Green Coriander Pulao with Vegetables

Imagine a gloriously flavoured, beautifully vibrant Green Coriander Pulao with Vegetables—a delicious one-pot wonder that will brighten up any meal. This rice dish is wonderfully soft and fluffy, cooked in a fragrant green coriander paste that adds a delightful depth of flavour. Plus, it’s both gluten-free and vegan, making it suitable for a variety of dietary preferences!

Lightly spiced with cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom, this pulao is finished with a fresh burst of coriander, seasonal vegetables, and a squeeze of lemon. It’s the perfect choice for an easy and hearty weeknight dinner.

Pulao, also known as ‘pilaf’ or ‘pulav,’ is a flavourful, aromatic dish made by cooking whole spices, veggies, and herbs together with basmati rice. It can be as simple or as intricate as you like, depending on the number of ingredients you choose to add. At its heart, pulao is essentially rice that has been toasted to enhance its flavour, resulting in a dish that’s both complex and satisfying.

There are various methods of preparing pulao, with each region putting its own spin on this beloved dish. Today’s recipe is quick and straightforward, ready in less than 30 minutes. This vegetarian Green Coriander Pulao is bursting with flavour and has a mouthwatering, light texture that makes it irresistible!

Serve it alongside a cooling raita, comforting kadhi, or a refreshing Moong Sprout Salad for a well-rounded meal. This dish is sure to become a favourite at your dinner table!

Why this recipe works:

• The subtle flavours make this the perfect dish for almost any main meal or even as a side dish.
• No special ingredients needed – The ingredients used in this recipe are generally in your fridge or pantry.
• Easy Dinner with rice and vegetables that’s filling and doesn’t require multiple recipes to follow.

Why is this called Green Coriander Pulao with Vegetables?

The term Green pulao is due to the addition of fresh coriander and spinach.  

Indian vegetarian pulao has various versions, like matar pulao, tamatar pulav, jeera rice, kashmiri pulao etc. Every region will have their own version of this basic dish. Traditionally basmati rice is used in making this recipe as it is a long grain, aromatic rice with a nutty flavour which compliments the whole spices.

Coriander, spinach, green chillies, ginger and garlic are blended together to form an aromatic paste. Which gives this dish its green splash of colour. The veggies like carrots and cauliflower add pops of colour.

Ingredients for Green Coriander Pulao with Vegetables

• Rice – Use long grained basmati rice. Always rinse rice 2-3 times to remove starch from the rice. I also pre-soak basmati rice before cooking to get grains softer and separated. 
• Veggies – I have used onions, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and fresh peas for making green coriander pulao. Pulao is a very versatile dish, you can choose any vegetable of your choice like baby corn, broccoli, capsicum, etc.
• Spices – We use whole spices for this recipes like cumin, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, green & black cardamom, cloves and pepper corns.
• Ghee – A taste enhancer but please use oil if you want to make it vegan.
• Green paste – The star of this dish. Coriander, spinach, ginger, green chillies, garlic and black peppercorns.

Notes – Basmati rice is the best to use for pulao. The grains are long and slender, and they contain a type of starch that helps the grain stay separate and fluffy as they cook. It also contains all eight essential amino acids, folic acid, and is very low in sodium and has no cholesterol. Basmati has a low to medium glycemic index, meaning that energy is released at a slower, steadier rate leading to a more balanced level of energy.

Helpful Tips and Tricks to Make Green Coriander Pulao with Vegetables

• Long grain basmati rice works best for this recipe.  I use Tilda basmati rice but you can use any basmati rice. If you don’t have Basmati rice you can substitute it with any non sticky rice.
• Add lemon wedges to the rice when cooking. It makes the rice fluffy.
• Don’t add extra water. You don’t want the rice and vegetables to be mushy.
• Once you set the stove to low heat, cover the pot and make sure to keep it covered. The steam helps to cook the rice.
• Always let the rice rest after cooking. The moisture will continue to seep into the rice.

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Green Coriander Pulao With Vegetables

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 8 voted )

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Ingredients

For the Rice

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 200g cauliflower florets
• 150g carrots, diced
• 150g green pean, fresh or frozen
• 200g potatoes, diced
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 2 whole green chillies
• 2 stick cinnamon (dalchini)
• 2-3 cloves (laung)
• 3 green cardamon (elaichi)
• 1 black cardamon
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• salt to taste
• 2 lemon wedges
• 1 ¼ cup of water
• Coriander leaves

For the Green Paste

• 1 big bunch fresh coriander
• ½ cup spinach (optional)
• 4 green chillies
• 1" ginger
• 8-10 cloves garlic
• ¼ tsp black peppercorns

method

1. Rinse the Rice: Thoroughly rinse the raw rice under fresh water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water and set aside.
2. Prepare the Green Paste: In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the green paste and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Sauté the Spices: In a heavy-based pot, heat ghee or oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and whole dried spices, sautéing for a moment until fragrant.
4. Cook the Onions: Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook until they become translucent.
5. Add the Green Paste: Stir in the green paste and green chillies, sautéing for about a minute until well combined.
6. Incorporate the Vegetables: Add the carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, and green peas to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften slightly.
7. Combine Ingredients: Pour in water and bring it to a boil. Carefully add the soaked rice (discard the soaking water before adding), along with fresh coriander, lemon wedges, and garam masala. Give everything a gentle stir to combine.
8. Cook the Rice: Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
9. Rest the Rice: Once cooked, switch off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. This allows the grains to become fluffy.
10. Serve: Gently fluff the rice with a fork before serving. Enjoy it hot with chilled boondi raita or any raita of your choice.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!