Bengali Style Veg Pulao

Bengali Style Veg Pulao is a flavorful combination of Gobindobhog rice, vegetables, dried nuts & fruits, and spices. Serve it on its own or with a Bengali curry. Here is how to make it (gluten-free, vegetarian).

Jump to:

• About Bengali Veg Pulao
• Ingredients
• How To Make Bengali Veg Pulao
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
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About Bengali Veg Pulao

Bengali Style Veg Pulao is an aromatic and flavorful rice dish made using Gobindobhog rice, loads of veggies, dries nuts, dried fruits, and spices.

The use of Gobindobhog rice lends it a slightly sweet taste and fragrance, which makes it unique from other veg pulao recipes.

It is prepared in almost every Bengali household for festival meals or other special occasions. Serve it with fish fry, kosha mutton, or fish kaliya for an unforgettable experience.

This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free and can be easily made vegan. You can also double or triple the recipe as per your requirements.

Here are some more rice and pulao recipes that you may like

• Brown Rice Pulao
• Hariyali Pulao
• Peas Pulao
• Basanti Pulao
• Veg Pulao
• Paneer Pulao
• Shahi Zarda Pulao
• Raw Mango Rice
• South Indian Lemon Rice
• Masala Rice

Ingredients

Rice – This traditional Bengali recipe uses Gobindobhog rice (fragrant short-grain rice), which makes it unique from other similar rice recipes.

If this rice is not available, then you can use other short-grain rice varieties, but for the traditional taste, I would recommend making it with Gobidobhog rice only.

Veggies – I like to keep it traditional and use veggies like cauliflower, carrots, green beans, potatoes, and green peas. You can add more veggies such as bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.

Dried Nuts & Fruits – The addition of dried nuts and fruits such as cashews and raisins make this Bengali veg pulao extra rich.

Whole Spices – You will need green cardamoms (hari elaichi), black cardamoms (badi elaichi), cinnamon sticks (dalchini), and cloves (laung).

Ghee – Make this pulao in ghee, to add to its rich taste.

You can use vegetable oil to make it vegan.

Others – Apart from the above-mentioned ingredients, you will also need cumin seeds, green chilies, freshly squeezed lime juice, salt, sugar, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).

Adjust the green chilies as per your taste.

How To Make Bengali Veg Pulao

Rinse 1 cup of Gobindobhog rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear and soak it in 3-4 cups of water for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the ghee is hot, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2-3 green chilies (slit into half) and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.

Add 5-6 cashew nuts (halved) and 10-12 raisins and fry until slightly browned.

Add

• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves

and fry for 3-4 seconds.

Now add

• ¼ cup cubed carrots
• ¼ cup frozen green peas
• ½ cup cauliflower florets
• ¼ cup peeled and cubed potatoes
• ¼ cup green beans (cut into 1-inch pieces)

and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Drain the water from the rice and add the soaked rice to the pan along with

• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 2 cups of water

Reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed until all the water is absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender (20-25 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.

Open the lid and fluff the rice gently using a fork and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

In Bengali homes, Bengali veg pulao is often served with fish fry, kosha mangsho, or fish kaliya.

This pulao is a versatile recipe and tastes great with dal, chole, paneer, or any curry that you like.

Storage Suggestions

Bengali veg pulao will easily last for 3-4 days when stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan or microwave until nice and hot, before serving.

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