If you’re a fan of rice dishes that are bursting with flavours, this Vegetable Pulao made in the Instant Pot is one to try.
Pulao, a beloved dish in Indian cuisine, combines the simplicity of rice and vegetables with an array of spices that elevate its flavour. In this version, I added a twist with Pandan leaves, which infused a subtle, earthy-coconut aroma into the dish, making it uniquely fragrant and irresistibly delicious.
For this version, I used sella rice, which holds its texture beautifully, giving the pulao a lovely, fluffy consistency. Sella rice is parboiled rice, a popular choice in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines for its distinct texture and ability to stay separate and fluffy when cooked. It’s great for making pulao & biryani.
In the Instant Pot, sella rice has to be pressure cooked for 10 minutes at high pressure. The rice will turn fluffy & awesome.
Why Pandan Leaves?
Pandan leaves, often used in Southeast Asian cooking, bring a delicate earthy & coconut note that pairs beautifully with the spices in pulao. It’s a subtle addition, but one that makes this pulao stand out as something special.
In Asian cuisine, Pandan leaves are added to curries, pulao & biryani.
This vegetable pulao made with sella rice and pandan leaves is ideal for a light lunch or a side for a more elaborate dinner. Pair it with raita, pickle, or your favourite curry for a satisfying meal.
- Oil- 1 tbsp
- Whole cardamoms- 2
- Whole cloves- 2
- Whole cinnamon- 2-inch slice
- Star Anise- 1
- Dried bay leaves- 2
- Mixed veggies- 1½ cups (green beans, carrot, corn, peas)
- Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder- ⅛ tsp
- Coriander powder-2 tsp
- Cumin powder- ½ tsp
- Salt- 1½ tsp
- Coconut milk, light- 2½ cups
- Pandan leaf- 1 leaf, roughly chopped
- Sella rice, rinsed- 2 cups
- I used sella rice for making this pulao, take 2 cups of rice in a strainer & rinse in water.
- I didn't soak the rice, if you prefer rice can be soaked in water for 15 minutes.
- Turn on the saute setting in the Instant Pot, set the temperature to medium.
- Let the pot turn hot.
- To the stainless steel pot, add oil, followed by whole aromatic spices, saute for a few seconds.
- Add mixed veggies, combine well. I've used veggies like carrot, green beans, corn & peas.
- Add the spices and salt, combine well.
- I've added light coconut milk, if the coconut milk is thick add some water & make it to 2¼ cups.
- I added one pandan leaf, roughly chopped.
- Add 2 cups sella rice, combine well.
- In the Instant Pot, for cooking 2 cups rice 2¼ cups liquid is required.
- Turn off the saute setting.
- Close the pot with the lid.
- Select pressure cook setting, set the time to 10 minutes at high pressure.
- After 10 minutes of pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes & then do a quick pressure release.
- Open the lid, fluffy & perfectly cooked veg pulao is ready to be devoured.
- Enjoy with your favourite curry & side dishes like raita, pickle, pappad, etc.
- Note: if using white basmati rice, has to be only pressure cooked for 6 minutes at high pressure.
