Vegetable Navratan Pulao is an easy recipe to make on a busy day for lunch or dinner. You can make it in an Instant Pot or on a stove-top in under 30 minutes. It is made by adding rice, veggies, some nuts, and paneer. Navratan Pulao doesn't taste like navratan without paneer.
You can add as many vegetables as you want. And you can also add brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice in the recipe to make it healthier. I like adding some roasted cashews & raisins for an extra crunch.
For more recipes, here is a list of 93 Indian rice recipes that you can try by Swasthi's recipes.
You can serve pulao as a side dish with some curries like butter paneer, malai kofta, etc. It also goes great with some yogurt and Indian pickle or green chutney. This is such a flavorful rice option that you would want to make it again and again.
VEGETABLE NAVRATAN PULAO INGREDIENTS
- RICE: You can use any grain of your choice like brown rice, white rice, or quinoa, etc. You need rice to be rinsed & soaked.
- VEGETABLES: You can add any veggies of your choice. I have used onions, potatoes, carrots, peas, bell peppers, cauliflower, and french beans.
- SPICES: For this recipe, you'll only need whole spices. I have used bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamons, and cloves to make rice extra flavorful & aromatic.
- NUTS: Cashews, raisins, and grated pistachios go great for the recipe. I have used fried cashews and garnished the rice with pistachios on the top.
- PANEER: I have grilled the paneer for the recipe. You can also add fried paneer too, that will makes rice more delicious.
HOW TO MAKE VEGETABLE NAVRATAN PULAO
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RINSE THE RICE: The first step is to rinse the rice and soak it for 15-20 minutes. But if in hurry you can also skip the step. But I would recommend soaking rice.
- SAUTE THE NUTS: Add some oil or ghee and fry cashews until golden in color. Then add paneer and fry it until both sides are golden-brown in color. You can also air-fry paneer at 400F for 5-8 minutes until it is brown.
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SAUTE THE WHOLE SPICES: You can also add whole spices later but sauteing them makes the rice more aromatic & flavorful.
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ADD RICE: Next, add rinsed & soaked rice in the pressure cooker along with water. You can adjust the quantity as needed.
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ADD VEGGIES: Add veggies of your choice. More the veggies, the better your pulao will turn out to be. You can add many colorful vegetables to the recipe.
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PRESSURE COOK: Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes in the Instant Pot and let the pressure release naturally.
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ADJUST & SERVE: Once the pressure is released, fluff it with a spoon. Mix paneer and nuts with the rice. Adjust the seasoning (if needed). Serve with yogurt or Indian pickle or green chutney.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Navratan Pulao Healthy?
Navratan Pulao has lots of veggies as well as nuts. You can add any variety of veggies to it & it will taste amazing. All the vegetables & nuts are fried in ghee so the recipe is not that healthy. You can add olive oil to the recipe to reduce the fat content. You can also add quinoa or brown rice for a healthier pulao.
How to store Navratan Pulao?
Like any other Indian recipe, you can store Navratan Pulao in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. For longer storage, you can store it in the freezer. You can store the pulao in the freezer for 1-2 months & it will still remain good. When re-using, defrost pulao in the refrigerator overnight & heat in the microwave or in the pan until it is hot.
Vegetable Navratan Pulao
Equipment
Ingredients
Spices:
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 4 Green Cardamoms
Veggies:
- 1 cup Onion sliced
- ¾ cup Carrots chopped
- ¾ cup Peas
- 1 cup Cauliflower cut in bite size
- ¾ cups Green Beans
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE NAVRATAN PULAO IN INSTANT POT:
- Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove-top and add saffron to it. Let it rest for few minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon ghee in the Instant Pot and press saute. When the oil is hot then add all the nuts except raisins. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the nuts turn golden-brown in color. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and keep them aside.
- Add leftover ghee in the pot and add cumin seeds & whole spices. Once the cumin seeds start to splutter, then add all the vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes. You can also add paneer at this time.(Note: You can add raw paneer. Or you can also air fry or shallow fry the paneer cubes and add that to the recipe).
- Then add rinsed rice to the vegetables. Next add water, salt & sugar along with saffron milk and rose water. Lastly, add fried nuts along with raisins and close the lid.
- With vent in the sealing position, pressure cook for 5 minutes. Once the timer beeps, then let pressure release naturally.
- Once the vent goes down & it's safe, then open the lid. Fluff pulao using a fork and serve hot. You can also garnish with some cilantro and grated paneer or unsweetened coconut.
HOW TO MAKE NAVRATAN PULAO ON STOVE-TOP:
- Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove-top and add saffron in it. Let it rest for few minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon ghee in a wide pan like kadai or wok. When the oil is hot then add all the nuts except raisins. Roast them for 2-3 minutes until the nuts turn golden-brown in color. Transfer the nuts into a bowl and keep them aside.
- Add leftover ghee in the pot and add cumin seeds & whole spices. Once the cumin seeds start to splutter, then add all the vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes. You can also add paneer at this time.(Note: You can add raw paneer or you can also air fry or shallow fry the paneer cubes and add that in the recipe).
- Then add rinsed rice to the vegetables. Next add water, salt & sugar along with saffron milk and rose water. Lastly, add fried nuts along with raisins and cover the pan with a lid or plate.
- Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and keep cooking for 10-15 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Fluff the pulao with a fork and serve hot. You can also garnish with some cilantro and grated paneer or unsweetened coconut.
Notes
- You can add any vegetables of your choice like onions, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, french beans, cauliflower, etc.
- You can also add any nuts for extra crunch like cashews, raisins, almonds, etc.
- You can add raw paneer as it is. Or you can also add either air-fried/ roasted or shallow fried paneer pieces.
- For more flavorful Navratan Pulao you can add saffron milk & rose water in the recipe.
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