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Bowl with peas pulao curried rice with green peas - by Caramel and Spice

Peas Pulao (Curried Rice)

Fragrant rice with spices and peas.
5 from 9 votes (Click on the stars to vote!)
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Course: lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: easy, Good Fats, Healthy, High Fibre, lentil curry, lunch, quick, vegan, vegetarian
Categories: indian, lunch, mains, quick easy dinners
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 265kcal

Equipment

  • Deep Pan or Wok Or Sauce Pan or Kadhai

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp Ghee Oil for vegan option

Whole Spices

  • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 leaves Bay Leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Cloves
  • 2 Cardamom
  • 1 Star Anise

Onion Paste Mixture

  • 1 tbsp Ginger
  • 1 tbsp Garlic
  • 1 cup Onions
  • 2 Green Chili

Remaining Ingredients

  • 1 cup Basmati Rice see note #2
  • 3/4 cup Peas fresh or frozen
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder optional (see notes)
  • 2 cups Vegetable Stock or stock cubes and water
  • 1 tsp Salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper

Garnish

  • 1/2 cup Corriander Leaves Or Mint for garnish

Instructions

  • Add onions, ginger, garlic, and red chili to a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
  • Wash rice thrice in cold water and drain. Keep aside.
  • Heat your pan on a low to medium flame, and add ghee.
  • Once ghee is melted, add the while spices and gently fry on low heat for a minute.
  • Add onion paste mixture, and fry on low flame for 3-5 minutes, till slightly caramelized. It should not smell of raw ingredients anymore. (See Notes #1)
  • Add washed rice and fry gently for 3-5 minutes. (Note #3)
  • Add peas (Note 4) and curry powder (if using see Note #5))
  • Add vegetable stock or water with stock cubes. Increase the flame to high. (Note #6)
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Please adjust salt if adding stock cubes as they have salt as well. (Note #7)
  • Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the flame, cover the pot with a secure lid and turn off the flame. (Note #8)
  • After 10 minutes, your Peas Pulao is ready. (Note #9)

Notes

Notes
  1. This method of slow frying onions and spices is called 'bhoona', and is the most important step to develop a deep flavor to a dish. Keep flame on low and fry till slightly caramelized. At this point, there would be no raw smell of onions, ginger, or garlic. If the paste starts sticking to the pan, just add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, scrape the bottom of the pan and continue frying. If this paste burns, your whole dish will have a burnt flavor. This is why low flame and patience are key; but so worth it!
  2. Basmati Rice - Any long-grained rice can be used, but Basmati is highly recommended for its distinct fragrance that is typical of this pulao. 
  3. Washing Rice: Wash rice two or three times till the water runs clear. This gets rid of any starchy residues that could cause the grains to stick together. Unlike Jasmine rice, sushi rice, or even Arborio Risotto rice, which are meant to be sticky, Basmati rice pulao needs to be fluffy and grains need to be separated after cooking. Rinsing rice helps this process.
  4. Peas: I have used frozen peas. However, if you have fresh peas, you could use them too. 
  5. Curry Powder: A mild spice mix like the Curry Powder can add a nice touch to this Curried Rice. Curry Powders are available in almost all major supermarkets. You would also use Kitchen King Masala, available in Indian grocery stores. Do not use hotter mixes like Garam Masala. 
  6. Stock cubes (even Chicken Stock Cubes) are vegetarian products and are suitable for this dish. If you prefer, use vegetarian stock, stock cubes or if available, actual vegetable stock) 
  7. Since stocks and stock cubes have salt, adjust the final salt to taste. 
  8. Basmati is quick-cooking rice and can finish cooking in the steam after you turn off the heat. 
  9. Take off the lid, and fluff up the rice gently with a fork. This will release all trapped steam and moisture and make your pulao fluffy and keep the grains separate. 

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 1135mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 607IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer

Nutrition facts are estimates. Always check with your healthcare provider before making dietary changes.

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