Methi Carrot Pulav/Pilaf/Pulao, a quick, healthy and aromatic one-pot rice, flavored with fresh fenugreek leaves and carrots, made in a pressure cooker or instant pot for an easy lunch or dinner option!
There are days when all you want is a quick, easy-to-make one-pot sumptuous meal to fill you up and get you out of the kitchen fast! Pulav/pulao/pilaf is the perfect dish!
With just some chopped salad, quick curd/yogurt raita or even just some papad or potato chips, satisfying your palate and tummy is so quick and easy!
Sometimes, I use another pressure cooker and dish up another simple lip-smacking curry like aloo-matar to go with it!
With both the dishes cooking side by side, my lunch or dinner is ready in less than 1 hour! If you have an instant pot/pressure cooker, it becomes less stressful!
WHAT IS PILAF/PULAO?
Pulav/Pulao/Pilaf is a one pot rice dish where rice is cooked with spices and vegetables (or meat) in one pot or in a pressure cooker/instant pot for a quicker and faster option.
Paired with a simple raita, salad or any vegetable gravy, it is a wonderful lunch box or quick meal to make and relish any time!
THE PERFECT RICE FOR PULAO:
Basmati rice is the preferred choice in any biryani or pulao. Because of its long grains and rich aroma, many of us love to use it in any rice dish!
But, I have made pulavs and biryanis using regular rice too. So, go ahead and use any rice that you have for this one-pot dish.
VEGETABLES IN A PULAO:
There are many vegetables that you can use in making a pulav; fresh green beans, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower or even potatoes.
The list goes on.
Greens like spinach/palak, fenugreek leaves/methi leaves are not commonly used in any rice dish. They are used to make many curries like palak paneer, methi malai mutter etc.
Here, I will be using fresh fenugreek or methi leaves for added nutrition and flavor.
Because of it’s slight bitter taste, these highly nutritious leaves (rich in fiber and with high amounts of Vitamins and minerals), are almost always avoided!
I love the flavor, so I try to add them in small quantities in curries (like Lasooni Methi Paneer or Methi Dal Fry), parathas (flat breads), rice dishes etc.
Some other dishes with my favorite methi: Oats and Methi Khichdi, Methi Laccha Paratha etc.
This beautiful pulao has some fresh fenugreek leaves and grated carrot for color and of course more nutrition! If you cannot find fresh fenugreek leaves, use dried ones available in any Indian store or online or even some freshly chopped spinach leaves instead.
EASY TO MAKE:
To make this easy and quick but flavorful and delicious pulav, just sauté some spices in a little oil/ghee along with onions, ginger and garlic.
Then add the finely chopped fenugreek leaves (or any fresh greens you have) and grated carrot and soaked and drained rice. Add water and pressure cook (for 2 whistles) or use an instant pot.
Wait for the pressure to release naturally, then allow the pulao to rest for another 10 minutes to allow the grains of rice to firm up. If you dig into the hot pulao as soon as the pan is opened, there are chances, the hot, soft rice may break up and the pulao turn mushy.
Once ready, garnish with cilantro and serve with your favorite raita, salad, curry, pickles etc.
HAPPY COOKING!
MORE ONE-POT PRESSURE COOKER DISHES you must make and enjoy:
- Vegan Chole Masala Curry
- One-Pot Tomato Pulao
- Jeera Vegetable Fried Rice
- Pressure Cooker Ginger Chicken
- Jackfruit and Chickpea Pulav/Pilaf
STEP-BY-STEP METHOD TO MAKE ONE-POT METHI CARROT PULAV:
Wash rice in plenty of water until the water runs clear and then soak in more water for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Wash methi leaves well (pick the leaves and tender stems and discard the tough parts) and chop roughly.
Peel and grate carrots. Chop capsicum and tomatoes into small pieces.
TO MAKE THE PULAV:
PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:
Heat a pressure pan and once hot, add oil.
Sprinkle jeera, bay leaf and cloves and sauté for a few seconds to flavor the oil.
Stir in onions and sauté again with green chilies until the onions are slightly soft, about 1 minute.
Add grated ginger and garlic and sauté again for a few seconds.
Add chopped methi leaves, tomatoes and capsicum and fry again for a few minutes on medium low heat; about 1 minute.
Stir in drained rice and grated carrot along with 1 tbsp ghee (optional) and fry again on medium heat, stirring often (to avoid burning of rice at the bottom) for a few minutes until each grain of rice is coated well with fat/ghee/oil!
Add 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp garam masala/Kitchen King powder (both available in any Indian store or online) and mix well.
Stir in 1 ¾ cups hot water (to 2 cups depending upon quality of rice), mix well and close the pressure pan.
Cook on pressure on high until first whistle on high, reduce heat to low and then cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the pressure drop on its own.
IF USING THE INSTANT POT:
Fry all the spices and onions in hot oil on sauté mode. Add the rest of the ingredients in the same way as mentioned above.
Once the rice is well fried, cancel the sauté mode, add hot water and close the instant pot.
Pressure cook on seal for 5 minutes.
Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes and then release manually.
Open and fluff up the pulao with a fork.
Serve hot with any curry, raita, korma etc. along with a healthy salad on the side!
A slight variation on this super delicious and super easy to make sumptuous pulao is this Moringa pulao!
Having a huge moringa tree in your garden, access to the super green Moringa leaves is a daily affair.
This time, I use about a cup of washed and drained moringa leaves instead of methi leaves.
You may have to sauté it along with the rice for a few minutes.
Rest is the same!
Served it with a side of Beetroot Raita and a lip smacking Konkani (south Indian) Soorna Koota or fried yam in a delicious no cook coconut masala gravy.
Finger licking yummy!
So the next time you get fresh methi leaves or even moringa leaves, do try this easy peasy, one pot, nutritious and vegan/vegetarian/plant based pressure cooker Indian style pulao!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!!
A quick, healthy and aromatic rice flavored with fresh fenugreek leaves and carrots, made in a pressure cooker or instant pot for an easy lunch or dinner option!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice, soak in cold water for 1 hour, drain and keep
- 1 cup methi leaves/fresh fenugreek leaves, picked, washed and chopped
- ½ cup chopped capsicum/bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped tomato
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 1 tbsp grated ginger (1-inch)
- 1 tbsp grated garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 slit green chilies/jalapenos/serrano
- 2 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
- ½ tsp garam masala powder (or Kitchen King Masala powder)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oil/ghee
- 1 ¾ cups hot water
- Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash rice in plenty of water until the water runs clear and then soak in fresh water for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Wash methi leaves well (pick the leaves and tender stems and discard the tough parts) and chop roughly.
- Peel and grate carrots. Chop capsicum and tomatoes into small pieces.
- Heat a pressure pan and once hot, add oil.
- Sprinkle jeera, bay leaf and cloves and saute for a few seconds to flavor the oil.
- Stir in onions and saute again with green chilies until the onions are slightly soft, about 1 minute.
- Add grated ginger and garlic and saute again for a few seconds
- Add chopped methi leaves, tomatoes and capsicum and fry for a few minutes on medium low heat; about 1 minute.
- Stir in drained rice and grated carrot along with 1 tbsp ghee (optional) and fry on medium heat, stirring often (to avoid burning of rice at the bottom) for a few minutes until each grain of rice is coated well with fat/ghee/oil!
- Add 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp garam masala/Kitchen King powder and mix well.
- Stir in 1 ¾ cups hot water, mix well and close the pressure pan.
- Cook on pressure on high until first whistle, reduce heat to low and then cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the pressure drop on its own.
- Fry all the spices and onions in hot oil on saute mode. Add the rest of the ingredients in the same way as mentioned above.
- Once the rice is well fried, cancel the saute mode, add hot water and close the instant pot.
- Pressure cook on seal for 5 minutes.
- Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes and then release manually.
- Open and fluff up the pulav with a fork. Serve hot with any curry, raita, kurma etc. along with a healthy salad on the side!
- Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Notes
Instead of water, you can use coconut milk for a lovely tropical flavor!
If vegan, use only oil and omit the ghee.
You can use any greens you love or have. I love using methi leaves or even moringa leaves to up the nutrition!
Whenever you make a biryani or pulav, rest it for a few minutes to allow rice to absorb rest of the moisture. This ensures each grain of rice is long, whole and separate!
Happy Cooking and Eating!
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Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!!
I agree with you Vanitha, Pulavs are a saviour. Can be made with available veggies at home, is filling, great to feed a crowd and one can always experiment with the vegetables that go with it. This looks absolutely delicious and a great way to use Methi during winters.
Thanks so much Vidya 🙂 One-pot dishes, especially pulavs with lots of veggies are an absolute savior on busy days 🙂