Peas Pulao is an easy to cook and tasty dish. It takes very less time to cook ~ 20 mins. It is also known as Matar Pulao and is a known dish in Indian household. Peas Pulao Recipe is one of our favourite, since it is very healthy and requires less ingredients. This dish is quite often prepared in Indian families and with some minor variations it is also prepared in parties and functions.
A similar minimalist dish called Peas Rice is often prepared along with Steamed Rice or Jeera Rice in parties and functions. To ensure you prepare a good quality Peas Pulao we recommend using fresh Green Peas and Basmati Rice. You can also use any other types of Rice as per your personal preferences.
Peas Pulao
Peas Pulao is a minimalistic tasty recipe that can save you lot of time. The main ingredient for this dish are Peas (Matar) and Rice. You can prepare Peas Pulao in a pressure cooker or in a pot. If you don’t have a pressure cooker but have a microwave oven then you can also use Microwave to make Peas Pulao.
To make this dish using Microwave you need to add more water while cooking. Also you need to be careful when to mix Masala gravy with cooked rice. In the first section of this article we have covered steps to make Peas Pulao in a Pressure cooker while in second half we cover steps to make Peas Pulao without pressure cooker.
This will ensure that you know how to make this dish in either scenarios.
Since there are two different ways to make Peas Pulao without a pressure cooker we have covered them under two separate sections – How to make Peas Pulao using a pot and How to make Peas Pulao in a Microwave.
Do remember that making Peas pulao in a pot or in a microwave is a bit more time consuming activity. If you cook this dish in a pot or microwave you may find that the dish may taste quite different – in a good way.
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Ingredients for Peas Pulao
Peas Pulao is a minimalistic dish that primarily requires two ingredients – good quality Peas (Matar) and Rice. Since Rice is an important ingredient for this dish, Basmati Rice is the preferred choice. You can easily find these ingredients in a local store or super market. Even if you are living outside India you can easily find most of the ingredients for this dish.
Spices
Since Peas Pulao require very less ingredients most of these are quite commonly available in local shops. You can find spices like Bay leaves in most supermarket spice section. Garam Masala is a popular Indian spice that is a mixture of many other spices in certain proportion. Now-a-days it is also easily available in most supermarkets.
Basmati Rice
Basmati is a variety of long, slender and aromatic rice. It is traditionally grown in Indian subcontinent and neighbouring regions. Basmati Rice is best fit for this dish as it gives great texture and aroma to it. If possible you should use aged Basmati Rice to make fluffy rice. While you can use any variety of Rice, we prefer Basmati Rice to make this dish because of these reasons.
Green Peas
Green Peas and some of its varieties come in market under different names. Some of the few common names are – Peas, Garden Peas and Green Peas. In Hindi Green Peas are also known as Matar and therefore the name of the dish – Matar Pulao. Green Peas are good source of Protein, Vitamin C and Fibre.
Protein is good for weight loss as you tend to feel less hungry with protein rich diets.
100 g Peas provide 5 g of Protein and hence is a very healthy option to include in your diet. Due to the high content of fibre you should definitely consider Peas in your regular diet. Some other Peas dishes that you can try are – Aloo Matar, Scrambled Eggs (Egg Bhurji) etc.
Protein is good for weight loss as you tend to feel less hungry with protein rich diets.
Check out some more healthy dishes –
Preparation Steps to make Peas Pulao
First, take Rice in a bowl and wash it twice with water. After washing, add 2 cups of water and keep the Rice soaked in it until your Masala is ready.
Now, finely chop onions, tomatoes, and green chillies. Use grater or chopper to make ginger-garlic paste.
Also, take some fresh garden peas and wash them properly. Ideally fresh garden peas are best to make Peas Pulao but if you do not have access to fresh garden peas you can go for frozen peas.
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There are many brands available in market who sell good frozen garden peas. Go for the ones who offer medium or large pea sizes.
How to make Peas Pulao using Pressure Cooker
Take Vegetable Oil in a Pressure cooker and put in on high flame to heat up the oil. Once the oil is hot add Cumin Seeds, Bay leaves, Cloves and Whole Black Pepper to it. Stir it for a minute or until Cumin seeds turn brown in colour.
Now add chopped onions, green chillies and ginger-gralic paste in it and stir it constantly until onions turn golden brown in colour.
Add Salt, Turmeric Power, Red Chili Power, Garam Masala and Crushed black pepper in it and mix it well.
Now add chopped tomatoes and again stir it until tomatoes become soft. Add some water if it starts sticking to the utensil.
Once the tomatoes are soft add chopped Coriander leaves and Green Peas to it. Stir for a minute or two.
Now add Soaked Rice and water to masala. Mix it well so that all ingredients for Peas Pulao mix properly. Remember, that the quantity of water added at this stage will determine how the texture of your pulao will look like in the end.
If you have taken aged rice then you may need to add more water else you need less water to make it. For best results we prefer to use aged rice to make this dish. This will make non-sticky Pulao.
Adjust the water based on how you would usually take while cooking steamed rice and should try to keep it a little less than that. Once you are happy with the amount of water in the Peas Pulao you can close the pressure cooker.
Take 1 whistle on medium flame and turn off the gas. Do not open immediately and let the pressure cooker release the pressure slowly. You will get perfect rice by letting the pressure release gradually. Since this dish cooks quickly hence do not keep it on high flame for more than 1 or 2 whistles. If you keep it on high flame for too long, the dish may burn and spoil.
Good job! Your Matar Pulao is now ready. Open the pressure cooker, your Matar Pulao should look almost like the same as shown in the picture above.
Serving Ideas for Peas Pulao
Peas Pulao is a whole meal in itself however since it is bit dry it is good to serve with some Raita. Mostly it goes well with Cucumber Raita, Pineapple Raita or Boondi Raita. It is also a good idea to serve some pickles such as Mango Pickle etc with it. To enhance the flavour top it up with some Ghee (Clarified Butter). In case you do not have Ghee, you can add some butter to it.
One excellent combination to try is serving Matar Pulao with some Sweet Rice. This is quite a popular combo in many parts of India such as Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring states.
How to make Peas Pulao without a Pressure Cooker
To cook Peas Pulao without a pressure cooker, first you need to wash Rice and soak them in 2 cups of water or double the quantity of rice.
Prepare Masala gravy in exactly the same way as per steps mentioned in the main Peas Pulao recipe above.
When the Masala gravy is ready add soaked Rice with water to it and boil it for 10 mins. You need to boil it until all the water has evaporated. Once there is no more water left the dish is ready. Therefore, it is time to turn off the flame. Your Matar Pulao is now ready.
This is all that you need to do to make Matar Pulao without a Pressure cooker. It may take additional 10 mins to make Matar Pulao via this method but you would get the same result. The dish may taste a bit different – in a good way.
How to make Peas Pulao in a Pot
In case you want to make Peas Pulao in a pot, you can either follow steps mentioned in section make Peas Pulao without Pressure Cooker or can use this alternative method.
Steps to make Peas Pulao in a Pot
To make Peas Pulao in a pot you need to first cook rice separately in 2 cups of water or double the quantity of rice.
Please follow steps mentioned in Steamed Rice recipe to cook rice separately. By the time rice is cooking in the pot, you can prepare Masala gravy.
To prepare Masala gravy follow the steps as mentioned above in the main recipe. When there is very little water in the rice, you need to mix it well with the Masala gravy prepared separately. After mixing, cook it for another 5 mins on low flame. When all the water has evaporated and you have fluffy rice, your Matar Pulao is ready.
This is all that you need to do to make Matar Pulao in a Pot. It may take additional 5 mins to make Matar Pulao via this method but you would get the same result. The dish may taste a bit different – in a good way.
How to make Peas Pulao in a Microwave
This method is also very similar to above two methods – Make Peas Pulao without Pressure Cooker and Make Peas Pulao in a pot. The only difference here is that you need to Microwave Rice instead of boiling it.
Steps to make Peas Pulao in a Microwave
To make pulao in a microwave first take rice in a glass bowl or a microwave compatible container. Now, add 2 cups of water or double the quantity of rice to it. Switch on the Microwave on High power for 12 -15 minutes. By the time rice is cooking, prepare Peas Pulao Masala separately as per steps mentioned in the main recipe above.
Once there is very little water in the microwaved rice, mix pulao Masala with microwaved rice and further microwave it for 5 mins. When all the water has evaporated and you have fluffy rice, your Matar Pulao is ready.
This is all that you need to do to make Matar Pulao in a Microwave. It may take additional 5 mins to make Matar Pulao via this method but you would get the same result. The dish may taste a bit different – in a good way.
Users Ask
You can easily make Matar Pulao with some leftover rice by preparing the matar pulao gravy separately. When preparing the Matar pulao via this method ensure that the gravy is not too dry so that rice can mix up properly. Usually the leftover rice is a bit dry and hence a thinner gravy is best to make Matar Pulao. Once the gravy is ready mix it with left over rice and your dish is ready to be served.
There are many side dishes that goes well with Matar Pulao. Since, the dish is made a bit dry it is good to serve it with some Raita. Usually it is served with Cucumber Raita, Pineapple Raita, Kaddu Raita or Boondi Raita. It is also a good idea to serve some pickles such as Mango Pickle etc with it. One excellent combination to try is serving Matar Pulao with some Sweet Rice.
To enhance the overall Matar Pulao taste, you can top it up with some Clarified butter. Clarified butter is also known as Ghee in Hindi. It is always a good idea to serve Matar Pulao with some side dish such as Cucumber Raita or even plain yogurt (curd). You can also compliment it with some spicy pickles such as Mango pickle etc.
You can easily make Peas Pulao with some cooked rice by preparing the Peas pulao gravy separately. Prior preparing this dish check if the cooked rice is dry or a bit wet and sticky. If the cooked rice is dry, then ensure that the gravy is not too dry. This will ensure that the rice gets mixed up properly.
If the cooked rice is a bit sticky, you should prepare a bit dry gravy. Once the gravy is prepared simply mix it well with rice and your dish is ready.
Yes Peas Pulao is a healthy addition to your diet. If you are planning to reduce weight but do not want to give up on taste Peas Pulao (Matar Pulao) will just be right. The main reason for Peas Pulao being good for health is the amount of calories per serving ~300 calories and peas (good source of Protein, Vitamin C and Fibre).
100 g Peas provide 5 g of Protein and hence is a very healthy option especially if you are on Vegetarian diet. Due to the high content of fibre you should definitely consider Peas in your regular diet. Protein is considered good for weight loss as you tend to feel less hungry with protein rich diets. If you are planning for weight loss, topping up dish with butter or Ghee is certainly not recommended.
Chef Recommendations for Peas Pulao
- Matar Pulao is quite handy when you want to prepare a meal in a short notice. Popular side dishes that goes well with Matar Pulao are Cucumber Raita, Pineapple Raita, Pumpkin Raita, Onion Raita.
- To add additional flavour use Clarified butter instead of Vegetable Oil.
- Using fresh peas enhances the flavour as it is the key ingredient for this dish.
- Due to health benefits of Turmeric powder we prefer to use it in most of our recipes including Peas Pulao however it is an optional ingredient.
Discover more
And that is not all folks! Shall we take this opportunity to invite you to discover more tasty and yummy recipes in our food wonderland.
- Check more such tasty main course recipes in our Recipes section.
- How about trying few curry recipes –
- Did you check our Dessert section for some sweet delicacies.
Peas Pulao Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients for Peas Pulao or Matar Pulao
- 250 g Basmati Rice Basmati Chawal
- 1 Cup Green Peas Matar
- 1 medium size Onion Pyaaz
- 2 small Tomato Tamatar
- 10 g Green Chillies Hari Mirch
- 2 Garlic cloves Lahsun
- 1 inch Ginger Adrak
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds Jeera
- 4 cloves Laung
- 2 Bay Leaves Tej Patta
- 1.5 tsp Salt Namak or as per taste
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- ½ tsp Crushed Black Pepper
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- Few Coriander Leaves
Optional Ingredients for Peas Pulao or Matar Pulao
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder Haldi Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chillies Powder Lal Mirch Powder
- 5 Whole Black Pepper Khadi Kali Mirch
Instructions
Preparation Steps to make Peas Pulao
- Take Rice in a bowl and wash it twice with water. After washing, add 2 cups of water and keep the Rice soaked in it until your Masala is ready.250 g Basmati Rice
- Now, finely chop onions, tomatoes, and green chillies. Use grater or chopper to make ginger-garlic paste.1 medium size Onion, 2 small Tomato, 10 g Green Chillies, 2 Garlic cloves, 1 inch Ginger
How to make Peas Pulao
- Take Vegetable Oil in a Pressure cooker and put in on high flame to heat up the oil. Once the oil is hot add Cumin Seeds, Bay leaves, Cloves and Whole Black Pepper to it.½ tsp Cumin Seeds, 4 cloves, 2 Bay Leaves, 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil, 5 Whole Black Pepper
- Stir it for a minute or until Cumin seeds turn brown in colour.
- Now add chopped onions, green chillies and ginger-gralic paste in it and stir it constantly until onions turn golden brown in colour.1 medium size Onion, 2 small Tomato, 10 g Green Chillies, 2 Garlic cloves, 1 inch Ginger
- Add Salt, Red Chilies Powder, Turmeric Power, Garam Masala and Crushed Black Pepper in it and mix it well.1.5 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Garam Masala, ½ tsp Crushed Black Pepper, 1 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp Red Chillies Powder
- Now add chopped tomatoes and again stir it until tomatoes become soft. Add some water if it starts sticking to the utensil.
- Once the tomatoes are soft add chopped Coriander leaves and Green Peas to it. Stir for a minute or two.1 Cup Green Peas, Few Coriander Leaves
- Now add Soaked Rice with water to it. Mix it well so that all Masalas are mixed properly. Close the pressure cooker.250 g Basmati Rice
- Take 1 whistle on medium flame and turn off the gas. Do not open immediately and let the pressure cooker release its pressure slowly.
- Good job! Your Peas Pulao aka Matar Pulao is now ready. Serve Peas Pulao with Curd or Raita such as Cucumber Raita or Onion Raita.
Notes
- Peas Pulao aka Matar Pulao is quite handy when you want to prepare a meal on short notice. Usually it is served with Raita, mostly Cucumber Raita or Onion Raita.
- To add additional flavour you can use Clarified butter instead of Vegetable Oil.
- Using fresh peas enhances the flavour as it is the key ingredient for this dish.
- Turmeric powder is an optional ingredient however due to its health benefits we prefer to use it in most of our recipes including Peas Pulao.
