Moth Matar Pulav

Pulav is fragrant rice made by cooking basmati rice, vegetables and spices together. It is a one-pot dish that is delicious, easy to make and perfect for carrying in the lunch box. Typically, it is eaten with raita ( flavoured yoghurt), pickle and sometimes with a side dish. But given that pulav has everything- rice+ flavours coming from spices + vegetables, it is a complete dish in itself and doesn’t necessarily need accompaniments.

Today’s recipe is Moth Matar Pulav. This recipe’s main ingredients, besides Basmati Rice, are Moth Beans and Green Peas.

Moth Beans, also known as Matki, are used in many recipes in India. Some sprout these beans, some cook it like dal (with gravy to be served with rice), and some cook it dry and eat it like a snack. These beans are commonly used in popular Indian recipes like Matki Dal, Maharashtrian Usal, fried Namkeens and Sundal. You can check out the recipe for a simple gravy dish made with moth beans, served with steamed rice, here.

I generally use frozen green peas in my recipes. In Germany, it is hard to get fresh green peas, and the frozen ones are pretty good in quality. They cook fast and are a great addition to your kitchen.

Both peas and moth beans are high in fibre and proteins. Combined with the carbs in rice and good fat from ghee, this dish is a wholesome meal and a great source of nutrition.

I have already shared a few pulav recipes in my blog, such as Matar Pulav, Veg Pulav in Coconut Milk, Coriander and Mint Pulav, and raita recipes such as Boondi Raita, Cucumber Raita, Vegetable Raita, and Beetroot Raita. Do check them out.

About Ingredient sourcing in Germany:

The Indian ingredients needed for this recipe can be easily sourced from an Indian store near you. You can even buy them from the online store of Spiceland, Frankfurt. Their quality is good, prices reasonable and they deliver all across Germany.

You can check my GERMAN SUPERMARKETS page to understand different products in supermarkets in Germany.

Equipment Needed:

• Saucepan and Cooking Pot: https://amzn.to/3rKdHtT
• Pan:https://amzn.to/3QbqRcP
• Knives: https://amzn.to/3Lg64Bj
• Chopping Board: https://amzn.to/3K0dh8L

Ingredients needed to make Moth Matar Pulav:

• 1 Cup Raw Moth Beans
• 2 Cups Basmati Rice
• ⅓ Cup Frozen Green Peas
• 3 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 8-10 Cashews
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 3-4 Cloves
• 2-3 Green Cardamom
• 1 Small Stick Cinnamon
• 1 Big Onion- Thinly Sliced
• 2 Green Chillies; slit
• Salt; to taste
• 4½ Cups Water for cooking the pulav + About 2 cups for cooking the moth beans + additional amount for washing and soaking.
• Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Wash the moth beans thoroughly and soak them overnight.
  
  
  
• After overnight soaking, they will swell.
  
  
  
• Now, wash them again. Cook them in 2 cups of water and about ⅓ tsp salt in a saucepan till they are 90% done.
  
  
  
• Once done, strain out the excess water and keep them aside.
  
  
  
• Wash the basmati rice thoroughly to remove all the starch. You can ensure that by washing it till the water runs clear.
• Strain out the water. Add 1 tbsp ghee, turmeric powder and ginger paste. Mix well and leave it for about 30 minutes.
  
  
  
• After 30 minutes, heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Fry the cashews on medium heat till they change their colour. Then, keep them aside.
  
  
  
• In the leftover ghee, fry cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves on medium heat for a few seconds.
  
  
  
• Add cumin seeds and onion slices. Fry them on medium heat till the onion changes its colour.
  
  
  
• Add peas and fry them for about 30 seconds.
  
  
  
• Now add the rice and salt. On medium heat, fry till the grains turn translucent.
  
  
  
• Now add the moth beans. Mix well.
  
  
  
• Add 4½ Cups of boiling of hot water. Add green chillies. Mix well.
  
  
  
• Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat. Turn off the heat when you see no more water. Remove from heat. Let it stay covered for about 10 minutes.
  
  
  
• Then open the lid and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and fried cashews before serving.
  
  

I served my Moth Matar Pulav with Beetroot Raitha and fries.

Some Additional Notes:

1. In this recipe, I have separately cooked the moth beans, strained out the excess water and used only the beans. This strained water contains nutrients, so you need not discard it. You can use it instead of plain water for kneading dough for your rotis, paranthas, etc.
2. The only vegetable I have used is green peas. However, you can add any vegetables of your choice-such as potatoes, carrots, beans etc
3. Washing the rice thoroughly and removing all the starch is an important step. If you don’t do that properly, your pulav will become sticky.

Here is the recipe in printable format:

Please note that this article contains affiliate links. If you buy using these links, I receive a small commission. This has no effect on the price for you.

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

If you liked this content, please consider subscribing.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Google
• YouTube