Gobi Pulao Recipe (Cauliflower Pulao) Step by Step

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Make this 20 minutes easy Gobi Pulao or Cauliflower Pulao recipe, a rich combination of basmati rice, ghee and fried gobi. It is best served with raita of your choice. Here is how to make it.

Try a few more pulao recipes that can be prepared for your everyday meals – Hariyali Pulao, Peas Pulao, Shrimp Pulao, Chicken Pulao, Veg Pulao, Paneer Pulao and Kashmiri Pulao.

About This Recipe

Gobi Pulao is an easy and quick Indian rice preparation where rice is cooked with ghee, cumin seeds, cloves and later mixed with crispy fried cauliflower florets.

To make a healthier variation of this pulao, you can air fry it with a spray of oil or even roast it in oven until browned instead of frying.

This 20 minutes pulao is best served with a raita on the side for weeknight meals or to pack in lunch box. You can also serve it with a curry or dal of your choice.

Ingredients

Rice – Use basmati rice for his pulao, as it gives aromatic, fluffy and separate rice when cooked.

You can even try this pulao with brown rice, quinoa or couscous in place of white rice.

Cauliflower – Cauliflower florets are fried to add in pulao, you can even air fry or roast in oven.

Ghee – Pulao tastes better when prepared in ghee. It gives it a rich flavour and aroma. To make it vegan, you can use vegetable oil instead of ghee.

Others – This pulao is lightly spiced with cumin seeds and cloves. Add salt to taste.

Frequently asked Questions:

How to make Gobi Pulao in a pressure cooker?

To make it in a pressure cooker, fry the gobi in oil until browned in a pressure cooker. Drain it on a plate.
Now follow the steps below to cook the rice. After adding all the ingredients in the pressure cooker, close the lid and pressure cook the rice for 2 whistles on high heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid of the cooker and add the fried gobi and mix with rice. Serve hot.

Variations

You can add peas and potato cubes along with gobi in this pulao and make matar aloo gobi pulao.
Adding some dry masalas like coriander powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder can be a variation. We call it Tahri.
You can add a green masala made using coriander, mint etc to this pulao and make a green Gobi Pulao.
Try adding spice mixes like goda masala, sambar powder and bisi bele bath masala powder for a change in taste. You can even add some biryani masala or pav bhaji masala to this pulao.
Add sautéed chicken keema to make a non-veg version of this rice.
You can also add chopped fruits and nuts like almond and cashew nuts to this pulao just like Kashmiri Pulao.
Make it even more special by sprinkling some kesar soaked in milk just after cooking the rice.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish Gobi Ka Pulao with some fresh mint leaves and fried onions and serve it with any Raita of your choice such as Boondi Raita, Tomato Onion Raita, Carrot Raita, Mix Fruit Raita, Palak Raita or Pomegranate Raita.

You can also serve this flavourful pulao as a side dish with your festive meals or with a dal or curry of your choice.

Storing Suggestions

Serve this Pulao fresh, as the fried gobi tends to become soft when kept for longer. Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot. Sprinkle a little water while reheating to add moisture in the pulao.

Step by Step Recipe

Wash the rice and soak in enough water for 20 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan.

Once the oil is hot, add gobi and fry until golden brown.

Heat ghee in a pan.

When the ghee is hot, add cloves and cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.

Drain the rice and add it in the pan along with 2 cups of water and salt and cover and cook on low heat until done.

Add fried cauliflower and mix gently.