Peas Pulao Recipe (Matar Pulao)
A refreshing everyday peas pulao made with aromatic basmati rice, fragrant spices, cashews, raisins, mint, and crispy fried onions.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 509kcal
Equipment
- 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven or pot
- Kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra-long basmati rice preferably aged
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 large red onion sliced thinly and divided
- ¼ cup cashews or slivered almonds
- 2 teaspoons Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt divided | or 1 teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup cranberries or raisins
- 1 tablespoon ghee optional | or melted butter
- 1 lemon zested and cut into wedges
- 1 cup fresh peas or frozen peas
- A generous handful of fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro | chopped
Instructions
- Soak the rice: Add 1 cup extra-long basmati rice to a fine mesh sieve and rinse under water until the water appears *mostly* clear (it won't ever get fully clear), then transfer to a medium bowl. Add enough water to the bowl to fully submerge the rice. Soak for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. While you're waiting for the rice to soak, set a medium pot of water to boil.
- Prepare the pulao aromatics: Meanwhile, set a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil, then follow with 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 whole cloves, and 1 cinnamon stick. Once you hear the seeds sizzling, add half of 1 large red onion to the pot. Saute the onions until they turn light golden brown and translucent, about 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (turn the heat down if the onions begin to burn). Stir in ¼ cup cashews, and saute until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside while you finish preparing the rice.
- Finish preparing the rice: Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the boiling water. Drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water. Cook rice until just barely tender, about 5 minutes. Taste the rice; when done, it should still have a slightly al dente, firm bite in the center, but it will have grown to the size of a full grain of rice. Drain the rice.
- Cook the pulao: In the medium pot with all of the aromatics, stir in ¼ cup cranberries, 1 tablespoon ghee (if using), lemon zest, 1 cup fresh peas, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Next, gently stir in the drained rice. Make sure everything is fully mixed together (but be gentle so that the rice grains don't break). Add any additional salt as needed. Wrap the lid of the pot with a clean kitchen towel, securing it tightly by tying or tucking the ends up over the lid to prevent them from hanging near the burner. Cook the rice over low heat, covered, for about 25 minutes until fully cooked through. Once the rice is cooked, turn the heat off, and let the pot sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.
- Make the crispy fried onions: Just before serving, set a small skillet over medium heat. Add ⅓ cup oil to the pan. Once heated, add in the other half of the onion (you may need to do this in two batches) until golden brown and crispy, stirring occasionally to ensure all parts of the onion brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Make sure the onions don't touch each other when draining so that they don't get soggy. Sprinkle the onions with a pinch of salt.
- To serve the rice, transfer to a serving bowl and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with herbs and fried onion, and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Parboiling the rice is a more foolproof method of cooking fluffy, perfectly cooked rice. The technique was inspired by Andy Baraghani's Herb Rice.
Rinsing the rice thoroughly ensures you're filtering out any starch water that can make the rice sticky or gummy.
Wrapping the lid with a kitchen towel keeps the rice fluffy. The low heat cooking ensures the rice doesn't burn as it cooks very gently.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 1172mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
