A vegetable pilau is one of those recipes that rewards flexibility. The spice blend stays constant – cassia bark, cumin, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper – but the vegetables change with whatever is available at the market or sitting in the vegetable drawer at Casa Adora. Potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and green beans are a reliable combination. So is whatever needs using up.

Vegetable pilau recipe with whatever's in season — The Flexible Chef

This is a different dish to the 1960s Taj Mahal vegetable pilau — that one is a specific recreation with its own story. For the version with the best backstory on TFC, see Mrs Uganda's Vegetable Pilau — the best rice dish I ever ate in Lancashire. This vegetable pilau recipe is the everyday version: straightforward, fragrant, and cooked on the hob in one pan.

The Vegetable Pilau Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 125g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes
• Vegetables of your choice, diced — potato, cauliflower, carrot and green beans work well
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• A knob of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 3 cloves
• Small piece cassia bark
• 2 bay leaves
• A generous pinch of turmeric
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil plus a knob of butter
• A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
• A handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cassia bark, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cloves and both cardamom pods. Stir-fry for a minute or two until the spices release their aromas.
2. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the salt, ginger, garlic, turmeric and chilli and cook for two minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and stir to coat with the spiced oil. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the soaked and drained rice and stir gently to combine.
5. Pour in 250ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat. Remove the lid and place a tea towel over the pan to absorb any excess moisture. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with fresh mint and coriander before serving.

Footnote This vegetable pilau recipe is part of my Curry Recipes collection — the complete guide to curries, spice blends, bases, chutneys and sides from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Curry Recipes hub.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef