Recipe: Light And Sweet Buttermilk Pulao For Summers
60 mins
Cooking Time
Easy
Difficulty
18
Ingredients
Veg
Diet
Summer days can get real hot, real fast, making the body crave cooling dishes. Like this pulao recipe with buttermilk that’s light on the stomach, easy to prepare, and carries a subtle sweetness, making it perfect to beat the heat. In fact, buttermilk provides hydration, essential electrolytes, and a cooling effect that helps reduce body heat.
Chaas wale pulao or buttermilk pulao is made by cooking rice with vegetables, whole spices, ground spices, and buttermilk. The addition of vegetables, ground spices, and whole spices elevates it from a simple rice dish to an aromatic meal fit enough for a feast, or a Sunday brunch. The chaas or buttermilk adds a distinct creamy texture and earthy, slightly tangy flavour to the dish that separates it from normal pulao recipes.
A cooling, creamy, and savoury dish, perfect for summer, the buttermilk pulao lies somewhere between a regular pulao and a curd rice. While the pulao recipe is fairly straightforward, make sure the buttermilk is not sour, else the taste of the pulao may be spoiled. Also, keep the ratio of rice to buttermilk at 1:2. You can customise it by adding more or different vegetables or sticking to just potatoes and onions for a simpler fare. Ultimately, it’s the not-so-secret ingredient of buttermilk that brings the x-factor to the dish!
Soak the rice in enough water to submerge it for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime, chop the vegetables as required and measure your ingredients. Keep everything ready for use.
Description - Step 2
Step 2: Cook the vegetables
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and other whole spices. Once the seeds splutter, add the onions. Briefly saute till they turn soft. Then mix in minced garlic. Now, add the green chillies, potatoes, peas, and carrot. Sauté everything for 2-3 minutes.
Description - Step 3
Step 3: Add the rice
Add the soaked rice to the pan. Now add the ground spices and salt. Give everything a good mix, ensuring the rice and vegetables are thoroughly mixed with the spices.
Description - Step 4
Step 4: Add the buttermilk and cook
Turn the heat to low and slowly add the buttermilk. If the chaas is thick, add a little water (½ glass or ¼ glass, depending on the consistency). Now, gently mix the rice, buttermilk, and vegetables. Keep the heat low and stir to prevent curdling. Cover the pan and cook on low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Description - Step 5
Step 5: Garnish and serve
Remove the lid and let the steam escape. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Buttermilk pulao is a one-pot rice dish cooked with vegetables, spices, and chaas (buttermilk), giving it a mildly tangy flavour and light, comforting texture. It’s a cooling dish, perfect for summer.
Cook on low heat and add buttermilk gradually while stirring continuously to prevent it from curdling. Avoid high heat after adding chaas, as it can cause the mixture to split.
Yes, you can use diluted curd as a substitute for buttermilk in the pulao recipe. Mix the curd with water to achieve a thin consistency before adding it to the pulao.
Common vegetables include potatoes, peas, carrots, and onions. These add texture and balance the tangy flavour of buttermilk without overpowering the dish.