Corn pulao is a spiced and tasty variant of pulao made with tender corn kernels, fragrant rice, piquant onions, and bold herbs and spices. Make this easy recipe of corn rice for quick weekday lunch or dinner and pair it with some salad or raita for a wholesome meal.
There are many ways one can make corn pulao. This recipe is a really flavorful one as a fragrant spiced green paste is made first and then added to the dish. So this recipe of corn pulao is slightly different from the other pulao recipes I have earlier posted.
This green paste makes the pulao slightly spicy and delicious. So you get the spiced flavors along with the hints of sweetness coming from the sweet corn.
You can also use our desi corn or the regular corn which is not sweet. In fact, I prefer the desi corn in this pulao, but all that I see in the market are American sweet corn, which I am not so fond of. The recipe goes well with both sweet corn as well regular desi corn.
Serve this sweet corn pulao hot or warm with a side of raita or a salad or yogurt. It also tastes good when served as it is.
How to Make Corn Pulao
1. Rinse 1 heaped cup of rice very well in water and then soak in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 minutes strain the rice well and keep it aside.
I have used Ambe Mohar rice (a local variety of short-grained rice having an aroma of mango blossoms). You can also use basmati rice or regular rice or any non-sticky variety of rice.
2. When the rice is soaking, slice the corn kernels from the corn. Keep them aside. From 1 medium corn cob, I got 1.5 cups of corn kernels. You can also use 1 cup of frozen corn kernels.
3. For the green paste, take the following ingredients in a small grinder or chutney grinder:
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 1 inch ginger (chopped)
- 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped)
- 3 to 4 small garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut or fresh coconut
4. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and grind or blend to a smooth and fine paste. You can skip coconut if you don’t have it. In this case, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water while grinding or blending.
If not blending, then you can simply add chopped coriander and mint leaves directly to the pulao after the onions become golden at step 8. In this case, also add 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and skip the desiccated coconut.
Making corn pulao
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of any neutral-flavored oil in a pan. Add the following spices and allow them to splutter.
- 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 small star anise
- 1 or 2 single strands of mace
- 1 tiny piece of stone flower (patthar ke phool)
- 4 to 5 black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Both star anise and stone flower are optional and skip if you do not have them.
6. Then add ½ cup thinly sliced onions (1 medium to large onion, sliced).
7. Saute the onion stirring often till they start becoming golden.
8. Then add the ground green paste.
9. Stir well and saute for a couple of seconds.
10. Then add the corn kernels.
11. Season with the following spices:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
12. Stir and mix very well.
13. Add rice.
14. Gently stir and mix the rice with the rest of the ingredients.
Cooking Corn Rice
15. Now add 1.75 to 2 cups water. Depending on the type and quality of rice, you can add less or more water.
For basmati rice, you can add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water. Organic basmati rice requires more water to cook. So add 2 cups of water for organic basmati rice. Stir and mix well.
16. Season with salt as required. Stir and mix again. Check the taste and the water should have a slightly salty taste.
17. Cover and pressure cook sweet corn pulao on medium heat for 2 whistles or for 9 to 12 minutes. Here I have pressure cooked for 15 minutes since this particular variety of ambe mohur rice takes a longer time to cook than basmati rice.
You can also cook this corn pulao in a pan or pot on the stove-top or in the Instant Pot adding water as required depending on the type of rice you have used.
18. When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only remove the lid. Gently fluff the corn rice with a fork. Garnish the rice with 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves.
Serve sweet corn pulao hot or warm with a side veggie salad or raita or yogurt. It makes for a comforting and delicious lunch or dinner.
For more corn recipes, you can check this collection of 22 Sweet corn recipes.
Few More Pulao Varieties For You!
Rice Recipes
Paneer Recipes
Rice Recipes
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Corn Pulao | Corn Rice
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 cup white rice heaped- 210 grams or use basmati rice or any non-sticky rice
- 1.5 cups sweet corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium to large onion, thinly sliced or ½ cup sliced onion
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 2 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish
For the green paste
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 1 inch ginger – chopped or ½ teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 or 2 green chilies – chopped
- 3 to 4 small garlic – chopped
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut or fresh coconut
- 1 to 2 tablespoon water for grinding
Whole spices
- 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 small star anise (chakriphool) – optional
- 1 or 2 single strands of mace (javitri)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 to 5 black peppers
- 1 tiny piece of stone flower (patthar ke phool) – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse rice well in water for a few times and then soak in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes drain the water from the rice well and keep aside. I used ambe mohur rice (mango blossom rice). You can also use basmati rice or regular rice.
- When the rice is soaking, slice the corn kernels from the corn. Keep them aside. From 1 medium corn cob, I got 1.5 cups corn kernels. You can also use 1 cup frozen corn kernels.
Making green paste
- Take the ingredients mentioned "for green paste" in a small grinder or chutney grinder.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and grind or blend to a smooth paste. You can skip coconut, if you don't have. In this case, add 1 to 2 teaspoon water while grinding or blending.
- If not blending then simply add chopped coriander and mint leaves after the onions are browned, directly in the pressure cooker. Also add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and skip desiccated coconut.
Making corn pulao
- Heat oil in a stovetop pressure cooker. Add all the spices mentioned under the list "whole spices". Allow them to crackle.
- Then add the thinly sliced onions. Saute stirring often onion still they start becoming golden.
- Then add the ground green paste. Stir well and saute for a couple of seconds.
- Then add the corn kernels.
- Season with the following spices – turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
- Stir very well and add the rice. Gently stir and mix the rice with the rest of the ingredients.
- Now add 1.75 to 2 cups water. Depending on the type and quality of rice, you can add water. For basmati rice, you can add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water.
- Organic basmati rice requires more water to cook. So add 2 cups of water for organic basmati rice. Stir.
- Season with salt as required. Check the taste and the water should have a slightly salty taste.
- Cover and pressure cook corn rice on a medium heat for 2 whistles or for 9 to 12 minutes. Here I pressure cooked for 15 minutes, since ambe mohur rice takes a longer time to cook than basmati rice.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, then only remove the lid. Gently fluff the rice.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- And then serve corn pulao with a side veggie salad or raita or plain yogurt or pickle of your choice.
Notes
- Feel free to use any variety of non-sticky rice. You can also use basmati rice or long-grained rice.
- I prefer to use fresh corn in most of my recipes. Though you can swap frozen corn kernels with fresh corn.
- You can use sweet corn or regular corn or desi corn.
- To make a spicy tasting corn pulao increase the number of green chilies in the green paste.
- This recipe of corn rice is scalable to be made for larger servings.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Corn Pulao post from the archives (November 2015) has been republished and updated on 28 September 2021.
I have not tried this just yet. I’m in the process of making it now, but I wanted to know if I could do the whole spices on my stovetop and then just transfer to the instant pot to pressure cook. I don’t have a stovetop pressure cooker to use at the moment.
I gave this a 5-star because I already know it’s going to be good because this is about the 4th or 5th recipe that I’ve tried and they have all been delicious. Thank you for these tasty recipes. There are plenty more that I am going to try!!!
Yes you could that. You can also sauté the ingredients with the ‘sauté’ option using the ‘less’ or ‘normal mode’ in the instant pot. Thanks so much for the trust. Happy to know that the recipes have been delicious. Most welcome and yes do try more recipes from the blog. Thanks again.
It turned out to be scrumptious… everyone from the family loved it…thanx a lot for this wonderful recipe
Welcome and thanks for sharing the lovely feedback.
Tried this recipe today and it was super tasty.The ground paste gives a nice flavor and aroma to the dish. Everybody loved it.Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.Deserving of 5 stars.(stars are not showing when clicked )
thank you winnie. yes it does. not sure why the stars are not showing. will check. thanks again.
Tried it for the first time, really nice, I added capsicum too. Importantly my son and husband liked it! Thanks for the delicious recipe
thanks aparna for sharing this positive review on corn pulao recipe. glad to know. welcome and happy cooking.
For this what is side dish like gravy or????
side dish can be any raita like onion-tomato raita or cucumber raita or even plain dahi. you can even serve with a simple dal fry or dal takda.
Dear Dassana,
Wonderful recipe… I always follow your recipes … You are too good… Thank you for sharing..
Welcome Kirana. Glad to know this.
Wow, Its great your corn pulao recipe.Looks very tasty!
thanks kenniceangle
Tried this tonight…. it’s really yummy…. thanks for sharing the recipe…
welcome shona and thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Its really good blog and refer to it every time whenever I’m searching for a recipe. The proportions are accurate and the photographs bring make it so easy to follow the steps. Tried diiferent recipes of rice and sweet dishes. Thank you…!!!
thankyou so much kritali 🙂 pleased to know this and you are always welcome.
This is an excellent Dish, when i tried it for the second time i fell short of corn and added some panneer instead and that elevated the taste even more.
Thank you much for such a nice dish.
pleased to know this madhuhasini 🙂 glad you liked the corn pulao recipe. thankyou for tryning our recipes and you are welcome.
Nice one Madam,Tried and it turned to be Soo nice that my daughter,wife and all loved it.Thank you.
thank you suneel for this review. nice to know.
Just ate this for lunch and it was yummy… Thanks for sharing your recipes… 🙂
welcome neha 🙂
Dassana, my angel!
Yeah, you are an angel! Love all your recipes. Tried this corn pulao for lunch. Me and my kids enjoyed it so much 🙂 Thank you so much for this great service that you are doing. God bless you dear! 🙂
thanks a lot karthika for your awesome feedback as well as for kind wishes.
If you ever plan to come to kumarakom, do contact me. I would take you around 🙂
thank you very much karthika. will keep in mind. by the way, we were in kumarakom in september this year for a few days 🙂
Really???Missed meeting you!!! 🙁 🙁
🙁 🙁 destiny. but kumarakom is a lovely place. it haunted me for quite some time after we came back. loved the back water, the greenery, the water canals. it was so magical when we stayed there. priceless precious nature 🙂
Hi dassana, what can i substitute corn in this pulao….
you can use green peas or mixed veggies like carrots, beans, cauliflower, potatoes, peas.
Thank u.. Love all ur recipes
thank you navya.