Honey 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 until they're deeply aromatic. Layers of golden onion, fresh ginger, and garlic build a savory base before the carrots, green beans, and peas get folded in, making every forkful colorful and satisfying. The basmati is soaked before cooking so the grains stay long, fluffy, and perfectly separate rather than clumping together. Everything is entirely plant-based and built from straightforward pantry spices and fresh vegetables, so there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden sweeteners — the flavor comes entirely from the spice work. A final rest off the heat lets the steam finish the job gently, which is the quiet secret behind why the texture turns out so right. A squeeze of lemon and a scatter of fresh cilantro and mint at the end brighten the whole bowl without complicating anything. It's the kind of recipe that feels special enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a Tuesday night.
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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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