Vegetable Pulao | How To Make Veg Pilaf

A simple and quick-to-make Vegetable Pulao recipe. Made with mixed vegetables, spices, and rice, this Veg Pilaf will be a perfect side dish for your lunch or dinner. 

I am redoing my old posts every now and then and this Vegetable Pulao is one of the posts that really needed my TLC. I often wonder how recipes like this Vegetable Pulao are still not taken care of as it is something I make very often.

Vegetable Pulao served in a dish.

Our weekend lunch usually includes a roti / phulka, a subzi, a raita, and a pulao. Vegetable pulao is one of the easiest recipes to make and ever since I bought my Instant Pot (read 2 Instant pots), life has been way easier.

Last weekend, I made Lauki Subzi to go with the vegetable pulao and of course, we had the roti / phulka and some raita. I came across this recipe in one of the Tamil magazine inserts.

I love those little recipe inserts that come in the magazines. My mother always collected them for me and sent me a bunch of them every time I returned from India. It has been a while now since I added any more inserts to my collection.

Looking very tasty Vegetable Pulao.

You could use freshly chopped vegetables or for ease use the frozen vegetables. I often use frozen mixed vegetables as it is quick and easy. Since this is one of the old posts from the times when I did not own an instant pot, the recipe still has instructions to make it on the stovetop.

I did not replace my step-by-step pictures, so I am still going to leave that recipe. If making the vegetable pulao in an Instant Pot, sauté the spices and the vegetables directly in the pot and cook it for 4 minutes and do a 10-minute release.

Preparation time - 10 mins
Cooking time - 30 mins
Difficulty level - easy

Ingredients to make Vegetable Pulao - serves 4

  • Basmati rice - 1 cup
  • Onion - 1 (chopped)
  • Mixed vegetables - 1 cup (carrot, beans, cabbage, green peas etc)
  • Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Green chilies - 3 (slit lengthwise)
  • Chopped mint and cilantro leaves - a handful
  • Fennel seeds (sombu) - 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 stick
  • Cloves - 3
  • Cardamom/ elaichi - 3
  • Star Anise - 1
  • Yogurt - ½ cup
  • Ghee - 2 tsp
  • Oil - 2tsp
  • Salt - to taste
Perfect Mixed Vegetable Pulao with curry.

Procedure to make Veg Pilaf -

  • Soak the rice for about 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan; fry the fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves. Now add the chopped onions, salt, ginger garlic paste, and the green chilies and fry until the onions are translucent.
Frying Fennel seeds, Cinnamon, Cardamom and chopped onions and cooking in a Pan.
  • Now add the rest of the vegetables. Mix well and cook for about 2 mins.
Adding vegetables and cooking.
  • Mix the yogurt with the drained rice and add it to the vegetables. Also, add 1 ½ cup of water and mix well. Add the chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
Mixing water and rice.
  • Transfer it to a cooker and let it cook for up to 2 whistles. You could also cook it on the stovetop or rice cooker or make the whole recipe in the instant pot.
  • Once the rice is cooked add the ghee and fluff it up with a fork. Serve the veg pilaf hot!!!
Vegetable Pulao is ready to serve.

Other Rice Dishes

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter/X

Recipe

Vegetable Pulao served in a dish

Vegetable Pulao | How to make Veg Pilaf

A simple and quick to make Vegetable Pulao recipe. Made with mixed vegetables, spices and rice, this Veg Pilaf will be a perfect side dish for your lunch or dinner. 
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: dinner, Easy recipe, Main Course, Rice Dishes
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 287kcal

Equipment

  • plate
  • pan
  • Cooking spoon
  • Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Basmati rice
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 1 cup Mixed vegetables carrot, beans, cabbage, green peas etc
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
  • 3 Green chilies slit lengthwise
  • Chopped mint and cilantro leaves a handful
  • 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds sombu
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 3 Cloves
  • 3 Cardamom/ elaichi
  • 1 Star Anise
  • ½ cup Yogurt
  • 2 teaspoon Ghee
  • 2 teaspoon Oil
  • to taste Salt

Instructions

  • Soak the rice for about 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan; fry the fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves. Now add the chopped onions, salt, ginger garlic paste and the green chilies and fry until the onions are translucent.
  • Now add the rest of the vegetables. Mix well and cook for about 2 mins.
  • Mix the yogurt with the drained rice and add it to the vegetables. Also add 1 ½ cup of water and mix well. Add the chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
  • Transfer it to a cooker and let it cook for up to 2 whistles. You could also cook it on stove top or rice cooker or make the whole recipe in the instant pot.
  • Once the rice is cooked add the ghee and fluff it up with a fork. Serve hot!!!

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2346IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!

15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    vegetable pulao is one of the recipe which comes to rescue. such a delicious looking pulao. with raita it is a complete comforting food.

  2. We just love vegetable pulao anytime, serve me with some paneer or spicy potato gravy, i can sit and have this one pot meal without any fuss.

  3. 5 stars
    My whole family is such a huge fan of vegetable pulao.If nothing comes to mind, I make veg pulao as I know all will have it happily.

  4. 5 stars
    This is one of my go-to one-pot rice recipes to make on a weeknight. Frozen veggies are so much convenient for quick meals like this. I usually add either chickpeas or paneer to make it a complete meal.

  5. I had a huge collection of those tiny books and recently had to dispose them off. I really felt sad about that. This pulao looks so simple yet absolutely yum.

  6. New pictures look fantastic Sandhya, even we have so many paper clippings that I get scared to even think about checking it. One pot meals are so convenient.

  7. I make my vegetable pulao with frozen vegetables too, especially when I need rice to get done and feel lazy to chop them... lovely updates to the pictures...

5 from 6 votes

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