This rice dish is a beloved street food in Mumbai and can be easily recreated at home. With the addition of green chilies, fresh herbs, vibrant vegetables, and pav bhaji masala, this simple recipe yields a delightful and speedy weeknight dinner, especially when you have pre-cooked rice ready to go! I had the opportunity to try this dish while living in Pune for a few years. During those occasional weekend visits to Mumbai, I had my first taste. Spicy, aromatic, and brimming with unique textures, it was love at first bite, even though I am not a huge rice lover. In my own version, I enjoy incorporating pan-fried paneer into the tawa pulao. While this may differ from the traditional recipe, I believe that creamy and crispy paneer definitely enhances the textures of the tawa pulao, resulting in a more delightful and satisfying dish.
About Tawa Pulao
Tawa style dishes are hugely popular in indian cuisine. Tawa is a flat and round griddle pan, which gives any dish its unique texture and taste. These tawa style dishes like tawa chicken and tawa egg fry have smoky and aromatic taste. Tawa pulao is made by stir-frying cooked rice with a medley of colorful vegetables, fragrant and aromatic spices, and herbs(dried & fresh). Indian tawa is made of iron and while making this dish, is a perfect choice for its heat retention properties. However, you could utilize the largest cast iron skillet or frying pan in your kitchen for this recipe. A wide and heavy iron kadai or carbon steel wok would work perfectly as well. The objective is to cook everything on high heat, similar to the technique used for fried rice. Therefore, a wide cooking pan and pre-prepared ingredients are essential. The idea is to maintain a constant high heat, similar to stir-frying. For this recipe, all you need is leftover rice and some blanched or steamed vegetables. My husband jokingly says that I added a Punjabi touch by incorporating paneer, but if you have leftover chicken tandoori or chicken tikka, you can shred or chop it and use those as well. Alternatively, you can skip the protein altogether and make it solely with vegetables. The combination of spices, ginger-garlic paste, and pungent Indian green chilies imparts a smoky umami flavor to the rice, truly tantalizing the taste buds. Cooking on a hot tawa gives the rice a slight crispness while adding a charred texture to the vegetables. Overall, this Mumbai-style tawa pulao is a highly flavorful dish that is perfect for quick family dinners or packing for lunch boxes. Serve the pulao with raita, green chutney, and achar to complement the flavors.
Kind of Rice
When preparing tawa pulao, I typically use long grain rice, which is our everyday basmati rice at home. If you prefer a fluffy pulao with separate rice grains, you can opt for sella basmati rice. Although I haven’t used short grain basmati rice or short grain rice for making it myself, I don’t see a reason why it wouldn’t work as long as the rice is cold. If you prefer, you can also use brown rice for this dish. However, please note that the pulao may turn out slightly sticky in texture.
Spice It Up
Tawa pulao is known for its spiciness and street vendors often have their own special spice blends. When preparing it at home, the best way to add spice is by using a combination of hot red chilli powder + pav bhaji masala.
Ingredints
Cooked Rice - You could use fresh cooked rice or use leftovers. Vegetables - I like using red or green bell pepper, corn, carrot and green peas.Add blanched green beans if you like. Spices - Pao Bhaji Masala, red chili powder, cumin seeds, garam masala powder. Other Ingredients - ginger, garlic, green chilies, butter, oil, fresh coriander, lemon juice
How to make Tawa Pulao
To prepare tawa pulao, you’ll need a sturdy tawa. I prefer use my 12 inch griddle. Once you begin cooking, it’s crucial to that you work quickly, so ensure that all the ingredients are prepared and ready to go. Prepare by blanching the vegetables, and keeping the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies paste ready. We will add each component step by step (follow the instructions in the recipe card), and introduce the rice at the end for a final stir-fry on high heat. Maintaining high heat is important to prevent the rice from becoming mushy. While a few rice grains may break during the cooking process, that’s perfectly alright. It is essential to start with cold rice to prevent them from sticking together.
Recipe Tips
Use cold rice. It is important to always use cold white rice for tawa pulao. You can utilize leftover rice or, if cooking fresh, allow it to cool down completely and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before using. Use a wide and heavy tawa. A heavy tawa helps maintain the crispness of the rice grains and prevents them from becoming mushy. Using a wide pan ensures consistent heat distribution and avoids steaming of rice. Avoid non-stick pans as they can alter the texture of the rice. Prepare Everything - To achieve the desired texture without overcooking, it is essential to have everything ready to go before starting the cooking process. This pulao typically takes about 10-12 minutes from start to finish. Avoid chopping the vegetables too large and if possible dont use raw vegetables, except for those that cook quickly or can be enjoyed crisp, such as bell peppers or corn. Blanch the carrots and peas (if using fresh) or french beans (if using). Dont Skimp on oil and butter - To achieve that rich and buttery street-style taste, it’s important not to skimp on oil and butter. Feel free to be generous with the fats when preparing the tawa pulao. This will enhance the flavors and add the desired indulgent touch to the dish. Shallow frying the paneer chunks before adding them to the pulao is optional, or you can use them as they are. It’s a good idea to cut the paneer and vegetables into roughly the same size for even cooking. For an added layer of flavor, you can incorporate kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) into the dish. If you prefer a vegan version of tawa pulao, use plant-based oil or vegan butter as a substitute. Skip the paneer and focus on the vegetable components instead.
