Flavourful Pea Pulao with Lemon

Flavourful Pea Pulao with Lemon

Source: Unsplash

The marriage of sweet peas, basmati rice, and caramelized onions in this dish will have you in love. Pea Paulo is not only vegetarian but also gluten-free. So, this makes it a very healthy option any day, anytime. It’s a dish that will easily digest, but you won’t feel hungry for hours because of the fiber it contains. This recipe isn’t a new creation, so you know it’s tried and true. Its appearance in the history of Alexander the Great makes us pretty sure it tastes great. The best thing about this dish is you can mix and pair it with spices or ingredients that you want. There’s no one principal way to make it. It can be customized to suit your preferences. But today, we will be talking about the pea version. It’s like a box of goodies that you don’t know what you might find next with its combination of peas, onions, peanuts, and raisins. Let’s get into it, but first, let’s talk about how healthy this dish is.

Healthy Benefits of Flavorful Pea Paulo With Lemon

This dish contains a lot of fiber. Taking a plate of this meal will provide you with half of the fiber nutrients you have to take in a day. It is most times hard to reach this goal, so Pea Paulo is to the rescue! There are many reasons you should meet up with your fiber intake. It helps to keep you full for hours so that you don’t snack on unhealthy foods. Fiber also prevents one of the worst killing diseases; heart disease and diabetes. It also prevents diverticular disease and constipation. 

This meal has no cholesterol and is rich in B6. B6 is a nutrient present in fish, meat, and also peanuts. B6 helps your brain function better, so you better get some of that. Pea Paulo also contains vitamin C, no wonder it’s widely loved and has been eaten for ages now.

Preparation

Flavorful Pea Paulo with lemon is a bowl of delicious, tangy rice that’s light yet keeps you feeling full. It can be served as a main dish or a side to relish any time of the day. It’s of Indian heritage and is vegetarian.  You can cook within 25 minutes, 5 minutes for prepping and cooking for 20 mins. Let’s get into it.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup basmati rice
  • one onion
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp honey (for vegans, you can switch to maple syrup)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup peas
  • one handful of peanuts (with the shells removed)
  • 1½ cup vegetable broth
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (alternatively, orange juice)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (or orange zest)
  • one clove of garlic
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • ⅓ cup raisins

Instructions

Cut the onions finely. Place a pan on fire, drizzle a bit of olive oil in it, then add the diced onions. Add honey, turmeric, cumin, and salt. Stir. Now, add the peanuts, peas, and raisins. Let it fry gently for a minute or two till the aroma of these sweet spices fills the air. Be careful not to let the spices burn. Pour in the vegetable broth, followed by the washed rice. Cover the pot for 15 minutes and let the rice boil till it’s soft. While the rice is cooking, start the dressing. Firstly, get a bowl. Wash your lemon and zest it, also grate the garlic into the bowl. Then also put in the lemon juice and vinegar. Add pepper and salt. When the 15 minutes is up, add the soft rice into the dressing and mix, serve and enjoy!

If you want to customize your own Pea Paulo, you can add veggies like broccoli. If you’re on a diet or want a healthier option, you can switch the basmati rice for brown rice. However, brown rice will need more cooking time. This meal has a bit of natural sugar, so you can cut out the honey if you are watching your sugar intake. Pea Paulo is a dish full of flavorful, tasty spices that’s also easy to make. You can do no wrong with this meal.