Peas Pulao Recipe Matar Pulao Instant Pot Stovetop

on Mar 06, 2021, Updated Dec 07, 2023 If you like lightly spiced pulao, try some of my favorite recipes: Paneer Pulao, Gucchi Pulao, Gobi Pulao, and Basanti Pulao. When I have guests at home for lunch or dinner, I prefer making Jeera Rice or Matar Pulao to serve with dal and curries instead of plain steamed rice. It’s just a teeny bit more work, but it makes the humble rice a fancy dish. Now, making any rice dish is fairly easy if you keep the measurements in check. Many ladies of my mom’s generation had a unique way of measuring the rice and water ratio. They would dip their fingers in the water over the rice and measure with their finger marks. It baffles me how they did that and almost always managed to get perfectly cooked rice. I don’t do any such stunts and firmly rely on my standard cup and spoon measures. I suggest you do that too!

About Peas Pulao (Matar Pulao)

Peas in Hindi is “matar,” and pulao refers to a flavorful rice dish, so Peas Pulao is a rice dish with peas added. It is a one-pot Indian rice dish made using fresh green peas, long-grain basmati rice, and a few Indian spices. This dish pairs well with Indian curries and dals. It can also be served with a pickle and a raita of your choice. Also called Matar Wale Chawal or Matar Pulao, Peas Pulao is a rice dish made especially in winter when fresh peas are in season. However, frozen peas are available year-round so you can make it anytime. Each family has its own way of making Peas Pulao. Some like to keep the dish simple and use only whole spices, rice, and peas, while others like to add onions and a few herbs. In this post, I share how I make this delicious matar pulao at home. You can make it in a pot over the stovetop, a traditional pressure cooker, or an Instant Pot. If doubling the recipe in an instant pot, use a 6-quart instant pot (or a 5-liter stovetop pressure cooker) instead of a 3-quart instant pot (or a 3-liter stovetop pressure cooker). The cooking time will remain the same.

Variations

You can garnish the dish with fried cashews and finely chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves). I top it with crispy fried onions to make it more indulgent. Onions give a lovely earthy flavor to this pulao. I like red onions but feel free to use any variety. Green Peas – Fresh or frozen peas both work fine. I freeze my peas every year, lasting for nearly a year. Do check out How to Freeze Green Peas and store them in winter. Whole Spices – When added to ghee, whole spices create a beautiful fragrance and flavor. I have used cumin seeds, cloves (laung), black cardamom (badi elaichi), and black peppercorns (kali mirch). You can skip the ones that are not available. Crushing the spices gently before adding them to the ghee or oil makes the matar pulao recipe even more fragrant. You can also add other whole spices, such as star anise (chakri phool), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), and cinnamon sticks (dalchini). Ghee – I use ghee to make matar pulao, but you can use any cooking oil or butter instead. Use oil if you want to make the pulao vegan. Others – You will also need cashew nuts, freshly squeezed lime juice, and salt. Lime juice adds a refreshing taste and a hint of tanginess to this green peas pulao. It also makes the rice fluffier. Adding cashew nuts is optional. You can replace cashew nuts with peanuts or almonds. To give your pulao a slightly different taste, you can add some garam masala powder and crispy fried onions. Replace water with thin coconut milk or veg stock for a taste change. Try adding some pan-fried paneer cubes to make a matar paneer pulao. Add potatoes and veggies, like carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, etc., to this rice. Add a few green chilies for a spicy kick. Soak the rice in 3-4 cups of water for 20 minutes. If you don’t have basmati rice, use any available rice. Add the following whole spices to a mortar and pestle and gently crush. Keep aside.

2-3 whole cloves 1 black cardamom 3-4 black peppercorns

When the ghee is hot, add the following ingredients to the pan and saute for 4-5 seconds.

½ teaspoon cumin seeds 2 whole bay leaves crushed spices

Add ½ cup of sliced red onions and saute until they are golden brown (3-4 minutes). Stir frequently while frying. Drain the rice and add it to the pan with the following ingredients

½ cup green peas ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups water

Stir gently. Remove pan from heat and let the pulao rest for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the matar pulao gently with a fork. Serve hot.