Artificial Flavors Free Vegan Vegetable Pulao
This fragrant rice dish is built entirely on whole spices, fresh aromatics, and garden vegetables — no flavor packets, no seasoning blends with mystery additives, just real ingredients doing all the heavy lifting. Whole cumin seeds, cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, and cloves bloom in hot oil to create a base that smells absolutely incredible before you've even added the onions. Grated ginger and minced garlic go in next, followed by carrots, green beans, and peas, so every bite has color, texture, and genuine depth. The rice is soaked first and then gently stirred into the spiced oil, which helps each grain stay separate and fluffy rather than clumping together. A tight lid and a low, steady simmer do the rest of the work, and a ten-minute rest off the heat is what takes it from good to great. A squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh cilantro or mint at the end brighten everything up without any artificial boost needed. It's the kind of one-pot meal that proves simple, clean ingredients are more than enough.
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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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