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aerial shot of vegetable pulao in a black ceramic bowl
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5 from 2 votes

Pressure Cooker Veg Pulao Recipe

This is an Indian veg pulao recipe that gets ready in under 30 minutes in a pressure cooker. Learn how to make vegetable pulao in a few simple steps.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 2
Calories: 759kcal
Author: Hina Gujral

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup basmati rice or long grain rice
  • ¼ Cup ghee
  • 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
  • 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (dal chini)
  • 1 star anise (phool chakri)
  • 4 green cardamom (elaichi)
  • 4 cloves (laung)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • ¼ Cup cashews (kaju)
  • 1 Cup thinly sliced onion
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (see recipe)
  • Cup tomato, chopped
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ Cup potato, diced
  • ¼ Cup green peas (fresh or frozen) (see recipe)
  • ¼ Cup carrot, diced
  • ¼ Cup green beans, diced
  • 1 ¼ Cup water
  • ¼ Cup fresh mint leaves
  • 2 green chili, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala (see recipe)

Instructions

  • Rinse basmati rice in water. Soak in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.
  • Collect the soaked rice water in a bowl. Transfer the soaked rice to a colander.
  • Set the SAUTE mode of the instant pot for 20 minutes. Add ghee to the inner pot.
  • Once the timer is set and the ghee is hot, add whole spices including cumin seeds. Saute for 10 - 20 seconds to release their aroma.
  • Add cashews, and saute them as well for 20 seconds.
  • Add sliced onion. Fry the onion till they become caramelized and golden. This takes 5 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals otherwise, they will burn.
  • Add ginger garlic paste, tomato, salt, and red chili powder. Saute them for 3 - 4 minutes or till tomatoes break down. If the masala is sticking to the inner pot add 1 - 2 tablespoons of water while sauteeing.
  • Now add soaked rice, vegetables, and saute them till the timer ends. This step helps in building a layer of flavor.
  • Add water, mint leaves, green chili, garam masala, and mix one last time. Seal the lid of the instant pot. Set the steam valve to the SEALING position. PRESSURE COOK for 5 minutes. Let the steam release naturally after the cooking time is over.
  • Serve vegetable pulao hot with ghee, salad, and papadum.

Video

Notes

  • Use long-grain, less starchy, white rice like basmati for making pulao.
  • For a vegan pulao, use coconut oil or groundnut oil instead of ghee.
  • Instead of garam masala, you can add Biryani Masala as well. It gives a deliciously rich flavor to the pulao. 
  • 1 ¼ cup of water to 1 cup of basmati rice. This ratio of rice to water always gives me fluffy, non-sticky veg pulao in a pressure cooker.
  • In a traditional stovetop pressure cooker, this veg pulao requires 2 whistles over medium heat. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 759kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 1659mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3674IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 5mg