Coconut Free Vegan Vegetable Pulao
This fragrant one-pot rice dish is the kind of weeknight dinner that makes your whole kitchen smell incredible — warm whole spices blooming in hot oil, golden onions, and tender vegetables all coming together in perfectly fluffy basmati. Many South Asian rice dishes lean on coconut milk for richness, but this pulao skips it entirely without sacrificing a single layer of flavor. The depth here comes from a classic whole-spice tempering of cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf, plus ground turmeric, coriander, and garam masala stirred right into the vegetables. Carrots, green beans, and peas bring color and bite, while fresh ginger and garlic keep every forkful lively. The technique is straightforward — soak the rice, build the spiced base, add water, and let the pot do its quiet work — but the result tastes genuinely considered and layered. A final rest off the heat is the secret to grains that are separate and light rather than clumped. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh cilantro or mint, and you have a complete, satisfying meal that's as good for a casual family dinner as it is for company.
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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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