Pork Free Vegan Vegetable Pulao
This fragrant rice dish is the kind of one-pot meal that fills your kitchen with the warm, heady scent of whole spices — cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves — long before the first bite. Soaking the basmati beforehand and letting it steam undisturbed at the end are the two small steps that make every grain come out long, fluffy, and perfectly separate. Carrots, green beans, and peas bring color and a little sweetness, while ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala layer in real depth without any heaviness. Everything here is built entirely from vegetables, aromatics, and pantry spices, so there's nothing to second-guess and no label-reading required. A squeeze of lemon and a handful of fresh cilantro and mint at the end brighten the whole bowl and make it feel genuinely restaurant-worthy. It works beautifully as a standalone dinner or alongside a simple raita or salad, and it reheats like a dream the next day.
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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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