Methi pulao is a flavorful, yet simple rice dish prepared with lots of fresh fenugreek leaves and green peas. Seasoned with whole spices and green chilies, it is a delicious rice to serve with any Indian curry.
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About the recipe
Methi or menthi is fenugreek. Whenever I have fresh methi ~ fenugreek leaves on hand, I always add some to all my curries, pulao and bagara. It enhances the flavor of the dish. Fresh methi leaves have a bitter taste and it needs to be sauteed to remove the bitter taste.
Usually my pulao and bagara recipes are similar and the only difference is the ingredients that go in and how I cook it. Today’s recipe is no different. In methi pulao, I use a lot a lot fresh methi leaves and skip mint, which I usually add to pulaos.
To keep it simple, I use only green peas. However, using mixed vegetables makes the pulao colorful and nutritious with all the goodness of the vegetables. Just like how we play around with ingredients, I play around with appliances when cooking pulao.
Which appliance to use
Easiest way to prepare pulao is in a rice cooker or an Instant Pot (IP). With a rice cooker, first saute fenugreek leaves and rice with the rest of the ingredients and then cook the rice in a rice cooker. It requires no baby sitting until the rice is done.
Similarly, in an IP, saute everything and then pressure cook. These are the two easiest methods and are my go options when preparing pulaos and veg bagara.
However, you can cook on a stovetop like I did with rajma pulao and this requires checking on the rice to get a perfect texture. Other option is to cook in a stovetop pressure cooker like I did in this egg pulao and pressure cooker pulao recipes.
Regardless of the appliance used, the method is similar. The only difference is the amount of water and the cooking time. Choose the appliance of your choice and follow the instructions accordingly.
Ingredients
- Fresh methi leaves - use fresh methi leaves.
- Basmati Rice - we prefer extra long grain basmati rice. You can use rice of your choice for bagara and pulao.
- Whole Spices - cardamoms, cloves, shah jeera, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and biryani flower (degad phool).
- Green chilies - adjust green chilies to your spice level.
- Vegetables - onions and green peas. You can use mixed vegetables; green beans, carrots and potatoes. But I keep it minimal.
- Other Ingredients - Oil or combination of oil and ghee, ginger garlic paste and cilantro (kothmir) for garnish.
- Water - Depending on how you are cooking, you will need at least 1 ¼ cup to 1 ¾ cup water for 1 cup of rice.
Instructions
Prep - Wash rice and soak for 30 minutes. Pluck the methi leaves, wash and chop. Start the next step after soaking rice for 20-25 minutes. By the time we saute the spices and veggies, rice will be soaked and ready to use.
Saute - Heat oil in a pan and toast cardmons, cloves, shah jeera, bay leaves, biryani flower. Add onions, methi leaves and saute until onions are soft, methi leaves wither and roasted in oil. It is important to fry the methi leaves or it could give a bitter taste to the dish.
Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry until ginger no longer smells raw. Then add green peas and saute for a few minutes.
Cook rice - Discard water and add rice to the pan and lightly fry the rice along with the other ingredients. Transfer to rice cooker inner pot, add water, give a good stir and turn on the cooker.
Once the cooker shuts off, sprinkle chopped cilantro and fluff up the pulao. Cover and let the pulao rest for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Serving & Storage
Serve pulao with chicken curry, any veg gravy, non veg gravy or with some raita. Chicken shorva, chicken curry with cashew paste, and goat shorva are some non veg options.
Veg gravy options are mirchi ka salan, stuffed baby eggplants (gutti vankaya) and Instant Pot paneer masala. Check all the gravy recipes here.
Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat properly before serving. Microwave is the best way to reheat leftovers.
Tips
- Wash fresh methi leaves several times to wash away any dirt particles. Saute the leaves until the leaves wilt. Raw leaves give a better taste and make the pulao bitter.
- Soak rice for at least 30 minutes and adjust rice to water ratio depending on the appliance used. 1: 1 ¾ cups rice to water ratio for rice cooker and stovetop method and 1: 1 ¼ cups ratio for pressure cooker and Instant Pot.
Related Recipes
Here are you more pulao recipes and recipes using fresh fenugreek leaves.
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📖 Recipe
Methi Pulao
Equipment
- Cutting board & knife
- Bowl to soak rice
- Frying or Saute Pan
- Rice cooker
- Measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker to measure rice
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Methi ~ Fenugreek leaves plucked (about 2 cups moderate to firmly packed plucked leaves)
- 2 ½ cup Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes
- 4 tablespoon Oil
- 4-6 Cardamoms
- 3 Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Shah Jeera ~ Caraway Seeds
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Biryani Flower
- 1 small Onion, sliced
- 2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
- 7-8 small Green Chilies slit into two
- ¾ cup Frozen Green Peas use 1 cup for more peas
- Salt to taste
- 4 ¼ cups Water 1 : 1 ¾ cup rice to water ratio
- Cilantro ~ Fresh Kotmir chopped
Instructions
- Wash rice and soak for 30 minutes. Pluck the methi leaves, wash and chop.2 ½ cup Basmati Rice, 1 bunch Methi ~ Fenugreek
- Start the next step after soaking rice for 20-25 minutes. By the time we saute the spices and veggies, rice will be soaked and ready to use.
- Heat oil in a pan and toast cardmons, cloves, shah jeera, bay leaves, biryani flower.4 tablespoon Oil, 4-6 Cardamoms, 3 Cloves, ½ teaspoon Shah Jeera ~ Caraway Seeds, 2-3 Bay Leaves, 1 Biryani Flower
- Add onions, methi leaves and saute until onions are soft, methi leaves wither and roasted in oil. It is important to fry the methi leaves or it could give a bitter taste to the dish.1 small Onion, sliced, 1 bunch Methi ~ Fenugreek
- Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry until ginger no longer smells raw.2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste, 7-8 small Green Chilies
- Add green peas and saute for few minutes.¾ cup Frozen Green Peas
- Discard water from soaked rice and add to the pan. Lightly fry the rice along with the other ingredients.4 ¼ cups Water
- Transfer to rice cooker inner pot, add water, salt, give a good stir and turn on the cooker.Salt to taste
- Once the cooker shuts off, sprinkle chopped cilantro and fluff up the rice. Cover and let the pulao rest for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.Cilantro ~ Fresh Kotmir
- Serve pulao with chicken curry, goat curry, raita or any veg gravy or non veg gravy.
Notes
- Vegetables – Recipe calls for green peas but you can add vegetables of choice, such as carrots, green beans, lima beans, potatoes etc.
- Stove top – you can cook pulao on stovetop. Use 3 quart or 3 liters pot. Follow the recipe util step 7. Then add the same ratio of water to rice or use as you would to prepare pulao. Bring water to a boil and once rice staerts rolling, reduce the flame and cook until rice is almost cooked. Cover, reduce the flame and cook until rice is done.
- Pressure Cooker – Procedure is same as above and use at least a 3 liter pressure cooker. Use 1:1 ¼ cups rice to water ratio. Cook for one whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the stove and open the cooker after pressure releases naturally. For reference, check the pressure cooker vegetable bagara recipe.
- Instant Pot - Follow the above instructions to saute rice and veggies, transfer to IP and pressure cook for 2 minutes with 1:1 ¼ cup rice to water ratio and let pressure release naturally. Alternatively, you can saute veggies and rice in IP itself, using ‘Saute’ setting. Then pressure cook for 2 minutes and let pressure release naturally.
- Nutrition - values listed below are approximate values.
Nutrition
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Archana says
With the last of the methi leaves for the season now, I made this amazing pulao. Thanks to your tip about frying the methi, everyone enjoyed the pulao.
Srivalli Jetti says
The pulao looks excellent Usha, love the plating and how wonderful the rice is looking!
Seema Sriram says
The methi pulao was so fragrant. I love experimenting with rice and so happy to have a methi pulao recipe.
Priya Vj says
I like the flavor of fresh methi in pulao . If I Have fresh methi leaves on hand then I definitely use it in my pulaos but a pulao with abundant flavors of methi and peas is a perfect winter delight. I am now eagerly waiting to lay my hands on a fresh bunch of methi to make methi peas pulao.
Priya Srinivasan says
Methi puloa looks so comforting usha. Love cooking with fresh methi, made this for dinner today and served it with some paneer curry. Oh it was a hit with the boys, i had to fight for a serving for myself. Thanks for the delish share.
Archana says
Love this methi pulao and I am buying methi leaves to make mine tonight. It will pair well with the chole masala.
Usha Rao says
Chole masala with methi pulao sounds delicious! Happy cooking!
Kalyani says
Inviting Pics as always, Usha ! this totally fit into my weekly meal prep as lil one loves rice for school lunchbox. With some dal, it turned out delish and wholesome.
Usha Rao says
So glad you and your family liked it. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Mayuri Patel says
Usha at the moment I am in India and going crazy using fresh methi. It is so different compared to the frozen one I get. So this recipe of methi pulao has come at the right time for me. It is my lunch for tomorrow as I have methi already sorted and chopped. I'll be making some Gujarati style kadhi to go with it.
Usha Rao says
Absolutely, fresh methi is tastes lot better than the frozen and enjoy the fresh bounty while you are in India.
Harini-Jaya R says
Love it. Beautiful presentation.
sapana says
Love making pulao with methi.Love the neat and beautiful clicks as well.
Srivalli says
The picture makes the rice so sinful Usha..beautiful setup..
Priya Suresh says
Such an aromatic methi pulao, who can resist to this incredible pulao, wonderful set up there.
Pavani says
That's such a flavorful methi pulao Usha. My methi plants need to be trimmed, this would be a great dish to make with it.
kalyani says
this looks totally yum, Usha 🙂 Iove the flavour of fresh fenugreek in most dishes 🙂
Smruti | Herbivore Cucina says
Wow I loved this recipe! We love methi in all its forms. Bookmarking this one 🙂
Sarita says
Methi pulav looks too yummy with the side gravy curry.. Absolutely delicious!