Aromatic Vegetable Pulao Recipe

A fragrant and flavorful vegetable pulao recipe featuring a medley of colorful veggies, basmati rice, and aromatic spices. This can be a vegetarian one-stop-shop (Don't though. There's no protein), or great to mix with curries.

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You can make a plain rice to pair with this week's meal prep - and maybe these flavours don't combine well with a Thai green curry - or you can make something with a little more style that will make you more excited for your lunch break beyond the obvious absence from your desk.

This process involves blooming (or tempering) your spices, which means frying them in oil first to unlock some extra flavour and also transfer some more punch to the oil (which then transfers it through the dish). Blooming whole spices is less risky, you need about 60-90 seconds of heat to get through - but ground spices have a very high surface area, and can burn very quickly. Burnt spices taste only of bitter and sadness, so make sure you start putting cold ingredients in the pan and mixing before the 30-second mark after ground spices are added to a hot pan.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

• 4 garlic cloves (based on your preference)

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 medium tomato, diced

• 1 cup veggie mix (peas & carrots are a must, green beans also nice touch)

• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp ground)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground)

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp coriander

• 1/2 tsp cardamom

• 1/2 tsp garam masala

• 2 cups of long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine work well here)

• 3 cups of water

Directions

• Heat ghee in a medium pot.

• Add whole spices and stir for approx. 60 seconds, until fragrant.

• Add ground spices and stir for approx. 10 seconds - caution as ground spices will burn within 30 seconds. At the 10 second mark, add garlic. Stir.

• Add your onions and stir intermittently for 3-5 minutes, until they soften and begin to turn translucent.

• Add tomatoes, intermittently stirring for another 3-5 minutes until they begin to break apart.

• Add your veggies and stir to incorporate.

• Rinse and add your rice and mix thoroughly. Add water.

• Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

• Remove the pot from heat and let stand another 5 minutes.

• Remove the cinnamon stick before serving. Fluff with a fork, and enjoy. 

Check out the video walkthrough for tips and tricks!