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A Pantry Recipe: Vegetable Pulao

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vegetable-pulao This is a great side dish that goes really well with a variety of different entrees. The rice dish already has a bunch of vegetables, so all you need to do is grill or roast some meat and you are good to go! You don’t even need a salad in case you are too lazy to make one!- which I admit- I am most of the time. I think that is why I am always looking to come up with dishes that have all the food groups in one! It is hard to come up with different rice dishes with new and delicious flavors all the time- this one is a winner!

This particular one came about with whatever I had in the fridge. I had bought some vidalia spring onions from the farmers market. Carrots, dill and cilantro are always in my fridge. I also decided to add my other staple ingredient- frozen spinach. I love adding spinach to all sorts of dishes- I love the flavor and my daughter loves it in anything. I make all my rice and couscous dishes with chicken broth- I always have lots of boxes sitting in my basement. So making this dish was a cinch- I just had to come up with the recipe in my head- which didn’t take very long either. 
It is nice to have some dishes in your repertoire that can be made easily with the ingredients you have on hand all the time. Especially if you have a busy, crazy day and do not have time to think about dinner let alone go to the grocery store. Most people I know don’t like going to grocery stores or don’t have time. Me, on the other hand, love-love going food shopping- especially the day I am going to cook something- but it is not possible all the time and so I love being able to come up with something without leaving the house.
This was a big success- my daughter loved it. I served the vegetable rice dish with pink lentils and it was a complete meal! Simple, easy and very tasty.

  • 2 big Vidalia spring onions, chopped (keep the green parts for the garnish)
  • 2 big carrots, chopped
  • ½ cup frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1½ cups basmati rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/3 cup dill, chopped

In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil and add the cumin seeds. Cook for a minute till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onions, carrots and spinach. Saute till the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice and sauté for about 2 minutes to coat the rice with the oil. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium once big holes begin to form on the surface. Reduce the heat and place the lid on the skillet and cook for about 20 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, check for seasonings and add the cilantro and dill.

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