A quick, wholesome, and flavorful soya mint pulao made in a stovetop pressure cooker! This one-pot dish is perfect for those hectic weekdays when you want something nutritious yet delicious.
Fresh mint leaves bring a refreshing aroma and flavor to pulao and biryani, and I love using them in different recipes like mint pickle/thokku, mint rice, and mint rasam. Today, I’m sharing a pulao recipe that combines the bold taste of mint with the protein-packed goodness of soy chunks.
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Why you’ll love this pulao
- Easy one-pot meal, ready in under 40 minutes
- Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free
- Protein-rich with soy chunks
- Mildly spiced, making it toddler- and elder-friendly
- Perfect for lunch boxes and meal prep
Ingredients you’ll need
This pulao uses a fresh green masala paste for maximum flavor.
- Masala paste: mint leaves, cilantro, green chilies, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, black stone flower, coconut, and garam masala.
- Soy chunks: I’ve used mini soya chunks, but regular ones work too—just chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Rice: Basmati rice for that classic pulao fragrance. You can also use millets or other rice varieties (check notes for cooking times). Also you can check my millet pulao too.
- Onions: One medium-sized onion, finely chopped.
- Oil: Coconut oil for unique flavor (or ghee/neutral oil if you prefer).
- Basic pantry staples: Salt and water.
Check the recipe card below for exact measurements and alternatives.
Dietary Notes & Serving Suggestions
This soya mint pulao is:
- Vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.
- Great for meal prep—stays fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Best served with onion raita, but also pairs beautifully with kurma or potato curry or biryani chammanthi.
How to make soya mint pulao
Prep Work
- Soak mini soy chunks in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse if needed, and squeeze out excess water.
- Rinse and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes.
Make the Green Masala
- In a blender, grind together mint leaves, cilantro, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black stone flower, coconut, and garam masala with ¼ cup water into a coarse paste. Set aside.
Cook the Pulao
- Heat a pressure cooker with 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
- Stir in the ground masala along with ¼ cup water (rinse the blender jar) and cook until the raw aroma disappears.
- Add drained soy chunks, soaked rice, salt, and 1.5 cups water.
- Pressure cook for 1 whistle (or 2 whistles if rice is aged). Let pressure release naturally.
- Fluff gently and serve hot with raita.
Recipe Notes
- Adjust green chilies and salt to your taste.
- Skip tomatoes and red chili powder to keep the pulao vibrant green.
- Use up to 1.5 cups of mint leaves for a deeper flavor and color.
- For Instant Pot: Use sauté mode for masala prep, then cook in Rice mode (low pressure, 12 mins).
- Cooking time may vary depending on the rice variety—adjust whistles or water as needed.
- Works well with seeraga samba rice or sona masoori rice Water ratios vary by rice type:
- Basmati: 1.5 cups water
- Seeraga samba: 1.5 cups water
- Sona masoori: 2 cups water
- You can swap soya chunks with paneer, tofu, mushrooms, or chickpeas.
- Ginger-garlic paste is optional but can be added for extra depth.
More pulao recipes
Pulao makes a fantastic lunch box dish, and I have plenty of varieties made with both stovetop pressure cookers and Instant Pots. Some reader favorites include spinach pulao, corn pulao, and millet-based versions—be sure to check them out!
PS – Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates. If you try this soya mint pulao recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will respond as soon as possible.
📖 Recipe
Soya Mint Pulao (One-Pot Pressure Cooker)
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 cup soy chunks mini
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup mint leaves tightly packed, destemmed
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 3 green chilies
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
- 2- inch cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp black stone flower kalpaasi
- ¼ cup coconut
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ –½ cup water for grinding
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ¾ cup onion 1 medium, chopped
- 1.5 tsp oil
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 tsp Salt or to taste
Instructions
- Soak soy chunks in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and squeeze out water.
- Rinse and soak rice for 30 minutes.
- Grind mint, cilantro, green chilies, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black stone flower, coconut, and garam masala with water into a coarse paste.
- Heat a pressure cooker with oil. Sauté onions until translucent.
- Add ground masala and cook until raw aroma disappears.
- Stir in soy chunks, soaked rice, water, and salt.
- Pressure cook for 1 whistle (or 2 if using aged rice). Let pressure release naturally.
- Fluff rice and serve hot with raita or curry.
Video
Notes
- Adjust green chilies and salt to your taste.
- Skip tomatoes and red chili powder to keep the pulao vibrant green.
- Use up to 1.5 cups of mint leaves for a deeper flavor and color.
- For Instant Pot: Use sauté mode for masala prep, then cook in Rice mode (low pressure, 12 mins).
- Cooking time may vary depending on the rice variety—adjust whistles or water as needed.
- Works well with seeraga samba rice or sona masoori rice (see water ratios in notes).
- You can swap soya chunks with paneer, tofu, mushrooms, or chickpeas.
- Ginger-garlic paste is optional but can be added for extra depth.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
The fresh mint masala sounds so refreshing, and I love that this is a one-pot meal with protein from the soy chunks. Perfect for busy weeknights yet still wholesome.
Absolutely. We love it for our lunch boxes too.
I’ve tried one or two other recipes on your site, and I really enjoyed them. I made this last night, and it was another hit. I like how easy so many of your recipes are!
Thanks a lot.
Ooh. We loved the blend of the warmth of the spices and the coolness of the mint. This is really good. Much easier than I thought, too!
Thanks a lot.
So good! I have never had this dish before, but I’ve tried a few others on your site, so I knew I’d enjoy it. I was not disappointed!
Thanks. Please let me know how this one turned out.