This sweet corn pulao is a simple, easy-to-make and one-pot rice dish. This pulao has mild yet delicious flavors. Here I have added some green peas along with sweet corn kernels to add some pop of color.
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❤️About This Recipe
Taste & Flavor:
- This corn pulao is aromatic with mild flavors.
- Though you can make it spicy by increasing the green chili amount.
- Every bite will have a hint of sweetness from juicy sweet corn kernels.
This corn pulao makes a great lunch box for kids and adults. Don’t forget to pack a small container of yogurt or any raita (e.g. cucumber raita, onion tomato raita).
Scalable: You can double or triple the amount. Perfect to feed the crowd.
This corn pulao can be made in an instant pot. I have mentioned the details in the recipe card below.
Dietary info: This corn pulao is vegan and gluten-free.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Basmati rice: It makes the best-tasting pulao with separated and long grains in your pulao.
- Sweet corn: I have used American sweet corn which is sweet in flavor compared to desi corn (bhutta). If you are not fond of American corn and you’re in India then you can use desi makai.
- Green peas: It is optional. I like to add peas as the yellow and green color combination looks pretty in this corn pulao. Plus, the sweet flavor of peas goes well with corn.
- Whole spices: When these spices are added to the hot oil they release their flavor and aroma. Always add spices to hot oil (not warm or cold oil) for the best result.
- Ginger, garlic, green chili: I have freshly crushed the ginger and garlic and finely chopped the green chilies. Alternatively, you can crush all three together.
- Garam masala: Instead you can use ready pack of pulao masala or biryani masala.
- Kasoori methi: Always crursh them between your palm before adding. This way they release their flavor to the max.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Take basmati rice in a strainer and rinse under running cold water until the water runs clear. Soak rice in enough water for 15-20 minutes.
2) After that, drain the soaking water and discard.
3) Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, black cardamom, mace and bay leaf). Saute for 40-60 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
4) Add onion with a sprinkle of salt. Cook until onions get soft and translucent or light pink.
5) Add ginger, garlic paste and green chili.
6) Saute for 40-60 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
7) Add green peas and sweet corn. Mix and cook for a minute.
8) Add remaining salt, garam masala and crushed kasoori methi.
9) Add drained rice.
10) Mix and saute for a minute.
11) Add water, crank the heat to high and bring the water to a rolling boil.
12) Cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat to the lowest possible and cook for 17-18 minutes. Then turn off the stove and let it rest covered for 10 minutes. During this resting time, rice grains will firm up and don’t get mushy as you fluff them up.
13) After resting time, open the lid.
14) Fluff up the corn pulao using a fork.
💭Expert Tips
- Soaking the rice step gives a fluffy and soft texture, so I would not skip it.
- Resting the cooked corn pulao for 10 minutes (covered) is an important step. During this time, rice grains will firm up and they do not break as you fluff up later. The piping hot rice grains are fragile and if your fluff them up right away without resting, they will get mushy.
- Do not stir or open the lid to take a peek while the pulao is cooking (covered).
Check Out Other Pulao Recipes
Did you try this corn pulao recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Corn Pulao
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 2 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 3-4 Black peppercorns
- 1-2 strands Mace (Javitri)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 small Red onion ½ cup chopped
- 2 teaspoons Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 2 teaspoons Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 2 small Green chilies finely chopped
- 1 cup Sweet corn kernels
- ½ cup Green peas optional
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 cups Water for stove top (1 cup water for Instant pot)
Instructions
- Take basmati rice in a strainer and rinse under running cold water until the water runs clear. Soak rice in enough water for 15-20 minutes. After that, drain the soaking water and discard.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, black cardamom, mace and bay leaf). Saute for 40-60 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
- Add onion with a sprinkle of salt. Cook until onions get soft and translucent or light pink.
- Add ginger, garlic paste and green chili. Saute for 40-60 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
- Add green peas and sweet corn. Mix and cook for a minute.
- Add remaining salt, garam masala and crushed kasoori methi.
- Add drained rice. Mix and saute for a minute.
- Add water, crank the heat to high and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat to the lowest possible and cook for 17-18 minutes. Then turn off the stove and let it rest covered for 10 minutes.
- After resting time, open the lid. Fluff up the corn pulao using a fork.
Instant Pot Corn Pulao:
- Follow the same steps as above in instant pot with saute mode.
- You’ll need less water (1 cup of water for 1 cup of rice) for instant pot method.
- After adding water, no need to bring it to a boil. Simply cover the instant pot with a lid and keep the valve in a sealing position.
- Pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then do QPR (quick pressure release) by positioning the valve to venting. Once the pin drops open the lid.
- Let the pulao rest for 10 minutes and then fluff up using a fork.
Notes
- Soaking the rice step gives a fluffy and soft texture, so I would not skip it.
- Resting the cooked corn pulao for 10 minutes (covered) is an important step. During this time, rice grains will firm up and they do not break as you fluff up later. The piping hot rice grains are fragile and if your fluff them up right away without resting, they will get mushy.
Faseela
yummy pulao