Easy Tawa Pulao
Tawa pulao is a very famous street food in North India, especially in Mumbai. This is a rice based one pot meal which is made easily in a jiffy, ideally suited for lunch boxes and last minute dinner/lunch preparations.
Mumbai is famous for its street food which is both delicious and pocket friendly. And one common dish is Pav Bhaji, butter toasted soft buns with a spicy vegetable gravy. At the end of the day, the leftover vegetable gravy is converted into Tawa Pulao and sold. In this recipe I’ve shared a much easier version of the Pulao with crunchy mixed vegetables and Pav bhaji masala powder (instead of having to make the vegetable gravy) that can be made in just half an hour.
Ingredients
Basmati rice – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Whole cardamom – 2
Cloves – 2
Cinnamon – 2 cm piece
Bay leaf – 1
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Pav bhaji masala – 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp (or to taste)
Ginger – 1 inch piece (minced)
Garlic – 1 medium size pod (minced)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 2 (slit)
Onion – 1 medium size (julienned)
Green capsicum – 1 medium size (diced large)
Carrot – 1 (cubed)
Green beans – 15 to 20 (diced)
Frozen green peas – a handful
Tomato – 1 medium size (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp (finely chopped)
Yield
Serves 3-4
Prep time
20 minutes
(to boil rice and cut vegetables)
Cook time
20 minutes
Method
1) Soak the basmati rice in water for 10 minutes.
2) Boil rice with half a spoon of oil, a pinch of salt, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon until three fourths done. Don’t cook the rice fully.
3) Drain the rice in a colander and discard the whole spices. Wash the rice under running cold water to stop the process of cooking immediately.
4) In a wide pan/kadai heat the oil and butter together. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf and let the cumin seeds splutter.
5) Now add split green chillies, ginger and garlic together. Saute for 2 minutes until the raw smell of the garlic goes away.
6) Add onions and saute until translucent. Now add turmeric powder and mix. Then add the green peas, chopped carrot and beans. Add half a teaspoon of salt at this stage, mix and cover the pan. Let the vegetables cook slightly, this should take around 4 to 5 minutes on medium to high heat.
7) Now add red chilly powder saute for 30 seconds and add the finely chopped tomatoes. Again, cover the pan for 2 to 3 minutes until the tomatoes cook.
8) Open the pan, add pav bhaji masala powder and capsicum. Mix properly. Now simmer the heat and add the nearly cooked rice and half a teaspoon of salt. Mix very gently so as not to break the rice. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes on minimum heat.
9) The rice should be cooked completely by now. Switch off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
Notes
- The amount of butter and oil can be increased or decreased according to personal preferences but I strongly suggest to add some amount of butter to enhance the flavour. If you are using salted butter then adjust the amount of salt later in the recipe.
- Store bought ginger and garlic pastes can be substituted for minced ginger and garlic. In that case, a teaspoon of ginger paste and quarter teaspoon of garlic paste would be enough for this recipe.
- Finely chopped onions, with a bit of salt and finely chopped coriander leaves, mixed with yoghurt (onion raitha) can be the best accompaniment for Tawa Pulao. Also, Indian Pappad can be served with this to add a crunchy texture to your meal.
Beginner’s tips
- Soaking the rice for 10 to 15 minutes in water will speed up the process of cooking and also help the rice become fluffy and well cooked. Also, adding a small quantity of oil in the boiling water while cooking rice helps it to not stick together. Adding whole spices to the boiling water enhances the flavour of the rice and makes it more fragrant. This way it is easy to discard the spices before actually making the pulao but retaining the flavours to the rice.
- Cook your veggies until crunchy (al dente) on medium heat to retain their natural colour and texture. In general, vegetables are also healthier the lesser you cook them!
6 Comments
MotherOfNOMS
Hi,
Good to know you tried and liked this recipe 🙂 You can try brown basmati rice instead of normal basmati rice for a healthier option.
Enthu cutlet
Made this and it tasted great and was very healthy! I made it with brown rice so it turned out a bit squishy compared to the picture. Next time I’ll use basmati 🙂
MotherOfNOMS
Thank you Mythreyi for your feedback. Glad to know you liked it!!
Mythreyi
I tried Tawa Pulao. Followed your recipe to the t . It turned out amazing. Many a times we all have enjoyed your delicacies and now that we got to know the secret We will keep trying many more. Thanks Sudha for sharing these treasures
MotherOfNOMS
Thanks Shyamala 🙂 More interesting and simple recipes on the way!!
Do let me know after you try this.
Shyamala Venkatesh
Fantastic Sudha! Just love your selection of recipes, and many a times, we have feasted on all your delicacies! I’m def going to try this Tawa Pullav for dinner tonight! Looking forward to many more, besto!!! hugs, Shyamala