
Sama Rice Pulao Recipe with step by step photos | vrat ke chawal ka pulav – a very quick and healthy pulao recipe that you can prepare during vrat or fasts. This pulao is – gluten free, one-pot meal, perfect for fasts and filling.
It is so simple and filling that you can even prepare this during non-fasting days. There is not much pre-preparation required for the recipe. You just need to soak sama rice for 30 minutes. We have used water and buttermilk to cook this pulao, but you can even cook this with water. But do try the recipe with buttermilk, since it gives a very nice mild tangy flavour to the saama pulao. Refer to our Recipe / Notes section for the proportion.
What is Sama rice?
Sama Rice is known as Barnyard Millet in English.
In regional languages, it is known as – Samo rice, Samak rice, Mordhan, Vrat ka Chawal, Vari Cha Tandul, Bhagar or Kodri, Jungle rice.
Sama rice is not rice, but a gluten-free, fibre-rich, and nutritious tiny, round, cream-coloured grain, that is smaller than the rice grain and sago pearls and slightly bigger than sooji (semolina).
Team up this healthy and delicious with vrat ki kadhi.
You can serve this pulao with any raita –
Mixed Fruit Raita
Beetroot Raita
Sweet Potato Raita
Masala Dahi
How to make Sama Rice Pulao Recipe | Step-wise process
- Wash sama rice under tap water. Soak in enough water for 30 minutes.

- Heat oil in a pan. Add dry red chilli, cumin seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and 2 cups water.
- NOTE: We will be adding 1 cup buttermilk (chaas) at a later stage. But if you want to prepare the recipe with only water, then add 3 cups of water at this stage. In that case, cover and cook for 5 minutes and keep checking and stirring in-between.

- Once it boils, add salt.
- Drain excess water from soaked sama rice and add them to boiling water.
- Cover and cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes or till all the moisture is absorbed. Keep checking in-between and stir once.

- Now add 1 cup buttermilk. Mix, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes or till moisture is absorbed.

- If you feel that it is not cooked, then cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- NOTE: Instead of 2 cups water and 1 cup buttermilk, you can add 3 cups water.


Other Vrat Recipes on the blog –
Sabudana Khichdi
Vrat ka Dhokla
Raw Banana Chivda
Sama ke chawal ki kheer
Vrat Special Thali
Recipe Card

Sama Rice Pulao Recipe | vrat ke chawal ka pulav
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Ingredients (1 cup = 240 ml)
- 1 cup sama rice (barnyard millet)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup buttermilk/chaas refer to the notes section if you want to skip adding buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
- 8-10 curry leaves/kadi patta
- 1 green chilli, slit
- 1 broken dry red chilli, deseeded
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon sendha namak (or regular salt)
Instructions
- Wash sama rice under tap water. Soak in enough water for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add dry red chilli, cumin seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and 2 cups water. Once it boils, add salt. NOTE: We will be adding 1 cup buttermilk (chaas) at a later stage. But if you want to prepare the recipe with only water, then add 3 cups of water at this stage. In that case, cover and cook for 5 minutes and keep checking and stirring in-between.
- Drain excess water from soaked sama rice and add them to boiling water.
- Cover and cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes or till all the moisture is absorbed. Keep checking in-between and stir once.
- Now add 1 cup buttermilk. Mix, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes or till moisture is absorbed.
- If you feel that it is not cooked, then cook for 2-3 minutes more.NOTE: Instead of 2 cups water and 1 cup buttermilk, you can add 3 cups water.
- Saama Pulao is ready.
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