Low Sugar Vegan Vegetable Pulao
This fragrant one-pot rice dish is the kind of meal that makes your whole kitchen smell incredible — warm whole spices blooming in hot oil, golden onions, and a rainbow of vegetables all coming together in perfectly fluffy basmati. Every ingredient here is naturally free of added sweeteners, so there's no label-reading required and no hidden sugars sneaking in through sauces or seasoning blends. The flavor comes entirely from real aromatics: cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fresh ginger, and garlic layered in at just the right moments. Soaking the rice before cooking and letting it steam off the heat at the end are the two small steps that make the difference between clumpy and cloud-like grains. Carrots, green beans, and peas add color and a little sweetness that's completely their own — no syrup or sugar needed to make this dish satisfying. A squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh cilantro and mint at the end brighten everything up beautifully. It's a genuinely complete, plant-based dinner that tastes like it took far more effort than it did.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado or sunflower oil)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 2 ¾ cups water
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly torn (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the basmati rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water, stirring with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and cloves and cook, stirring, until the cumin seeds sizzle and turn a shade darker and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Watch closely — the spices can scorch quickly.
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