Matar Pulao (Peas Pulao)
May 07, 2019
Basmati rice cooked with green peas and whole spices like cardamom, cloves & cumin seeds! This Matar Pulao makes a great side dish and goes well with any dal or curry or yogurt. Vegan and gluten-free.
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Basmati Rice cooked with green peas and whole spices, this Matar Pulao pairs well with any curry, yogurt or dal.
It’s also vegan and gluten-free.
Indians love their rice, irrespective of which part of the country they belong to. If you are from India, chances are that you cannot do without eating rice at least once a week.
I am a slightly different Indian in this context. I come from a family where rice was made every day for every meal (along with roti) but even then I couldn’t bring myself to love rice.
I do like it but I don’t love it and I can very well do without eating rice for months and years. I remember as a child, I used to find eating rice a very tedious process.
Mom would make me eat rice with dals and curries and I would always struggle to finish it. On the other hand I loved rotis and parathas and would finish them up quickly.
Of course things are a little different now. I do enjoy rice now (still not as much as roti) especially when it’s flavored and has veggies added to it like this Matar Pulao.
Peas pulao or matar pulao is a popular dish which was made especially during winter months in northern parts of India.
We would also call it matar wale chawal (matar=green peas). We used to get fresh green peas only during winters and this pulao and matar paratha were two of my favorite things around that time.
For matar pulao, basmati rice is cooked with fresh green peas and few whole spices.
Since here I do not find fresh peas very often, I make matar pulao with frozen peas. Of course it doesn’t taste as good as the one with fresh peas but it’s good enough!
This Matar Pulao
✓ is vegan and gluten-free
✓ pairs well with yogurt or any dal or curry
✓ one pot dish
✓ gets done in 30 minutes or less
✓ filled with aroma of cumin, cloves and cardamom
Like I said before, I have used frozen peas here but if you can get your hands on fresh green peas, then do use them for the recipe.
The pulao tastes great as such, I ate the entire bowl without any side dish or curry. I think it tastes best with raita like this mango mint raita or spinach raita.
Matar Pulao in Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot
For this recipe, I have used my stove top pan but you can very well make it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
To make in an Instant Pot, don’t soak the rice and then follow the rest of the steps as it is.
Press the rice button which will automatically cook it for 12 minutes on low pressure. Let the pressure release naturally. Fluff with a fork.
For stove-top pressure cooker, soak the rice for 30 minutes and then drain. Cook on high heat for 2 whistles, then lower the heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Method
1-Wash basmati rice until water turns clear, then soak it in enough water for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes are over, drain the water and set aside the rice.
2- Heat a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and then add the bay leaf, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom and cloves.
Saute until the spices are fragrant, around 30 seconds.
3- Then add the sliced onion and green chili and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions turn light golden brown in color. You can add a pinch of salt here so that onions cook faster.
4- Add the frozen green peas (I soaked frozen peas in warm water for 10 minutes before using in the recipe) along with chopped cilantro. Cook for 1 minute.
5- Add 1.5 cups water, salt and let it all come to a boil.
6- Once the water starts boiling, add the rinsed and drained rice to the pan. Stir.
7- Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. After 10 minutes check the rice, if it isn’t done cook for additional 5 minutes. Mine was done in 10 minutes.
8- Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Garnish matar pulao with some more cilantro! Serve hot with any curry or raita.
If you’ve tried this Matar Pulao Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2014.
Matar Pulao
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice 200 grams, soaked for 30 minutes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 1.5 cups green peas I used frozen green peas, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes before using in the recipe
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1.5 cups water 12 oz
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Wash basmati rice until water turns clear, then soak it in enough water for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes are over, drain the water and set aside the rice.
- Heat a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and then add the bay leaf, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom and cloves.Saute until the spices are fragrant, around 30 seconds.
- Then add the sliced onion and green chili and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions turn light golden brown in color. You can add a pinch of salt here so that onions cook faster.
- Add the frozen green peas (I soaked frozen peas in warm water for 10 minutes before using in the recipe) along with chopped cilantro. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add 1.5 cups water, salt and let it all come to a boil.
- Once the water starts boiling, add the rinsed and drained rice to the pan. Stir.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. After 10 minutes check the rice, if it isn’t done cook for additional 5 minutes. Mine was done in 10 minutes.
- Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Garnish matar pulao with some more cilantro! Serve hot with any curry or raita.
Instant Pot Instructions
- To make matar pulao in an Instant Pot, don’t soak the rice. Press the saute button and once it displays hot, then add the oil and whole spices and saute until spices are fragrant. Add onion and green chili and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until onion is light golden brown. Then add the green peas and cilantro and stir. Add the water and deglaze the pot, make sure there's nothing stuck at the bottom. Add the rice salt and stir and close the lid. Press the rice button which will automatically cook it for 12 minutes on low pressure. Let the pressure release naturally. Fluff rice with a fork.
Notes
- You can use butter or ghee in place of oil in the pulao.
- Use fresh green peas for best result and taste. I have used frozen peas in this recipe because I wasn't able to find fresh ones in the market.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Manali
Great recipe that the whole family loves.
Can you please post your sambar recipe as well.
it’s already there: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/sambar/
This was delicious and a really nice accompaniment to an achari chicken I made at the same time. I also made your mango/mint raita to go with it, and even though I couldn’t actually get mint that was super too. The rice was cooked perfectly. This will be my go-to when I want something a bit more interesting than plain basmati, thank you.
I was looking for a quick hearty meal for my family and this recipe did it for me. Loved how rice came out to be moist and flavorful, thank you!
yeah it makes such a quick and hearty meal! glad you enjoyed it!
I’m both Greek and Armenian, among other things, and I love my rice, too! I grew up on my Armenian grandmother’s rice pilaf — it was always that instead of mashed potatoes on the holidays! This rice looks so amazing — the cardamom and peas sound so delicious. 🙂 Pinned.
Thanks Marcie! Yeah for us rice is everywhere everyday!
Latinos love rice too, and like you, I’m not big fan of it! I mean… I like it but not everyday. This recipe looks super good. I’ll try it next time. Pinned!
Thanks Oriana!
This is my fave way to eat rice when I go out to eat Indian, how I have the recipe for home too, YAY!
Yay! Hope you give it a try! 🙂
I love peas pulao… This looks absolutely delicious Manali… 🙂
Thanks Arpita!
Your rice is probably similar to our potato, since that was what we always had growing up. Rice would be exotic and weird in those days…:) and I like potatoes but I’d rather eat rice… 🙂 and this dish looks pretty good to me!
yeah maybe but the funny thing is we eat a lot of potatoes too! All the time! lol.. Thanks for visiting my blog Simone 🙂
mmmm i love peas. so sweet:)
Me too 🙂 Thanks for visiting Caralyn!
I miss peas! My husband is allergic to just the smell of peas, so I can never cook them 🙁
awww that’s sad 🙁 come over, I will make it for you Dannii!! 🙂
Love these photos, so bright and christmasy! And love the rice too! 🙂 I gotta make this rice, and curry and naan all together one day!!!
Thanks Trang!
Yum! I love peas pulao, always great to eat with any curry and so much better than plain rice 🙂
True Medha! I love it too 🙂
I love basmati rice and I love peas! This looks perfect. I wasn’t even aware that there are different cardamoms – like black and green. I just have regular ol’ cardamom. Regardless, it’s one of my favorite spices ever. This dish looks fabulous! Gorgeous pics as always too!
The black cardamom is bigger than the green one Sarah…it also has a stronger aroma..it is used in a lot of Indian recipes. Glad you like the recipe! 🙂
This rice looks perfectly cooked Manali! So easy to make! Will try it soon!
Thanks Mira…hope you give it a try!
simple dish that i bet packs a really nice flavour!
You bet..it’s very flavorful!
This rice looks delicious, Manali! My husband is a big rice fan so I can’t wait to try making this! The flavors sound amazing and I love the peas in here!
Thanks Kelly! Hope you give it a try.
This looks really yummy, and I’m with you on the rice, although I never had to eat it much growing up! I like it well enough, but once or twice a month is just fine with me!
Thank you Stacey! Yeah I can do without rice for months or maybe years!
Yum, I love pulao!
That’s so funny you don’t like rice.. I on the other hand don’t really like chapatis, and so if I have a choice I usually go for the rice!!
haha that’s the same with my family Karishma..everyone loves rice…I am the odd one out!
You are making me hungry! Good thing it’s almost lunch time. I need this rice in my belly, ASAP!
haha enjoy your lunch! Thanks Jen !
This rice looks delicious, Malani! I love the peas and cumin in here. Sounds delicious! Pinned!
Thanks for the pin Gayle, I love this pulao!