Vegan Rice Plov
This vegan rice plov is easy and flavorful. It’s perfect for a date night or will help turn any get together into a delightful evening. It’s a quick recipe that requires very little prep and is one of my very favorites. Take note that this recipe is proportioned for three servings. So if you’re making dinner for two, you’ll have one serving leftover for a lazy lunch the next day. This vegan rice plov is also versatile. You can customize it with your own preference of protein and seasoning.
When I lived in Brooklyn, New York, I shared an apartment with two Russian girls for a short period of time. They introduced me to this delicious dish and made it frequently. I remember eating one serving after another because I couldn’t stop myself! Sometimes I would even tiptoe into the kitchen in the middle of the night and have a few bites of this amazing plov. Sadly, I was not cooking as much back then and forgot to ask for the recipe.
I recently started to crave that plov again and created this recipe from my memory of its flavor profile. I think I nailed it. At least, everyone loved it over a Thanksgiving dinner. Since then I have made this plov multiple times and it’s always a hit. Now it’s a staple recipe in my kitchen. Please do yourself a favor and do not pass this one up!
Authentic Russian plov has beef or lamb. We will be making a vegan version with seitan, but feel free to add your own choice of protein. Its main ingredients are simple: rice, onion, carrots and cumin. I use a food processor to shred carrots, which only takes a minute. I also use basmati rice. Jasmine rice will also work, but I prefer the texture of basmati rice in this lovely dish.
I encourage you to share your experience in the comments below if you tried this Vegan Rice Plov recipe or made it differently. If you took a photo, please share with me on my instagram account ‘zesty_zahra’ and I will share your stories there. I am always happy to learn about people’s food choices and preferences!
Vegan Rice Plov
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil/Avocado Oil
- 4 oz Seitan strips
- 1 cup Yellow Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
- ½ cup Carrots shredded
- 2 cups Water
- 1 cup Rice
- 1½ tsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
Garnish
- Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and seitan and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- Add onion and cook until slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle water if the mixture sticks to the pan.
- Add garlic, carrot and parsley and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle more water as needed.
- Add two cups of water, rice, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 20 minutes or until the water dissolves. During this time, keep the lid slightly open to let the steam out while cooking.
- Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.