Potato rice or potato pulao recipe – Sharing an easy aloo pulao recipe, suitable for lunch box or a quick meal especially during the monsoon. It can be made in just 30 minutes and is more like a quick pulao with an hint of Indian spices. Potato recipes are one of the favorite with kids, hence it is a must try for the kids’ school box.
This rice dish does not need any sides and may be accompanied by papad or raita. However I do prepare a simple carrot lentil salad called hesaru bele kosambari for my kids’ Lunch box which goes very well with this rice. Shared it below.
Potato rice is quite similar to my vegetable masala bath made with cauliflower, but the spice powder used here is a simple Punjabi garam masala. You can use any flavourful garam masala or even a biryani masala powder.
How to make potato pulao or aloo pulao recipe
1. Wash and cook rice without making it mushy. I generally cook rice with lot of water in an open pan for making variety rice dishes. Drain off the rice in a colander once cooked and cool.
2. While the rice cooks, peel and cube potatoes to very small and add to water. Smaller the cubes, faster they get roasted. Slice the onions.
3. Heat oil in a wide pan, add dry spices and saute till they begin to sizzle
4. Add garlic or ginger and sliced onions. Fry till the onions turn soft. One to two minutes. Do not over fry else they will be burnt later.
5. Add potatoes and fry till they are cooked and roasted well. By then the onions too become like fried onions we use for biryani.
Spice powders to make potato pulao
6. Sprinkle red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, mint and salt. Mix everything well till it turns fragrant.
7. This step is optional, to follow if your potatoes are still under cooked. Add very little water and stir. Cover and cook till the potatoes are cooked.There should be no moisture left and the mixture should turn fairly dry before you go to the next step.
8. Quickly add cooked rice to the pan else the masala will be burnt. Mix well. Serve potato rice with a simple raita or vegetable salad.
Cool the potato pulao thoroughly before you pack it in a lunch box.
You may like this collection of rice recipes.
For more easy lunch box recipes, check out
vegetable fried rice
vegetable biryani in pressure cooker
Pulao recipe
tomato bath
vangi bath
Potato rice or potato pulao
Potato rice
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for potato rice
- 1 cup rice
- 2 potatoes cut to small cubes
- 1 onion sliced thinly
- 2 garlic cloves chopped, can replace with grated ginger
- 12 mint leaves / pudina finely chopped
- 1 green chili slit (skip for kids)
- ½ Garam masala or biryani masala (adjust to suit your taste)
- ¼ tsp Red chili powder
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- Salt as needed
- Oil as needed
Dry spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 green cardamoms
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon
- ½ tsp Shahi jeera
- 1 star anise / star flower
- 1 strand mace
Instructions
How to make potato rice or potato pulao
- Cook rice till al dente. Rice should be grainy fully cooked and not mushy.
- Wash, peel and cut potatoes to tiny cubes. Leave them in a bowl of water till used.
- Pour oil to a hot pan, saute dry spices till they splutter
- Add onions, chopped garlic or ginger. Fry for a min or two.
- Next add cubed potatoes , roast till they are fully cooked
- Sprinkle turmeric, red chili powder,mint, salt and garam masala . Quickly saute well.
- optional step: If the potatoes are still not cooked, add little water , cover and cook till they are done. Make sure the water is evaporated before adding rice.
- Add cooked and cooled rice to the pan Mix well . Off the stove.
- Garnish potato pulao with coriander leaves and serve with papad or raita or a simple salad.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Recipe for hesarubele kosambari
2 to 4 tbsps. moong dal washed and soaked for about an hour. Drain off dal to a colander. I move the colander under the fan for extra moisture to dry up else the kosambari becomes watery later. Add grated carrot, coconut, chopped coriander leaves and green chili. For kids skip chili. Toss everything well. I do not add salt if made for lunch box since kosambari will release juices. Add salt just before you serve. You can temper this with curry leaves, hing, mustard and cumin. For the lunch box, i use no salt and no tempering is done.
Sruthi says
Super ⭐🥰
Anu says
Good
swasthi says
Thank you
Reena says
Tried making this today 4 my son’s Tiffin….it turned out superb…I added dhaniya leaves instead of pudina…
Very good recipe…thanks for sharing😊
swasthi says
Welcome Reena
Glad to know potato rice turned out good. You can check this collection for more kids’ school box. Thanks for trying.
Dash says
Made it this morning with some abberation –
Used mustard oil. Added some raisins at the end.
This recipie is yumm as hell 🙂
swasthi says
Thanks a lot for trying.
Satya says
It’s so tasty
swasthi says
Thank you
sana says
super nice dishes & mouthwatering recipes
swasthi says
Thanks
anu says
Very vry nice recipes
swasthi says
thank you
Ana says
wav So nice Spicy
swasthi says
Thanks
Goms says
I tried this today…it came out well. It was little spicy..i think its bcoz of green chillies i added. But tasted good. Thank u so much for this recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Goms, yes next time you can make it without chilli
siri says
Tasty and super
swasthi says
thanks
pavithra says
Pototo rice is easiest method thank u
swasthi says
welcome Pavitra
Hottensiah says
Good job,I love the way you garnish your rice.I cooked curd rice with your recipe and I loved the end product.Thankyou.
swasthi says
Welcome and thanks for the appreciation.
Glad to know it turned out good.
Thanks for the feedback
suma says
superbbb
swasthi says
thanks
swasthi says
Thank you very much
🙂
Nisa Homey says
Love the platter!!! I make a similar rice for my kids….for school lunch! Your pics are too tempting!
veenashankar says
simple and tasty one pot meal