Navrantan Pulao – Recipe for pulao is a tasty and scrumptious dish from Mughlai cuisine in North India recipe for pulao. Navratan Pulao is a nutritious, soothing, and aromatic dish that is rich in nuts, and veggies, and flavored with saffron, floral essence, and whole spices. The flavor of this regal Navratan Pulao recipe will definitely wow your mouth!
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About Navrantan Pulao – Recipe for pulao
A dish is known as Navratan, also known as NINE-JEWELS Pulao. Navratan Pulao origin in the Mughal emperors’ historic royal kitchen and Mughlai cuisine. When preparing meals for Mughal kings and emperors, Mughlai cuisine uses flavorful ingredients such as aromatic spices, almonds, dried fruits, ghee, and cream.
The Turk-Persian cuisine of Central Asia, where the earliest Mughal monarchs were originally from, has an impact on Mughlai food. They brought their delectable, upscale cuisine with them to North India. One of the numerous delicious and mouthwatering foods is called Pulao which also has Persian origins.
When I want to create something quick, simple, and enjoyable to eat, I make pulao or pilaf, which is comfort food at its finest. This rice and vegetable dish cooked in one pot features spices and herbs for a mild aromatic flavor. My mom has a specific recipe that I use every time I make veg pulao. The recipe is vegetarian and delicious on its own or when coupled with pickles, roasted papad, and raita, an Indian yogurt dish (a crisp thin Indian snack).
This dish is for you if you’re new to Indian cuisine, can’t stand spicy food that’s too hot, or just like Indian food for all of its wonderful variety and deliciousness. This recipe for pulao is not hot, yet it is fragrant and wonderful. A Navratan Pulao contains spices, but they are whole spices that add taste rather than heat, such as green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves.
This recipe doesn’t call for hot peppers or spicy chili. In reality, when nuts, raisins, and saffron milk are used, its flavor profile tends to be a little bit sweeter. And it should be just that way.
Is Navratan Pulao Healthy?
Navratan, as the name implies, is a sumptuous dish made up of nine jewel-like nuts, dried fruits, and vegetables. To it, you can add your preferred nuts and vegetables. I’ve included cauliflower, carrots, green beans, and green peas as veggies, as well as cashews, almonds, and walnuts for nuts, raisins for dry fruit, and paneer or tofu for protein.
Traditionally, all of the vegetables and nuts are deep-fried before being added to the rice. To maintain the pulao’s healthy reputation while reducing the calories to a minimum, I decided against deep-frying them. This pulao recipe is healthful and ideal for children to enjoy because it has a lot of vegetables, almonds, paneer, and aromatic rice.
Ingredient
- 1 cup – Basmati rice
- 200 gm – Paneer cubes/Tofu cubes if vegan
- 2 medium – Potato (diced)
- 2 medium – Onion (sliced)
- 1 medium – Carrot (diced)
- 7 – French beans (chopped)
- 1/2 cup – Frozen peas
- 1 cup – Cauliflower florets (small)
- 15 pieces – Cashew nuts
- 1 – Star anise
- 3 – Cloves
- 3 – Cardamon
- 1 tbsp – Cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp – Peanuts
- 3 – Green chilly (slit)
- 15 – Raisins
- 20 – Almonds
- 5 – Pistachios
- 2 – Bay leaf
- Oil for frying
- Water as required
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp – Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp – Milk or dairy free milk if vegan
- 3 – Kesar strands
Check out the Navrantan Pulao – Recipe for pulao Video:
How To Make Navrantan Pulao – Recipe for pulao Recipes Step By Step With Photo:
- Soak rice for 30 minutes and then drain out the water.
- Boil water in a pan and add salt to taste.
- Now add the soaked rice to boiling water.
- When rice is cooked 90% drain the water.
- Keep the cooked rice aside on a plate.
- Heat 5 tbsp oil in a frying pan.
- Add the sliced onions and fry on medium-high heat till golden brown.
- Take out and keep aside.
- Add the cashew, almond, pistachio, and peanuts. Fry till golden brown.
- After golden brown add the raisins and fry for another 1 minute.
- Take out and keep aside.
- Add Paneer or tofu if vegan and fry for 2 minutes on medium-high flame.
- Take out the Paneer or tofu after golden brown.
- In the same pan add the potatoes and carrots. Fry till little brown.
- Add a little salt to taste and mix.
- Cove and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid. Take it out and keep it aside.
- In the same pan add cauliflower, and green beans, and fry till crisp and golden.
- Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid and then add green peas. Fry for 1 minute.
- Take out all the fried veggies and keep them aside.
- Now take a pan and heat 3 tbsp oil on medium heat. You can also add ghee but if vegan optional.
- Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, star anise, and cumin seeds.
- Add green chilies and fry for 30 seconds.
- Now add the cooked rice
- Then add all the fried vegetables one by one.
- Add salt to taste.
- Now add the Paneer or tofu and mix well.
- Add all the fried dry fruits.
- Add lemon juice.
- Mix properly.
- Add plain or vegan milk mixed with saffron strands.
- Mix properly.
- Add the fried onions.
- Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid and serve it on a plate.
- Navratan pulao is ready to be served hot.
Navratan Pulao
Why this recipe is so popular?
Spices: This dish does not use any pulao or biryani masala; instead, it uses whole garam masala spices. As a result, the dish clearly has the flavor of the spices.
Rice: As opposed to being al dente, which is how it is often served in restaurants, I want the texture of the rice in pulao to be a little softer. You will enjoy this dish if you are anything like me. For advice on how to prepare the ideal rice for your pulao.
Important Suggestions To Keep In Mind
- To prepare Navratan pulao with the greatest texture and fluff, use premium long-grain basmati rice. The rice must be fluffy and distinct between each grain. I particularly enjoy the quality of the Indian Fortune long grain basmati rice that I used in this dish. Please don’t make this dish using sticky or short-grain rice.
- Take tofu cut into cubes if vegan and vegan milk mixed with saffron strands. If not vegan then go for plain paneer and milk.
- Always thoroughly clean and rinse the rice until the water is clear. Always let the rice soak before cooking. For the stovetop recipe, the soak period should be around 30 minutes, and for the instant pot recipe, it should be 15 minutes.
- Try not to exclude any of the ingredients from the recipe unless you are trying to make it nut-free or vegan by excluding dairy products because each one adds flavor and texture to the pulao.
- Potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, green peas, and green beans are the vegetables that are most frequently used in this pulao. Potatoes are optional, but feel free to include them.
- Vegetables shouldn’t be overcooked; mushy vegetables would detract from the appeal of Navratan Pulao.
I sautéed the vegetables rather than deep-fried them to keep the low-calorie profile. - Although this pulao only calls for a few whole spices, they are essential and necessary, so do not omit them. These ingredients give pulao the necessary flavors and bind the rice and vegetables together nicely.
Serving Suggestions
- Indian dish made with yogurt, raita: I suggest several versions like onion-tomato raita, boondi raita, or cucumber raita.
- Curry versus korma: Pick any vegetable curry or korma, whether it is less spicy or medium spicy.
- Alongside papad and pickle: Serve with pickles and roasted or fried papad if you don’t have time or the ingredients to create raita or korma (an Indian flatbread)
- Pure curd (yogurt) plain or vegan.
- A few thinly sliced onions, some lime, or lemon
- An easy Kadhi (a dish of thick chickpea flour gravy with vegetable fritters)
Storage Suggestions
Refrigerator – Navratan Pulao stays nicely for about a week in the refrigerator. Sprinkle some water on them while reheating in the microwave to prevent drying.
Navratan Pulao is a fantastic freezer-friendly dish for prepping meals. Make a large quantity of food and portion it out into freezer-safe containers. When you’re ready to dine, put the frozen pulao container in the fridge the night before so it may defrost and be heated in the microwave or on the stove.
Fluffy rice versus sticky rice
Now that you have the appropriate rice, take the following actions to make sure your pulao contains fluffy, distinct rice grains:
Preparing the rice by soaking it for 20 to 30 minutes is always recommended. When rice grains are cooked, soaking them improves their texture. Simply rinse the rice before adding it if you don’t have time to soak them. You will need to add extra water if you merely rinse the rice since presoaked rice requires less water to cook than rice that has not been soaked.
For Idea 1: Compared to conventional basmati rice, organic basmati rice requires more water to cook, as does parboiled basmati rice. For this reason, I advise using previously cooked rice when making pulao. By doing this, you’ll already be aware of how much water to add.
For Idea 2: Less water is often added while making pulao in a pressure cooker. The rice grains are cooked by the steam produced in the cooker. However, the size of the cooker will determine how much water needs to be added. For instance, more water needs to be added to larger cookers.
Creating Pulao in the Restaurant Style
By utilizing the following techniques, a vegetable pulao can be enhanced in flavor and made to resemble a dish from a restaurant:
As a garnish for the vegetable pulao, add a few fried onions (barista), which are crisp and golden. In addition to tasting wonderful, fried caramelized onions add a pleasant crunch to the pulao’s delicate texture.
Add some raisins, cashews, and other fried dry fruits and nuts.
While making pulao, you might even add some saffron strands. This will give the pulao a beautiful saffron aroma and flavor. You can even include rosewater or kewra water. (I have skipped here)
Different Methods of cooking Navratan Pulao
There are five ways to prepare pulao:
- Using a saucepan or pan (as shown in this recipe post)
- Using a pressure cooker
- On a stovetop electric
- within a microwave
- Any of the aforementioned techniques can be used to prepare pulao; just be sure to add the right quantity of water. For instance, you will need to add more water to an electric cooker and less water to a pressure cooker.
More Tasty Rice Recipes – 30 MINUTES BROCCOLI FRIED RICE, Instant Pot Mint Rice (Pudina Pulao), Instant Pot Lemon Rice, Bengali Bhuni / Bhoger Khichuri.
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Navrantan Pulao – Recipe for pulao
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Navratan Pulao is a tasty and scrumptious dish from Mughlai cuisine in North India recipe for pulao. Navratan Pulao is a nutritious, soothing, and aromatic dish that is rich in nuts, and veggies, and flavored with saffron, floral essence, and whole spices. The flavor of this regal Navratan Pulao recipe will definitely wow your mouth!
Ingredients
- 1 cup – Basmati rice
- 200 gm – Paneer cubes/ Tofu cut in cubes if vegan
- 2 medium – Potato (diced)
- 2 medium – Onion (sliced)
- 1 medium – Carrot (diced)
- 7 – French beans (chopped)
- 1/2 cup – Frozen peas
- 1 cup – Cauliflower florets (small)
- 15 pieces – Cashew nuts
- 1 – Star anise
- 3 – Cloves
- 3 – Cardamon
- 1 tbsp – Cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp – Peanuts
- 3 – Green chili (slit)
- 15 – Raisins
- 20 – Almonds/pistachios
- 2 – Bay leaf
- Olive or avocado or refined Oil for frying
- Water as required
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp – Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp – Plain/vegan milk
- 3 – Kesar strands
Instructions
- Soak rice for 30 minutes and then drain out the water.
- Boil water in a pan and add salt to taste.
- Now add the soaked rice to boiling water.
- When rice is cooked 90% drain the water.
- Keep the cooked rice aside on a plate.
- Heat 5 tbsp oil in a frying pan.
- Add the sliced onions and fry on medium-high heat till golden brown.
- Take out and keep aside.
- Add the cashew, almond, pistachio, and peanuts. Fry till golden brown.
- After golden brown add the raisins and fry for another 1 minute.
- Take out and keep aside.
- Add Paneer or tofu if vegan and fry for 2 minutes on medium-high flame.
- Take out the Paneer or tofu after golden brown.
- In the same pan add the potatoes and carrots. Fry till little brown.
- Add a little salt to taste and mix.
- Cove and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid. Take it out and keep it aside.
- In the same pan add cauliflower, and green beans, and fry till crisp and golden.
- Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid and then add green peas. Fry for 1 minute.
- Take out all the fried veggies and keep them aside.
- Now take a pan and heat 3 tbsp oil on medium heat. You can also add ghee but if vegan optional.
- Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, star anise, and cumin seeds.
- Add green chilies and fry for 30 seconds.
- Now add the cooked rice
- Then add all the fried vegetables one by one.
- Add salt to taste.
- Now add the Paneer or tofu and mix well.
- Add all the fried dry fruits.
- Add lemon juice.
- Mix properly.
- Add plain or vegan milk mixed with saffron strands.
- Mix properly.
- Add the fried onions.
- Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid and serve it on a plate.
- Navratan pulao is ready to be served hot.
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Notes
- To prepare Navratan pulao with the greatest texture and fluff, use premium long-grain basmati rice. The rice must be fluffy and distinct between each grain. I particularly enjoy the quality of the Indian Fortune long grain basmati rice that I used in this dish. Please don’t make this dish using sticky or short-grain rice.
- Take tofu cut into cubes if vegan and vegan milk mixed with saffron strands. If not vegan then go for plain paneer and milk.
- Always thoroughly clean and rinse the rice until the water is clear. Always let the rice soak before cooking. For the stovetop recipe, the soak period should be around 30 minutes, and for the instant pot recipe, it should be 15 minutes.
- Try not to exclude any of the ingredients from the recipe unless you are trying to make it nut-free or vegan by excluding dairy products because each one adds flavor and texture to the pulao.
- Potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, green peas, and green beans are the vegetables that are most frequently used in this pulao. Potatoes are optional, but feel free to include them.
- Vegetables shouldn’t be overcooked; mushy vegetables would detract from the appeal of Navratan Pulao.
I sautéed the vegetables rather than deep-fried them to keep the low-calorie profile. - Although this pulao only calls for a few whole spices, they are essential and necessary, so do not omit them. These ingredients give pulao the necessary flavors and bind the rice and vegetables together nicely.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stove-Top
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 people
- Calories: 380Kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: pulao, Navratan pulao taste, Navratan Pulao vs Kashmiri pulao, pilaf
Note: A rough estimate of nutrition is provided.
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