Peas Pulao with Whole Spices (Matar Pulao)
Fragrant basmati rice simmered with sweet green peas, golden onions and whole spices bloomed in ghee. Every grain stays separate and perfumed with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, making it a perfect partner for raita, dal or any curry.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Makes
- About 5 cups cooked pulao (4 side-dish or 3 main-dish servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan for 30 minutes of rice soaking before you start cooking; use this time to slice the onion and prep the aromatics.
- Measure the water exactly (2 cups / 480 ml). The ratio is calibrated for soaked and well-drained basmati.
- Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid. If your lid is loose, lay a clean kitchen towel or foil under it to trap the steam.
- If using frozen peas, do not thaw them. Add them straight from the freezer so they stay bright and firm.
Rinse and soak rice
- Place the basmati in a medium bowl and cover with cold water.
- Swirl with your fingers, then drain.
- Repeat 4 to 5 times until the water runs almost clear.
- Cover with fresh cold water and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve for at least 5 minutes before cooking.
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Ready when: Grains look opaque white and the rinse water is nearly clear
Tip: Drain well. Excess water clinging to the rice will make the pulao sticky.
Prep the aromatics
- While the rice soaks, thinly slice the onion into half-moons, grate the ginger, mince the garlic, slit the chilies lengthwise, and lightly crush the cardamom pods.
- Measure out the whole spices into a small dish so they are ready to go in the pot together.
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Ready when: Onion slices are an even ¼-inch (6 mm) thick so they brown at the same rate
Tip: Slice the onion evenly. Uneven slices burn in places while others stay pale.
Bloom whole spices
- Set a 3-quart (2.8 L) heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and melt the ghee.
- When it shimmers, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, peppercorns and cumin seeds.
- Stir constantly for 45 to 60 seconds.
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Ready when: Cumin sizzles and darkens slightly, cloves puff up, and the kitchen smells strongly fragrant
Tip: If the spices darken to near black or smell acrid, they have burned. Start over, as burnt spices make the whole pot bitter.
Brown the onions
- Add the sliced onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low if the edges darken too quickly.
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Ready when: Onions are soft, translucent and golden brown at the edges, with a sweet aroma
Tip: Salt draws out moisture and helps the onions soften without scorching.
Add ginger, garlic, chilies
- Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chilies.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook off their raw smell.
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Ready when: Raw garlic smell disappears and the mixture smells sweet and savory; garlic is pale golden, not brown
Tip: Add a splash of water (1 tablespoon) if the paste begins to stick to the pot.
Toast rice with peas
- Add the drained rice and the peas to the pot.
- Gently stir and fold for about 2 minutes so every grain is coated in ghee.
- Fold gently so the long grains do not snap.
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Ready when: Grains look glossy and slightly translucent at the edges, and smell lightly nutty
Tip: Use a flat spatula and fold rather than stir vigorously to prevent broken grains.
Add water and boil
- Pour in the 2 cups (480 ml) water and add the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Stir once to distribute the salt and level the rice.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Taste the liquid: it should taste pleasantly salty, like light soup.
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Ready when: Liquid is at a steady rolling boil and the rice is just submerged
Tip: Adjust salt now. You cannot fix seasoning after the rice has cooked.
Cover and simmer
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover tightly with the lid.
- Cook undisturbed for 12 minutes.
- Do not lift the lid or stir, because escaping steam leads to uneven, undercooked rice.
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Ready when: Steam holes appear on the surface, all visible water is absorbed, and the rice is nearly tender when a grain is pressed
Tip: If your stove runs hot, use a heat diffuser or the smallest burner to prevent scorching on the bottom.
Rest off the heat
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- The residual steam finishes cooking the grains and lets them firm up.
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Ready when: Rice is tender with no hard center and no wet puddle at the bottom
Tip: Resist peeking. Opening the lid early lets steam escape and leaves the top layer underdone.
Fluff and serve
- Remove the lid.
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the top, if using, and fluff gently with a fork, lifting from the bottom to the top.
- Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick if you like (the other whole spices are meant to be eaten around).
- Scatter with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
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Ready when: Grains are long, separate and fluffy, and the peas are bright green and tender
Tip: Warn guests that whole cloves, cardamom pods and peppercorns are not meant to be bitten into.
Good to know
Tips
- Use aged basmati. It cooks into longer, drier, more separate grains than fresh-crop or generic long-grain rice.
- Do not stir after covering. Stirring releases starch and makes pulao gummy.
- For deeper flavor, brown the onions a shade darker (deep golden), taking care they don't burn.
- Serve with cooling cucumber raita, dal, or a spiced curry to complete the meal.
Make ahead
You can rinse and soak the rice up to 1 hour ahead (keep it submerged and drain before using). The onion, ginger, garlic and chilies can be prepped and refrigerated in a covered container up to 1 day ahead. The cooked pulao keeps well and reheats nicely.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours after cooking. Refrigerator: cool quickly and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. To reheat, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons water over each portion, cover, and microwave 1 to 2 minutes until steaming hot, or warm in a covered pan over low heat for 5 minutes. Reheat only once, until piping hot throughout.
Substitutions
- ghee → Unsalted butter plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil, or all neutral oil. Ghee gives the nuttiest flavor; butter plus a little oil prevents burning. Use the same total amount.
- green peas → Mixed diced vegetables (carrot, green beans) or cubed paneer. Keep the total at about 1 cup (150 g). Cut pieces small so they cook in the same 12 minutes.
- aged basmati rice → Other long-grain aged rice such as Texmati. Cooks similarly but may be a bit less aromatic. Keep the soaking and water amounts the same.
- water → Light vegetable stock. Adds extra savory depth. Reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon and taste before covering.