Pulao Recipe- A Complete Comfort Food

Pulao is an aromatic dish that is made with vegetables, spices, and basmati rice. It is easy to make and is very common in Indian household. The origin of ‘Pulau’ is believed to have come from Central Asia and its term is said to have been borrowed from the Persian “pilaf”, although opinions in the origin of its term is disputed.

Despite its origin, it is a well know dish almost all over the world. One could find it difficult to distinguish between Pulao and Biryani since both of them are rice dishes, cooked with spices and vegetables but the main difference between the two is in their cooking process. The draining water method is used in biryani and the absorption method is used in pulao. Also, the spices are rich and more in biriyani in comparison to the ones used to while preparing Pulao.
 
Ingredients of Pulao
 

Basmati rice, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, red chilli, oil or ghee, onion, clove, cardamom, carrots, cauliflower, sprout beans, peas, broccoli, soya beans salt and water are required for Pualo recipe.

Cooking Instructions

First add Basmati rice in a bowl and wash it 3 times. Soak it for a few minutes and then drain the water off. Take a pressure cooker or a pot or deep pan and heat oil or ghee in it over medium flame. Once the oil is heated up, sauté 1 medium diced onions till they become golden brown. Make sure to stir continuously else the onions will get burnt. Now, add in the 1 inch cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon chopped peppercorns, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder,  1 teaspoon clove and 2 black cardamom along with the rest of the vegetables. 

Pour a little bit of water to cook the vegetables and turn down the flame. This should take about 7 minutes or so. Make sure to check that your vegetables are properly cooked. Once done, add ½ cup sprouts and soyabeans and stir for about 2-3 minutes over moderate flame. Next,  you should add chilli powder and salt. 

You can add some other masala to spice up its taste a little. Stir this mix till the rice is clumpy. Add more 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. After the first boil, lower down the flame for 4 to 5 minutes. If you are cooking in a pot, heat until all the water has been absorbed. If you are using a pressure cooker, then cover the lid and boil it to 1 whistle on high flame. After this is done, you can turn off the heat and your Pulao recipe is ready. You can bring in your family and loved ones for a gorgeous meal.