There is nothing like a bowl of pulao to satisfy that craving of home food. I like to put potatoes, eggplant, peas, and onions in my veggie pulao. Since a lot of the vegetables are starchy, they can give a hint of sweetness to this dish, so I like to up the masalas a bit to give it good flavor. It is a simple but hearty dish that is a good way to sneak in some vegetables for picky eaters. Zubair loves to add yogurt to it and I love to eat it with achar and raw onions. I hope you love this easy recipe as much as I do. As always, tag me on IG if you try it @hungry.brown.girl !

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups basmati rice
• 4 golden potatoes peeled and halved
• 2 baby eggplants, remove stems and cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup green peas (can use frozen)
• 1 medium yellow onion peeled, halved and sliced
• 1 large tomato
• 1 tablespoon green masala (see recipe under “The Basics”)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1.5 teaspoons turmeric (haldi)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (can use less or substitute with Kashmiri Mirch if less spice is desired)
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Rinse and soak the rice in water and put on the side. Rinsing and soaking the rice allows for excess starch to be removed and allows for the rice grains to separate.
• Prep the vegetables and place on the side.
• For the masala, put tomato, green masala, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric into a mixer or blender. Add 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth consistency. Place on the side.
• Place a large pot on medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons oil.
• Once heated, add in sliced onions and fry until clear.
• Add in potatoes and eggplant and fry for an additional 1-2 minutes. Mix in peas.
• Mix in blended masala and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• While this is simmering, drain your rice.
• Add 1.5 cups water to your pot and turn the heat on the stove to high. When the water starts boiling, add in rice and mix. Allow water to continue boiling until 90% burned off. Once you can’t see the water anymore at the top, place your stove on the lowest possible heat setting and cover your pot.
• Allow your covered pot of pulao to cook for an additional 10-12 minutes on the lowest heat setting.
• At this time, remove the lid and ensure the remaining water has evaporated off. If it has, you can turn off the stove and the pulao is ready to eat.
• Garnish with cilantro and enjoy 🙂