Vegetable Pulao for Babies and Kids (Easy Pressure Cooker Method)

Looking for an easy-peasy vegetable pulao recipe?

Have you tried making veg pulao in rice cooker?

Breaking head to sneak some veggies in your kid's diet?

Indian vegetable pulao recipe is one wholesome dish made in most Indian homes. This dish is so delicious that it finds a place in the food menu for parties and celebrations and can served along with a side dish as simple as a yogurt raita.

This one-pot meal for your kiddo is full of vegetables. It is so yummy and colourful that your kid won't resist a plate of this mouthwatering food.

There are different kinds of pulav, the basic one is made with mixed vegetables, and many have different style of preparing vegetables pulaos. It can also be made using paneer, eggs or even chicken.

This vegetable pulao or pulav recipe that I am going to share is easy to make and can be served alone without any side dishes.

Wholesome vegetable pulao - Why it is my favorite?

Made with cooked aromatic long rice grains with vegetables and spices this dish is healthy with all the right vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.

With vegetables as a main ingredient, this healthy and nutritious meal is also high in protein, iron, fibre and many more essential minerals and vitamins.

Vegetables like carrots, capsicum and French beans that are added in Pulao are very healthy and nutritious to eat.

Carrots are a great way to infuse good nutrition and flavor in your kids diet as carrots help in improving the eyesight. It helps to prevent night blindness and is also good for skin and hair.

French beans are rich in many vital nutrients and support proper growth and metabolism of the body. French beans are filled with healthy dietary fibers that help reduce cholesterol. It is also helpful in energising the body, as they are rich in iron. Being a rich source of Vitamin C, French beans also helps strengthening immune system of the body.

Green peas contain vitamin B1, copper, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, dietary fiber, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of vitamin B6, B2, zinc, protein, choline magnesium, iron and potassium.

You can add vegetables of your choice to customize it according to your kid's taste buds and this makes it an all-time favorite for us mommies too.

Pulao goes well with any chicken, mutton or vegetable side dish or it can be simply enjoyed with raita, pickle and pappad. This makes pulao even more welcome in any menu.

This is a quick and easy one pot meal and an apt way to keep the little tummies full. Vegetable pulao is perfect for your kid's lunch box too. You can always chop or mince the vegetables a day before in the evening and refrigerate it to quickly make the dish quickly in the morning.

For all these reasons vegetable pulao tops my must try recipe list.

How to make vegetable pulao?

There are two ways to prepare pulao. One is on stovetop and the other is pressure cooker method. Some prepare the rice separately and mix it with cooked vegetables while I prefer the one pot method.

Vegetable Pulao- Quick pressure cook method

Today I am going to share the one pot pressure cook method that makes pulao in a jiffy.

Clean and wash the basmati rice in running water and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile cut the vegetables and keep it aside.

Place the cooker in a medium heat and add in oil or ghee. When the oil is hot enough add in jeera/cumin. Let it crackle. Now add bay leaf, two to three black pepper corns, cardamom/elaichi and cinnamon stick to this.

Next add in ginger garlic paste and sauté it for a minute till the raw smell goes off.

Add chopped onion and sauté till it becomes soft.

Add in carrots and sauté it.

Now put the chopped beans followed by frozen green peas.

Add the chili powder or garam masala or pulao masala for spicy taste. This step is optional. You can avoid adding masalas if your child doesn't like spicy food or is below one year.

Now add four cups of water and let it boil. Add the soaked rice and enough salt to this.

Close the lid and wait for two whistles. After two whistle switch off the flame. Allow the cooker to cool and let all the pressure go. Open the cooker.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with raita or salad and pappad.

Things to note while cooking vegetable pulao for babies below one year

• Vegetable Pulao is suitable for babies from 9 months
• Smash the vegetables and then feed the babies below one year if they can't chew vegetable pieces
• Powder the cumin seeds and then add
• Avoid salt till they turn one.
• Avoid pepper cones.
• Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick before feeding them
• Can avoid garnishing with coriander leaves

You can also refer to the 34 Essential Spices for Babies (Age Wise FREE Printable).

• If your kiddo is found of spicy food adding pulao masala or garam masala gives a good taste to the dish.
• Garnishing with coriander leaves gives an additional taste to the Pulao.
• For picky or fussy eaters you can also chop the veggies into very small fine pieces and then add in the rice.

• You can add any veggies like corn, cabbage, potato, cauliflower, etc.
• The amount of each vegetable you add can be changed according to your taste and liking
• To make it more colorful and attractive to kids you can use different colors of bell peppers like yellow, orange and red.
• I used frozen green peas if using the raw one boil the peas first and then add in the pulao.
• Instead of basmati other types of rice can also be used.
• Rice can be cooked separately and then you can prepare Pulao by adding the cooked vegetables and spices to cooked rice and mixing together.
• For mushy texture pulao cook till three to four whistles
• Carrot and beans can be chopped in different shapes, but I prefer it cutting lengthwise which helps to cook the veggies easily.

So this is the easy one pot vegetable pulao. Do try this easy pulao recipe and let us know how your kids liked it.

What's your version of cooking pulao? What all vegetables do you add in pulao? Do share in comments below.

Vegetable pulao for babies above one year Read: Note: