Vegan Peas Pulao Recipe

Pulao was mentioned in the Mahabharatha, and taken to Europe by Alexander the Great. Interestingly, the first recipe for pulao was written by Avicenna, an ancient Persian physician!

Peas Pulao is a dish with a rich history. Born in ancient India, pulāka in sanskrit means a ‘ball of rice’. Pulao was mentioned in the Mahabharatha, and taken to Europe by Alexander the Great. Interestingly, the first recipe for pulao was written by Avicenna, an ancient Persian physician!

Peas Pulao is usually served with raitha. If you prefer a thin raitha, you could use coconut milk thambulli as a base. If you enjoy a thick, creamy raitha, peanut mylk is a better idea. Plant based mylks give you all the yumminess of milk without any of the cruelty or disease that comes with dairy milk. Enjoy!

Whole Food Plant Based Peas Pulao Recipe

Course: Course 3 (Grain Dish) at Lunch & Dinner Meals
Cuisine: North Indian Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Brown Basmati Rice
1 cup Fresh Green Peas
1 stick Cinnamon
3 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
1/2 cm piece Ginger chopped
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp Jeera Powder / Cumin Powder
1/4 cup Coconut grated
4 tsp Miso Paste
1/4 Lemon
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
2 tsp Nuts Almonds or Cashews

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak 1 cup brown basmati rice for 30 minutes. Cook with 1 cup water. Make sure it does not get overcooked. Switch off the stove when it is just cooked, spread on a plate, and allow to cool.
2. Boil fresh green peas with cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf and just enough water to cover half the peas.
3. Peel ginger. Blend ginger, coconut, jeera powder, black pepper powder, miso paste, and lemon juice. Mix into peas pulao.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves and soaked nuts. Serve fresh with Tofu Butter Masala

Plant Based Chef Pro Tips for Best Peas Pulao Recipe

1. Add exactly the right amount of water to cook brown basmati rice and peas for the right pulao consistency!
2. Experiment with other vegetables or greens like palak or methi for different versions of Veg Pulao.
3. If you like it spicy, then slit green chili can be added to boiling vegetables. Make sure not to bite the chili!
4. Apart from raw vegan raitha, you could also serve peas pulao with Coconut Thambulli instead of buttermilk or Peanut Curds instead of dairy curds.

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Peas Pulao Recipe

1. Why miso paste? Miso paste is fermented & salted soya bean paste. American Heart Association Maximum recommended maximum daily salt intake of 3.75 grams per person to minimise risk of high blood pressure, stomach cancer and chronic kidney disease. In addition to helping us restrict salt intake, replacing salt with miso paste also helps by neutralising the negative effects of salt by soya phytonutrients. You can easily make fresh miso paste at home by mixing 100 grams of cooked soya paste with 10 grams of salt, or 10 tablespoons of cooked soya paste with 1 tablespoon of salt. If making at home, ensure to use immediately, or freeze in batches to use later. Or, simply use 3.75 grams of salt or less per day per person and add 18 to 20 grams (dry weight) of soya beans in any dishes, spread through the day!
2. Why whole grains? Whole grains are healthier than refined grains such as white rice, refined flours, maida, rava, etc., as the bran layer is intact, with all its vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Whole grains have been found to be protective against a whole range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and lifestyle-related cancers.
3. Why cool grains? When cooked grains are allowed to cool on the counter or in the fridge, the starch crystallises to form resistant starch. This can be eaten by our good gut bacteria and also reduces the glycemic index (the rate at which glucose is absorbed), making the whole grain even healthier. For the same reason, parboiled whole grains can be used as well.
4. Why not tadka? Tadka, thaaLippu, oggaraNe. Tempering spices in oil is quintessential to Indian cuisine. This practice may have started as a compromise when whole nuts were unavailable, and indeed, is more common in inland, drier areas where nuts do not grow easily, all year round. You can enjoy the taste and fragrance, though, by just dry roasting the spices you require, without the oil, or even better, mixing spice powders directly into your dish!
5. Why nuts instead of oil? Whole foods are healthier than processed foods. When nuts are pressed and oil is extracted, fiber and phytonutrients are lost, along with many other nutrients. Therefore, whole nuts are much healthier than oils, whether cold-pressed or refined. In addition, they provide the oil content we need to absorb fat-soluble phytonutrients from other whole plant foods! This may be why nuts are used to garnish nearly every traditional Indian dish!
6. Why legumes? Legumes are the #1 number food associated with long life in many recent large studies! They also fuel your gut microbiome through their resistant starch content and slow down glucose absorption, keeping your blood sugar levels steady - even in the next meal! This has been called the Second Meal Effect. This recipe is one of the yummiest ways to include pulses and legumes in your daily diet.