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Navratan Pulao | Veg Pulao Recipe

Navratan Pulao is a fragrant and colorful rice dish made with a medley of nine vegetables, dry fruits, and aromatic spices. Inspired by royal Mughlai cuisine, this vegetarian delicacy combines sweetness, spice, and crunch, offering a rich, festive flavor perfect for special occasions or celebratory meals.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Mughlai
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

For Fried Onions 

  • Ghee (घी) – ½ cup
  • Onion (प्याज) – 1 cup sliced

For Nuts 

  • Almonds – 8-10 nos
  • Dates, sliced – 3 nos
  • Walnuts – 5nos
  • Cashew nuts – handful
  • Raisins – handful

For Pulao 

  • Bay leaf (तेज पत्ता) – 1no
  • Cumin seeds (जीरा) – 1½ tsp
  • Cloves (लौंग) – 4-5 nos
  • Black pepper (काली मिर्च) – 5-7 nos
  • Cardamom (दालचीनी) – 7-8 nos
  • Black cardamom (काली ईलीची)- 1 no
  • Cinnamon (2” stick) (दालचीनी)- 1no
  • Ginger, chopped (अदरक) – 2 tsp
  • Garlic chopped (लहसुन) – 2 tsp
  • Green chillies, slit (हरी मिर्च) – 1 no
  • Carrots, diced (गाजर) – ½ cup
  • Beans, cubes (बीन्स) – ½ cup
  • Potato, diced (आलू) – ½ cup
  • Cauliflower, florets (फूलगोभी) – ½ cup
  • Salt (नमक) – to taste
  • Water (पानी) – 1½ cups 
  • Basmati Rice (चावल) – 1 cup
  • Green Peas (मटर) – ½ cup
  • Paneer cubes (पनीर) – ½ cup 
  • Saffron Milk (केसर दूध) – a dash

Instructions
 

  • Wash and soak rice for at least 30 mins and keep aside. For navratan pulao, add ghee into the pan and add finely sliced onions to fry them till light brown. Take the onions into a strainer and using a ladle press them so that the excess ghee could be collected into a bowl.
    Now, add the collected ghee into the pan and add almonds, cashews, walnuts and raisins and fry them on medium flame till it gets light brown in colour. Strain it using a strainer and collect the excess ghee.
    Add that ghee into the pan again and when it gets hot add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom, black cardamom and cinnamon.
  • Now, add chopped ginger, chopped garlic and half slit green chillies, then give it a quick stir. Add carrots, beans, potatoes and cauliflower, then add some salt and give it a stir and cook it for 3 - 4 minutes. Now add water and check the salt.
    Add a little extra salt, because the vegetables and rice will absorb the salt. When the water starts boiling, add the soaked rice and give it a quick stir, then add green peas and paneer. Now add the fried onions and dry fruits, then give it a stir.
  • When the water and the rice are at the same level, it is the indication that we have to simmer the gas and close the lid, before closing the lid you can add saffron milk into it.
    After closing the lid, cook it for 10 to 12 minutes and after switching off the stove leave the lid closed for 10 - 12 minutes so that the vegetables and rice will absorb the flavours. Lift and drop the pulao with a thin slice and then serve it and enjoy hot!
Keyword Navratan Pulao | Veg Pulao Recipe
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