Celery Free Vegan Vegetable Pulao
This fragrant rice dish is the kind of one-pot meal that makes your whole kitchen smell incredible — warm with cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves bloomed in hot oil before a single vegetable hits the pan. Carrots, green beans, and peas add color and texture, while ginger, garlic, and a trio of ground spices pull everything into a cohesive, deeply savory bite. The technique of soaking the basmati first and then letting it steam undisturbed at the end is what gives you those long, fluffy, separate grains that make pulao so satisfying. Because the ingredient list is built entirely around whole spices, fresh aromatics, and vegetables, there's nothing here that sneaks in unwanted additions — what you see is exactly what you get. It's naturally plant-based without any substitutions or workarounds, so it works beautifully for anyone cooking for a mixed table. A squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh cilantro and mint at the end brighten the whole bowl and make it feel a little more special. This is the kind of recipe you'll come back to on a weeknight when you want something comforting, colorful, and genuinely delicious with minimal fuss.
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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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