Tawa Pulao Recipe (Mumbai Street Style)

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Tawa pulao is a popular Mumbai street food made with rice & vegetables tossed in spicy pav bhaji masala.

This is a quick and super easy pilaf recipe which can be prepared at home with ease with leftover rice.

The recipe that I have shared here is a vegan recipe hence I have used oil instead of butter. But for the non-vegan option, you can use 2 tablespoons of butter instead of oil.

This is a vegan, gluten-free, beginner & bachelor-friendly recipe.

This unique variation of pulao is termed tawa pulao as it is made on a huge tawa/griddle on which pav bhaji is cooked.

This tawa pulao is a one-pot, flavourful, spicy dish made with basic staple ingredients that are easily available at home.

This veg tawa pulao / pilaf is not only popular in Mumbai but is loved across India.

The rich spicy tantalizing flavours of this pulao/pilaf are irresistible. You will find many food vendors selling this tawa pulao almost in every town of Mumbai.

This colourful rice recipe is loved by adults as well as kids too!

Apart from street vendors, you will find tawa pulao served at restaurants served along with raita and papad.

Making tawa pulao at home is very easy and can be whipped up in under 30 minutes if you have precooked rice at hand.

If you love Mumbai street food, you must definitely try this tawa pulao which is infused with pav bhaji masala.

Unlike street vendors who make this delicious tawa pulao on a large tawa / griddle which gives this rice a nice smoky and unique flavour, at home as we do not have such a huge griddle we make this pilaf in a regular pan.

At home, we make this tawa pulao once every month or fortnight and serve it along with boondi raita, papad and pickle.

This makes a perfect weeknight lunch/ dinner menu and can be packed in the lunch box for the office or for kid’s school.

This easy-to-make tawa pulao is sure to impress your taste buds with its unique flavours bursting in your mouth.

Not only does this tawa pulao/pilaf taste good but the visual appearance with colourful vegetables will surely make you feel hungry at the first sight.

To make this colourful pulao loaded with vegetables we need to do some prep work of cooking rice beforehand.

Once our rice is ready and cooled ( you can also use leftover rice for this recipe), we need to cook the vegetables which are onions, tomatoes, peas, and capsicum (bell peppers) in pav bhaji masala.

Once our vegetables and rice are cooked it’s time to toss them together, season and relish it!

At home, we often make it with leftover rice but if you are making it with fresh pre-cooked rice then, soak the rice for about 20 minutes in water, then drain the water. Boil 5-6 cups of water in a large pot add the rinsed rice and cook the rice. Once done, drain off the water and keep the rice aside.

Also, if interested check out my article on 11 Vegetables That Can Be Used In Making Pav Bhaji.

What is tawa pulao / pilaf?

Tawa pulao is a rice recipe made with precooked rice along with vegetables infused in pav bhaji masala. This pulao is made on a large tawa/griddle hence the name tava pualo. This is the same tawa used by vendors to make pav bhaji.

Storage Option

The leftover pulao can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. It stays good for 2-3 days. Preheat before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other vegetables can be added to tawa pulao?

Vegetables such as carrots, beans or mushrooms make a great choice to add to this tawa pulao / pilaf. You can also add paneer if you like.

What can you this tawa pulao with?

You can serve pulao with onion tomato raita, onion chilli raita, boondi raita, Maharashtrian sol kadhi or just plain curds.

Which rice should be used for making tawa pulao?

Long-grain basmati rice is the best choice when making any kind of pulao but it’s not a hard and fast rule. You can use any rice available at your home.

Ingredients used in making tawa pulao

Rice: To make any type of pulao, always use good quality long-grain basmati rice.

Vegetables: I have used the same veggies that are used in making pav bhaji. These are onion, tomatoes, capsicum and peas. You may add veggies as per your liking.

Spices & Herbs: For whole spices, we will need 1-2 bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves.

For ground spices, we will use red chilli powder, coriander powder, and pav bhaji masala. I have used Everest pav bhaji masala here. I seasoned this pulao with table salt.

We will need crushed ginger- garlic-chilli which will enhance the flavour of this rice.

Oil: I have used 2 tablespoons of oil.

Water: To cook the rice.

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Food FAQs

How to make Tawa Pulao Mumbai Street Style Recipe

• Heat oil, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves and saute for 30-40 seconds till they release their aroma. (keep the flame low).

• Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute till the raw smell of the paste fades away.

• Add sliced onions and saute them for 2 minutes.

• Add capsicum and tomatoes and cook them till they are soft.

• Add green peas. (I have added fresh peas directly along with the vegetables, but you can pre-cook the peas or you may also use frozen peas here).

• Let the vegetable cook on low to medium flame. Add a splash of water if required to cook the vegetables, especially green peas.

• Once the vegetables are cooked add pav bhaji masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt.
• Pav bhaji masala is available in any Indian grocery store. You can also find it on amazon.com.

You can buy it from amazon.com here

• Mix the spices well with the vegetables.

• Add the cooked rice and mix well.

• Just cover and let the rice simmer for 2 minutes on low heat so that all the masalas are properly incorporated into the rice.

• Tawa Pulao Street Style is ready.

• Serve hot with raita and papad.

Note:

This is a vegan preparation hence I have not used butter here. But you can make this with 2 tablespoons of butter instead of oil.

I have used leftover rice here, but you can prepare fresh rice, cool it to room temperature and then add it to the vegetables.

I have used the basic vegetables here, but feel free to add hard vegetables like carrots, beans or mushrooms and paneer.

If using carrots or beans make sure to cook them first in water till they soften.

I have used fresh peas, you can also make use of frozen peas here.

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