Peas and rice – we have here a much loved pair.

Lets pair that with some soft, caramelised fried onions and aromatic cloves and cinnamon. We have here a winning combination.

Matar Pulao, rice cooked with peas and onions, have always been a favourite at my Mother’s house. My Mother would cook this to serve alongside a delicious Chicken Shorba or Aloo Gosht, or sometimes with some fried chicken and we would always gobble our plates down and greedily ask for seconds.

What really makes this recipe a die-for affair is the sweet pops of flavour the peas provide us with. Kids often tend to love peas and since this is a relatively mild, non-spicy recipe, Matar Pulao is ideal for younger children.

My husband, strangely, doesn’t like peas (amongst many other things). I’m putting things very lightly here – the truth is my husband HATES peas and he RARELY eat anything with peas in them. Thus, I haven’t cooked Matar Pulao much since getting married. In fact – a browse through all the recipes I’ve posted on the blog will show you that peas make a scarce appearance in my cooks.

Just this past weekend, however, my family was holidaying in Paris for the new year and I received a message from my Father saying ‘I’ve been craving some hot and meaty Pakistani food! Please cook a chicken meat curry and some pea rice when we come back!’ Turns out, they had been living off croissants and cold sandwiches in Paris and had been dying for a hot Desi meal! So, thus after many months, I cooked a dish with peas in it. And that, my friends, is how a recipe with peas has made it’s way onto my blog.

Matar Pulao goes well with any curry, roasted or fried chicken and also goes quite well alongside kebabs and raita (yoghurt). I’d recommend the following recipes to try alongside your Matar Pulao!

Lets get onto the recipe now!

Enjoy, with love x

EDIT: I have amended the quantity of water used in this recipe to 3 cups of water. Previously, it was vague and not precise and some readers reported trouble getting the quantity right. I have found 3 cups works perfectly with this recipe HOWEVER, if you would like to increase or decrease the amount of water needed, use this formula: Cups of water needed = Cups of rice + 1

Yield: 5

Matar Pilau | Pea Pulao

Name: Matar Pilau | Pea Pulao
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 1/4 cup oil; 2 medium onions, sliced; 3 tsp cumin seeds; 9 whole cloves; 1 small stick cinnamon; 1.5 cups frozen peas; 3 cups white basmati rice, (wash and soak for half an hr before using); 3.5 tsp salt, or to taste

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions, sliced
3 tsp cumin seeds
9 whole cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1.5 cups frozen peas
3 cups white basmati rice, (wash and soak for half an hr before using)
3.5 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

In a pot, heat up the oil and add the sliced onions. Once they become golden, add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. Continue to fry the onions till they become a very dark brown.
Add the peas and stir fry them till they defrost
Add the basmati rice, salt and 4 cups.
Cook on high heat till all the water has dried out. Stir once or twice with a slotted spoon.
Once the water has dried out, turn the heat to the lowest setting possible, cover the pot and allow the rice to steam for 15 minutes. Allow the rice to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

If you'd like to spice this up, add a few green chillis around the same time you add your peas.

Enjoyed this Matar Pulao recipe? I’d love to see a picture of your recreation! Send me a picture on Instagram @fatima.cooks,where I’m very active and post lots of day-to-day recipes, tips and also snippets of my day!