Andhra style veg pulao

This is a simple, quick pulao recipe. You can make it on a daily basis and eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is versatile, goes well with various curry dishes and can be easily made vegetarian. It is very tasty and delicious. I am sure you will like it.

I have seen many a recipe for veg pulao but none of them looked similar to the Andhra style pulao. So here is my Andhra style veg pulao that I make at home every week. It is an easy and healthy side dish to go along with chapathi/roti and rice.

Veggies in pulao is a timeless dish, that tastes great and is very healthy too. This veg pulao recipe we have for you today is a delicious, and easy to make dish. An ideal dish for all vegetarians, yet not-that-vegetable-intolerant people.

Most Andhra Pradesh households prepare Andhra style vegetable pulao/pulav, a fragrant and rich rice meal. The flavorful mix of whole spices, mint leaves, and a paste composed of dried coconut, cashews, and khus-khus, among other ingredients, gives this pulao/pulav a delicious taste. This pulao stands apart from other pulaos because to the creaminess of cashews and the sweetness of dried coconut. It’s one of my favorite rice meals. Every household has its unique pulao recipe, and there are many different types of pulao. This pulao is a flavorful and filling one-pot dinner with a lot of flavor. With raitha, Andhra pulao may be served for lunch or supper. Any chicken or mutton/lamb dish goes well with Andhra pulao.

Time to prepare: 10 minutes (except cashews soaking time)

Time to cook: 30 minutes

Andhra Pradesh cuisine

Mild spiciness

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• • 4 tbsp oil/ghee
  • 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 onion 1 (90 gms)
  • 15 to 20 cashews (split)
  • 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
  • 1/3 cup mint leaves (6 gms)
  • 1/3 cup coriander leaves (6 gms)
  • 2 carrots (medium)
  • 3/4 cup peas
  • 3 green chillies (slit, if desired)
  • 1 1/2 cup basmati rice
  • 3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3–3

spices in their natural state

• • 2 bay leaves
  • Cinnamon sticks (each 2 inch long) – 2
  • Cloves — 4 cloves
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Paste

• • 5 oz. cashews
  • 2 tsp khus – khus (poppy seeds)
  • 15 gms dry coconut (copra)
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 3 tblsp. cloves
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 cinnamon stick (1/2 inch in diameter)
  • 1/3 cup water

Garnishing

• a few fried cashews (optional)

Method

• To prepare the paste, soak khus khus (poppy seeds) and cashew nuts (kaju) in boiling water (1/3 cup) for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a grinder, combine all of the paste’s components, including the soaking water. To make a smooth paste, combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Set it aside for now.
• Cut onion into slices, slit green chilies (if desired), and cut mint and coriander leaves. Make sure they’re prepared.
• Rice should be washed and soaked in water for approximately 20 minutes. Drain and set aside the water.
• Add oil or ghee to a pot over high heat. When the pan is heated, add all of the entire spices. Add the chopped onion when they begin to crackle.
• The onion should be light brown and translucent when done.
• Sauté for 30 seconds after adding the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for another 30 seconds, or until cashews are lightly browned.
• Use just 3/4 of the mint and coriander leaves, carrots, and green chilies (optional). Mix thoroughly and simmer over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes, or until the mint leaves wilt.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the paste. I used 5 tbsp of water in the mixer to remove all of the connected paste from the grinder (mixer) and added it to the paste in the cooking pot. Add the green peas as soon as it begins to boil and stir thoroughly.
• To cook, combine the drained rice, salt, and water.
• Combine the remaining mint and coriander leaves in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Allow for a 5- to 7-minute boil time.
• Lower the heat and shut the lid as soon as you see the bubbles and the water is nearly absorbed or decreased (and just a little amount of water remains). Cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Turn off the light.
• Allow for a 5-minute rest period. At this point, you can either mix in the fried cashews with the rice or serve as a garnish on top. This is an optional step.
• Serve Andhra pulao with any raitha of your choice, such as onion and tomato raitha.

Notes

• When you roast additional onions and mint with other ingredients in oil/ghee/butter, the rice becomes a black color. Light colors appeal to me.
• If you don’t want to add cashews right away and want a crunchier texture, cook all of the cashews separately before adding them to the rice. Serve after thoroughly mixing. For this rice dish, cashews are essential. You may put it at the beginning or at the end, depending on your preference.
• I used frozen peas in this recipe. If using fresh peas, add them sooner or later depending on how long they take to simmer.
• The amount of water used for the rice varies; I used 1 1/2 cup water or slightly more for 1 cup rice with basmati rice; if using ordinary rice, use more as needed. If cooking plain rice, take into account the paste and other ingredients; if cooking pulao, take into account the paste and other ingredients as it has liquid and moisture, so add water accordingly.
• I prepared the pulao in a rice vessel using the absorbtion technique; it may also be cooked in a cooker.
• I used fennel seeds to crush the paste; if you don’t have any, use 1/2 teaspoon fennel powder and add it while the rice is cooking.

 

Andhra style veg pulao is an aromatic and hearty dish that is not only easy to make, but also very yummy. The pulao is made up of rice and vegetables, which you can also add chicken, mutton or seafood, like fish. This dish is usually served with chutney, which is prepared by grinding and blending the spices in a mortar and pestle.. Read more about chicken pulao recipe and let us know what you think.