wash the Basmati rice well until the water runs clear. Let the Basmati rice (or your choice of rice) soak until you use it in the recipe.Â
- Place a large pot on the stove on medium flame.
- Pour the vegetable oil and heat it.
- Then add the dry spices and the garlic paste. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetables, stir, and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Pour 2 ½ cups of water.
- Add the drained Basmati rice and the salt.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for around 10-15 minutes at a low flame.
- Then turn the heat off and let it sit for a couple of minutes, or until all the water has evaporated.
- Serve this veg pulao recipe warm. I added chopped fresh mint on top, but that's optional.
Notes
*I used frozen and chopped vegetables: carrot, green peas, sweetcorn, and green beans.
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 231Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gSodium 261mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 7gSugar 4gProtein 5g
The Nutritional values presented on this table are only estimates. The values can also vary depending on the cooking method, ingredients, product brands etc. This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
MORE RECIPES WITH VEG RICE
- VEGAN CHEESE RICE ENCHILADA BAKE WITH BEANS – EASY.
- EASY VEGAN VEGGIE RICE FRITTERS – LEFTOVER RICE.
- VEGETABLE RICE SOUP.
- CREAMY VEGAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPE WITH RICE.
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