Aloo Matar Pualo

Aloo Matar Pulao Indian potato peas rice recipe

Aloo Matar Pulao made in the Instant Pot is a healthy one pot meal that's gluten free, kids friendly & can be made vegan. This Indian style Potatoe Peas Rice dish packs a punch with extremely fluffy rice & subtle flavors from the whole spices. A great Pilaf recipe to make any time for a quick lunch or dinner.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Aloo Matar Pulao, Aloo matar wale rice, Instant Pot Aloo Matar Pulao

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Rice soaking time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: people

Calories: 550kcal

Author: Meghna

Ingredients

1 cup aged basmati rice washed & soaked in water for 30 mins
¾ cup peas
1 cup ½" potato chunks peeled
1 cup thinly sliced onion
½ tbsp ginger paste add 2-3 chilies while making the paste
3 tbsp ghee or any neutral oil
1-¼ cups Water Here, 1 cup = 240 ml.
Salt (to taste)

Dry Spices

1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder optional
2 pinches Star Anise (Chakr Phool) Powder Optional

Whole Spices

Instructions

Prepping the Pulao Rice

Begin by washing the Basmati rice several time under running tap water until clear water runs through. This step is VERY IMPORTANT & helps expel the starch from the rice. As a result, the cooked rice will remain fluffy & won't turn sticky.
Soak the washed Basmati rice with enough water for 30 mins sharp. Not nore not less. In the meantime, proceed with the rest of the recipe.

How to make Aloo Matar Pulao in Instant Pot?

Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE & keep it at NORMAL.
Add ghee, when the ghee becomes moderately hot throw in the whole spices mentioned in the "Whole spices" section above. Sizzle them for a few seconds.
Next, add the sliced onions and fry them until nice and golden. You can ass salt at this stage.
Once the onions turn lovely golden color add the ginger paste and saute until the raw smell of the ginger completely disappears. Took me 1 min.
Now, add the peeled and diced potato chunks and give everything a very good mix.
Add the fresh or frozen and thawed green peas and mix well with the other ingredients in the pot.
Now, add the dry spices and give everything a good mix. Things will start to stick at the bottom now, don't worry, we will be deglazing the pot later. Also, sprinkle few teaspoons of water to prevent the spices from burning. Fry everything until the spices become nice and roasted or until the raw smell of spices begin to fade.
Pour the exact measured water which is 1 & ¼ cups ( 1 cup = 240 ml ). De glaze the pot well.
Drain the soaked rice with the help of a strainer or colander so that no excess water remains. I generally let the rice drain for 1-2 mins.
Add the drained soaked basmati to the inner pot of the Instant Pot and gently mix with the rest of the ingredients.
CANCEL the SAUTE mode. Close the lid of the Instant Pot, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 4 mins.
After 4 mins when you hear the Instant Pot beeping sound wait for Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for 10 mins and than release the rest of the pressure manually by moving the valve from the SEALING to the VENTING position.
Open the pot, gently fluff the Aloo Matar Pulao with the help of a fork.
Serve it with Yogurt or raita, sliced onions and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves for extra flavor. Enjoy!

Notes

Measuring Units used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
Instant Pot used: 6 quart DUO.
Basmati Rice Used: Aged Basmati.
Why use Aged Basmati? Keeps those rice grains fluffy and separated in Pilaf or Biriyani recipe. Has better fragrance too.
Why avoid new Basmati rice? The new Basmati rice varieties do not get enough time to dry out properly. Hence, the starch released from the rice will make the rice sticky. You cannot expect extremely fluffy and separated grains with new varieties of Basmati.
Potatoes Used: Yukon Gold Potatoes, you may use any variety except IDAHO potatoes ( if you live in the USA).
Rinse the Basmati until clear water runs through. This process is super important and helps expel the starch from the rice. In return the cooked rice always turns out to be fluffy.
IMPORTANT: For every 1 cup aged Basmati Rice the water added is 1 and ¼ cups. This amount of water is for well washed Basmati that's been soaked for 30 mins sharp.
Peas Tips: Farm fresh peas from the pods are the best candidate for aloo matar pulao. However, frozen peas are a good choice too. You won't get the same flavor with frozen peas but they work as a good replacement. I myself used frozen peas as fresh peas are a rare sight where I reside. Always thaw the frozen peas and drain the excess water before using them in the recipe.
Can you use ginger garlic paste? Yes of course you can. In that case instead of using ½ tbsp. ginger paste use ½ tbsp. ginger garlic paste. Try my homemade Ginger Garlic Paste Recipe. It'll last you upto 6 months without turning green.
Use slit green chilies for good taste: I avoided using slit green chilies because my 6 years old hates spicy food. I would recommend you to use them. They impart a good taste to Pilaf. Use them while frying the onions.
NOTE: This is a Pulao/Pilaf recipe. Don't confuse it with BIRIYANI. Rice and veggies are cooked together in a single pot to make a Pulao/Pilaf. Whereas, in Biriyani the rice is partially cooked first and the protein is cooked in another pot. Than, the partially cooked rice and veggies or the meat is layered and slow cooked in "Dum" style to infuse the exotic flavors. There's a huge difference between Pulao/Pilaf and Biriyani. They taste different, involves different set of ingredients and cooked in different method too.

Calorific details are provided by a third party application & are to be used as indicative figures only.

Nutrition Facts

Aloo Matar Pualo

Amount Per Serving

Calories 550 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Sodium 680mg30%

Potassium 525mg15%

Carbohydrates 99g33%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 750IU15%

Vitamin C 51.2mg62%

Calcium 100mg10%

Iron 3.6mg20%

* Read our privacy policy - Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition