Samak Rice Pulao, also called sama ke chawal ka pulao or barnyard millet pulao, is an easy one-pot Indian recipe made with sama rice, potatoes, peanuts, cashews, and mild spices. It is a popular fasting recipe for Navratri, Ekadashi, and other vrat days.
This samak rice pulao recipe is ready in about 30 minutes, with soft, fluffy grains and crunchy peanuts and cashews. Serve it with plain yogurt or vrat chutney for a filling fasting meal. I have shared step-by-step photos and a quick video tutorial to help you make it easily at home.
About This Samak Rice Pulao Recipe
My mom used to make sama ke chawal ka pulao during Navratri fasting. We call sama rice varai tandul at home, and this simple pulao still brings back those childhood memories.
To make this barnyard millet pulao, samak rice is cooked with potatoes, tomatoes, ginger, green chilies, and mild spices. It is finished with crunchy fried peanuts, cashews, and fresh coriander. If you are not making it for fasting, you can also add vegetables such as carrots and green peas.
I love making this samak chawal pulao when I want a quick and filling meal. The combination of soft samak rice, crunchy peanuts and cashews, and fresh coriander makes it especially delicious.
And the best part is that it all comes together in one pan. Other popular fasting recipes you may like to try are Maharashtrian Sabudana Khichdi or Crispy Sabudana Vada.
What is Samak Rice?
Samak rice, also called sama ke chawal, samak, samvat, samo, varai, or barnyard millet, is a small-grained millet commonly used in Indian fasting recipes. Even though it's called "rice," it is not regular rice. It is a millet that is often used as a rice substitute during vrat and fasting.
Barnyard millet is a healthy grain that is low in calories and is full of fiber. This keeps you full/satisfied longer during fasting.
Ingredients for Samak Rice Pulao
Sama ke chawal ka pulao is a tasty vrat pulao recipe that's easy to make at home. Samak rice is made with simple ingredients like green chilies, ginger, potato, salt, and pepper. Here's what you will need to make this samak pulao recipe.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Samak rice: Use sama ke chawal/samak rice, also sold as barnyard millet or vrat ke chawal. Rinse it well before soaking.
- Ghee: I prefer ghee for fasting recipes, but you can use oil if you prefer a vegan version.
- Whole Spices: I have used green cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds. They add a beautiful aroma and a nice flavor to the pulao recipe.
- Cashews and peanuts: Peanuts add a lovely crunch, while cashews make the pulao richer. You can skip the cashews if you prefer.
- Ginger and green chilies: Add flavor and aroma to this sama ke pulao recipe. If you do not prefer spicy pulao, skip adding green chilies.
- Tomatoes: If you do not add tomatoes to vrat recipes, skip adding them.
- Potatoes: Potatoes make this pulao more filling. Cut them into small pieces so they cook along with the samak rice.
Fasting note: Fasting rules vary between families and regions. I use tomato, curry leaves, and whole spices in this recipe. Skip any ingredient that is not allowed during your fasting tradition.
How to make Samak Rice Pulao with Step-by-Step Photos
Preparations for making Vrat ka Pulao
1) Wash the sama ke chawal (samak rice) under running water 2-3 times. This helps remove any excess starch and makes the grains fluffier when cooked. Soak it for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Making Samak Rice Pulao (Barnyard Millet Pulao)
2) Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Fry cashews until lightly golden, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Set aside on a plate.
3) Add the peanuts and roast until crisp. Transfer them to the plate with the cashews.
4) Lower the heat to medium-low and add green cardamoms, cloves, and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle. Next, add ginger, curry leaves, and green chilies. Fry for about a minute.
5) Add tomatoes and cook for a minute. Add potatoes and fry for another minute.
6) Season with salt (use rock salt or sendha namak for fasting) and stir-fry until the tomatoes are soft.
7) Drain the soaked sama ke chawal and add it to the pan. Mix well with the spices and vegetables, and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
8) Add 2 cups of water, lemon juice, and black pepper, and stir everything together. Let the water come to a boil.
9) Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, check whether the rice is cooked. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, if needed, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Turn off the heat.
10) Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the fried peanuts, cashews, and coriander leaves. Serve the samak rice pulao with curd, chutney, or raita.
Pro Tip: Samak rice can look slightly sticky immediately after cooking. Let it rest covered for 10 minutes, then gently fluff it with a fork. The grains will firm up as they cool.
Tips to make the Best Fluffy Samak Rice Pulao
- Soak before cooking: Soaking sama rice for 10-15 minutes before cooking helps the grains cook faster and more evenly.
- Water ratio: Use the right water ratio. Generally, 1 cup of sama ke chawal needs 2 cups of water for cooking. Too much water can make it mushy, while too little can leave it undercooked.
- Cook on low heat: After adding water, cook this vrat pulao on low heat with a lid on. This allows the samak grains to absorb water slowly and cook evenly.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, I use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of soaked samak rice. The exact amount may vary slightly depending on the brand of samak rice and how soft you prefer the grains.
Samak rice can become mushy if too much water is used. For fluffy grains, rinse the rice well and soak it for 10-15 minutes. Drain it completely before cooking and use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of soaked samak rice. Cook covered on low heat and let the pulao rest for 10 minutes before fluffing.
Yes, you can. Skip tomatoes. You can add any vegetables of your choice, like carrots, green peas, or beans, if you're not making this pulao recipe during vrat or fasting.
Samak rice is commonly eaten during vrat because it is a millet rather than regular rice or other cereal grains. However, fasting rules vary between families and regions, so check which ingredients are allowed according to your fasting tradition.
Recipe Card
Samak Rice Pulao (Barnyard Millet Pulao) Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Pot/pan with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 cup samak rice/sama rice/samvat /barnyard millet
- 1 tablespoon of ghee
- 10 cashews (or almonds)
- ¼ cup peanuts (groundnut, shengdana, or mungfali)
- 1 green cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1- inch ginger
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- 2-3 green chilies add as per taste
- 1 tomato optional
- 1 potato small size, if bigger in size then half is enough
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparations for making Pulao
- Wash the sama ke chawal (samak rice) under running water for 2-3 times. This helps remove any excess starch and makes the grains fluffier when cooked. Soak it for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Making Samak Rice Pulao (Barnyard Millet Pulao)
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Fry cashews until lightly golden, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Set aside on a plate.
- Add peanuts to the same pan and stir-fry over medium heat until crisp, listening for a crackling sound to indicate they're cooked. Remove to the plate with the cashews.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add green cardamoms, cloves, and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle. Next add ginger, curry leaves, and green chilies. Fry for about a minute.
- Add tomatoes and cook for a minute. Add potatoes and fry for another minute. Season with salt (use rock salt or sendha namak for fasting) and stir-fry until the tomatoes are soft.
- Drain the soaked sama ke chawal and add it to the pan. Mix well with the spices and vegetables, and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water, lemon juice, and black pepper, and stir everything together. Let the water come to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, check whether the rice is cooked. I cooked it for another 2 minutes on low heat. Once the water is fully absorbed and the grains are soft yet separate, turn off the heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the fried peanuts, cashews, and coriander leaves. Serve the samak rice pulao with curd, chutney, or raita.
Notes
- Soak samak rice before cooking: It helps the samak rice grains cook faster and more evenly.
- Water ratio: Use the right water ratio - generally, 1 cup of sama ke chawal needs 2 cups of water. Too much water can make it mushy, while too little can leave it undercooked.
- Cook on low heat: After adding water, cover and cook sama rice pulao on low heat. This allows the grains to absorb water slowly and cook evenly.
- Let sama pulao cool for fluffier grains: After cooking, let it cool slightly before serving. When hot, the samak rice will be sticky. Allow it to cool down for 15 minutes, and the grains will become fluffy, non-sticky, and separate.
- Fasting note: Fasting rules vary between families and regions. I use tomato, curry leaves, and whole spices in this recipe. If these ingredients are not part of your fasting rules, simply skip them.
- Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More vrat recipes to try!
- Sabudana Khichdi
- Sabudana Vada
- Sabudana Thalipeeth
- Kashmiri Dum Aloo (No Onion, No Garlic)
- Bharwa Bhindi (No Onion, No Garlic)
Sahira
It was delicious. My first try. Thanks for sharing.
Preeti
Glad you like it.