Delicious Peas Pulao

Peas Pulao is one of the easiest rice dishes! It is a flavorful and aromatic and delicious dish to serve with lentils and curries. This recipe has onions, ginger, and garlic and I have another no-onion, no-garlic version as well. So check that out too!

What is Peas Pulao?

Literally speaking Peas Pulao means a rice dish (pulao indicates a dish made of rice and most likely Basmati rice), made with peas. Many Indian restaurants serve it in their buffet and have it as a menu item as well so you might have tasted it.

Peas Pulao is a flavorful medley of long-grain basmati rice, tender green peas, and fragrant spices.

This classic dish is known for its vibrant flavors and enticing aroma that wafts through the kitchen as it cooks. The rice is cooked with ghee (clarified butter) or oil and infused with whole spices like cumin, cardamom, and cloves, which impart a subtle but distinct flavor. The addition of fresh peas adds a pop of sweetness and texture to the dish, balancing the aromatic spices perfectly. Peas pulao is often served as a standalone main course or as a side dish to accompany a variety of Indian curries and gravies.

Ingredients Needed for Peas Pulao

Rice – To prepare Peas Pulao, we need white basmati rice.

Green Peas – Fresh or frozen peas work equally well. I usually use the frozen kind.

Red Onions – This pulao gets a nice and sweet earthy flavor from the onions.

Spices – When whole spices are added to ghee, they produce a lovely scent and flavor. Among the ingredients I utilized were bay leaves, Cumin seeds, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon, strand mace, and black peppercorns. You can disregard those that are not available.

Coriander & Mint Leaves – Coriander and mint leaves for garnishings add a fresh aroma to the rice, definitely optional.

Green Chili – I have added chopped green chili for a bit of heat and flavor and you can skip it.

Minced ginger and garlic – They are the major aromatic ingredients.

Lime Juice – For a delicious tang.

Ghee/Oil – Usually pulaos are made with ghee but to keep it vegan use any neutral cooking oil.

Salt & Sugar – As per taste

Water – The measurement of rice is the most critical factor of this recipe. The addition of more water will make the pulao mushy, while less water will make it hard. Therefore, a perfect balance is essential.

How To Prepare Peas Pulao

To make Peas Pulao, start by cooking 1 cup of basmati rice until it is done but still firm. You can check my How to Cook Basmati Rice blog for detailed and foolproof instructions.

In a separate pan, heat ghee or oil and fry cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and chopped onion until golden brown. Add minced ginger and garlic, salt, and the pre-cooked rice to the pan, and mix well. Stir in frozen peas, sweetener, chopped mint leaves, and chopped coriander leaves. Cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes to soften the peas. Remove from heat, fluff the rice, and serve hot with a side dish of choice.

.

Pro Tips For Preparing Peas Pulao

• Feel free to remove the whole spices from the pulao before serving.
• Feel free too to exclude any whole spice that you don’t like. I know some people do not like fennel seeds and therefore it’s fine to exclude that. Additionally, if you don’t have all the whole spices don’t feel pressured to go out and buy them all. I would say cumin seeds are the most important to have here and cinnamon.

Print

Try also my Peas and Carrots Pulao, Tomato Rice, as well as Aloo Matar, Egg Curry, Butter Chicken Masala and Kaali Daal.