May 93 min read

Mixed Vegetable Pilau Recipe

Updated: Jun 15

Mixed vegetable pilau is a vibrant and flavourful rice dish that combines a variety of colourful vegetables such as peas, carrots, bell peppers, and beans with aromatic spices and fragrant basmati rice. This dish is a delightful marriage of textures and flavours, providing a satisfying and wholesome meal that can be enjoyed on its own or as a side dish. With its enticing blend of vegetables and spices, mixed vegetable pilau offers a delicious and nutritious option for those looking to add some variety to their meals.

Serves 4 people

Preparation time 10minutes, cooking time 30 minutes,

Recipe Difficulty level - Beginner-Friendly

Special equipment - none

The mixed vegetable pilau recipe features a unique twist where some grains are white while others are a vibrant yellow. This can be achieved by cooking a batch of yellow rice and a separate batch of white rice, which eliminates the need for food coloring. This method, commonly adopted by restaurants, allows the two rice varieties to be mixed together in the final dish. For smaller quantities of rice, it may be more convenient to simply add a few drops of food coloring. Alternatively, saffron can also be used as a natural substitute for food coloring, although its color may not be as intense.

Mixed Vegetable Pilau Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup of basmati or long grain rice
1½ cups of water

1 tsp Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter or ghee

Garam Masala of spices: use either the spices listed below lightly toasted and ground for a really aromatic flavour or you can use a teaspoon of a ready ground Garam masala.

1 tsp of Black Cumin seeds
6 cardamon pods split open
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks broken
4 whole cloves

Vegetables needed ( obviously pick you own favourites )

½ cup of frozen peas
½ cup of canned sweetcorn kernels
½ cup of frozen green beans
½ cup of baby carrots cut into small slices
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic sliced
10 cauliflower florets
a second tablespoon of butter for frying the cashew and raisins
a handful of cashew nuts
a handful of raisins

yellow food colouring (optional)

How to cook Mixed Vegetable Pilau

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Step 1:

Wash the rice in cold water to wash out most of the starch and any impurities, then cover the rice with water and soak for at least half an hour, whilst you prep the rest of the ingredients. Once the rice has soaked rinse again

Step 2:

In a pan with tight fitting lid melt the first 2 tbsp of butter or ghee, and the sliced onions and cook until the onions are starting to brown.

Step 3:

Now Add the Garam Masala and cook for a minute or two, then add all the vegetables and cook for around 3 -4 minutes adding a splash of water if they look like they are going to burn.

Step 4:

Now add the rice and stir so that all the butter and spices coat the rice grains ( you can add a little more butter if you wish if its looking a little dry)

Step 5:

Now add the water and and salt and bring to the boil for a minute or two then give one last good stir.

Step 6:

Place the tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to the lowest level possible. Set a timer for 15 minutes, when the timer goes off remove the pan from the heat. Set another timer for 15 more minutes, try not to lift the lid during this cooking process.

Step 7:

Once the final timer has elapsed, carefully lift the lid to release some steam and check if the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender. At this point, add a few drops of food coloring to the rice without stirring. Replace the lid and allow the pilau to stand for a few more minutes before serving.

Step 8:

In a separate pan melt the remaining knob of butter and gently fry the raisins and cashew nuts until golden and sweet and use as a garnish for the top of the finished dish.

Step 9:

Finally, using a fork gently lift the rice from the bottom of the pan to separate and combine the grains to give it that colourful look, add the cashew and raisins and serve hot.