Achari Vegetable Pulao Recipe
Spicy and delicious rice dish. It is flavored with achar aka spicy Indian pickle and whole pickle spices. Great one pot meal for weeknights.
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups Basmati Rice, soaked for at least 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds
- 2 Cardamom pods
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)
- 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup Mixed vegetables (chopped carrots, green beans, cauliflower etc)
- 1 cup Chickpeas, boiled
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- To taste Salt
- 2 tablespoons Achar/ Pickle (I used some homemade tomato pickle, but any other achar would also work)
- 2½ cups Hot Water
- ¼ cup Cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a pressure cooker or an instant pot (on saute mode), heat ghee and add fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cardamom, cumin seeds and asafoetida. Cook till the seeds start to sputter and get fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste; cook till they turn lightly browned around the edges, about 3~4 minutes.
- Add the mixed vegetables, chickpeas, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Cook for 2~3 minutes.
- Add achar/ chutney and mix well to combine all the ingredients. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 1~2 minutes.
- Add water, cilantro and mix well. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. If using the Instant Pot, cancel the saute mode and press the pressure cook/ manual mode and cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Allow the pressure release naturally before opening the lid. Gently fluff the rice and serve hot.
Notes
- Feel free to use other veggies like cauliflower, baby corn, peppers (any color), cabbage etc.
- Chickpeas can replaced with other protein like kidney beans, black eyed peas, paneer or tofu.
- Brown rice or quinoa are a great alternate to use instead of basmati in this recipe. Use 3 cups of water if using brown rice and 2¾ cups of water is using quinoa.
- Use any of your favorite Achar/ pickle. I used my mom's tomato pickle but any mango or chili pickle will work well in this recipe.
- Use 1~2 tablespoons of this dry masala to this vegetable pulao instead of achar/ chutney.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Calories: 550kcal
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