Tawa Pulao (No Onion No Garlic)
Tawa Pulao, a popular street food from Mumbai in India, is spicy, buttery, and full of veggies. It is full of flavors, vibrant, comforting, and deliciously satisfying!
Ingredients
For Cooking The Rice
- 1 cup (200g) basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Salt to taste
- 4-5 cups water for cooking rice
For Tawa Pulao
- 2 tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1- inch ginger peeled and grated
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 5-6 green beans finely chopped
- 1 small carrot peeled and finely chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped cabbage
- 1 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 large tomatoes finely chopped
- ¼ cup boiled green peas (fresh or frozen)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or add to taste
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon pav bhaji masala or add to taste
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste
Instructions
Cooking The Rice
- Wash rice thoroughly until water runs clear. Then soak the rice in enough cold water for 20-30 minutes. Then drain the rice and keep it aside.
- Boil 4-5 cups of water in a big pot. Add drained rice, salt, and oil to boiling water. Do not cover the pot with the lid; let the rice cook for about 10-12 minutes or until well cooked.
- Keep an eye on the rice while cooking; we should not overcook the rice. If overcooked, then rice will be mushy and sticky. So make sure to boil rice just enough so each grain stays separate.
- Once the rice is cooked, pour it on the strainer and remove all the water from the rice. Then, spread the rice on the big plate and let it cool completely.
Making The Tawa Pulao
- Cook green peas in salted boiling water, drain, and set aside.
- Heat butter or oil in a large non-stick pan or wok (or tawa if you have one) and add cumin seeds. You can also use half butter and half oil.
- After the cumin seeds start sizzling, add grated ginger.
- Saute for a few seconds, and then add chopped celery, green beans, and carrots. Cook them for about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Then add chopped cabbage and green pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add chopped tomatoes and salt, and mix well. Cook tomatoes until they are soft and mushy.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and pav bhaji masala and mix well. If the vegetable mixture looks dry, add a tablespoon of water.
- Then with a potato masher, mash the tomato mixture lightly. The mixture will become mushy and pulpy.
- Add boiled green peas, chopped coriander leaves, and Kasoori methi, and mix well.
- Turn the heat on low, add cooked rice, and mix very gently so the rice grains do not break.
- Once everything is well combined, taste and adjust the salt as needed. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish the tawa pulao with more coriander leaves, squeeze the lemon juice, and serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Tawa Pulao is very flavorful so it can be served with only plain yogurt.
- Or serve it with your choice of yogurt Raita, like Boondi Raita (Quick and Easy) or Cucumber Raita (Easy and Healthy).
- For a complete treat, serve Tawa Pulao as a side with Pav Bhaji.
Notes
- Rice: The look and taste of the Tawa Pulao greatly depend on the type of rice. So use good quality basmati rice that gives perfectly long grains.
- Do Not Overcook The Rice: It is essential for the Tawa Pulao that cooked rice grains stay separate and not become mushy. And for that, make sure not to overcook the rice. Cook the rice in a big pot with enough water. Also, do not leave them unattended while cooking; even cooking for a couple more minutes may make the rice overcooked. Also, immediately after straining the rice, spread them on a big plate to stop them from further cooking.
- Vegetables: Add vegetables of your choice; add more vegetables than mentioned in the recipe, or add fewer vegetables.
- Paneer: If you want your pulao to be more satisfying, filling and protein-packed, add some paneer cubes.
- Make It Vegan: Use oil instead of butter or non-dairy butter to make this pulao.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 274kcalCarbohydrates : 47gProtein : 5gFat : 7gSaturated Fat : 4gPolyunsaturated Fat : 1gMonounsaturated Fat : 2gTrans Fat : 0.2gCholesterol : 15mgSodium : 65mgPotassium : 298mgFiber : 3gSugar : 3gVitamin A : 3193IUVitamin C : 37mgCalcium : 40mgIron : 1mg
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