Palak pulao or spinach rice is a super yummy and healthy rice recipe made with finely chopped spinach and long grain rice in ghee. I love topping this pulao with ghee fried garlic slices to make it even more delicious
Hello and welcome to the palak pulao (pilaf) or spinach rice recipe post. This green and yummy fried rice recipe is a quick, one pot meal. And it works very well even with left over rice too. So, apart from being a wholesome, recipe this is an efficient one as well. I say so, because, spinach or palak is a super food. This leafy vegetable, is low in calorie and loaded with nutrients. However, if you are one of those, who don’t like spinach much, then this palak pulao (pilaf) is going to alter your taste – for the better. And the fried garlic slices, sprinkled over it, further adds to the flavors. This mildly spiced rice, tastes yummy on its own, as well as with some chilled and spiced yoghurt.
Moreover, this palak pula or spinach rice, is a great lunch-box recipe. You can pre-cook the rice, stir fry it the next morning and pack it in your tiffin box. Also, this is a kid-friendly recipe. And, what could be a more yummy way to feed your kids spinach? With so many plus points, this recipe is surely for keeps.
Quick and easy recipe
You are going to be able to make this pulao in under 30 minutes. Furthermore, you will need really minimal ingredients for this Indian rice recipe. And, these are the reasons why, I said this is a great lunch-box idea. To make the rice, I have finely chopped the spinach. While I have used a food processor here but you can even shred it using a knife. However, I would not recommend, making a paste of the leaves. Using the spinach in a puree´ form, takes away any texture that the chopped ones give to the rice. Also, I have made this stir fried rice in ghee. But, you you want to make a vegan version, you can replace it with vegetable oil too.
Also see
Palak paneer (spinach and paneer curry)
Aloo palak (potatoes in spinach curry)
Easy homemade crispy palak pakora
Summer recipe
This palak pulao (pilaf) is a great summer recipe. We generally tend to eat light and fresh meals when temperatures are soaring, and this one perfectly fits the bill. Neither does it take long to cook this, nor is it heavy on the tummy. And when combined with a bowl of chilled yoghurt – you’ve beaten the heat!
Now that you know, how simple yet amazing this healthy palak pulao (pilaf) or spinach rice is, I hope you will give it a try soon. And when you do, let me know your thoughts about it. I may have missed a couple recipe steps pictures in there. Nonetheless, I have elaborated the steps, in words, well enough (I hope!). I’d love to hear from you, and see pictures of any recipe, of mine, that you’ve tried. You can share your food pictures with me over on Instagram, too.
Eat hearty!
Palak pulao or spinach rice
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot with lid
Ingredients
- 300 g spinach leaves or palak finely chopped
- 250 g Basmati rice/long grain rice washed and soaked in water for 15 minutes
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 cardamom
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chilis
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2-3 cloves garlic finely sliced
- 4 tbsp ghee
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a pan with a two tablespoons of ghee and add the whole spices. When aromatic, add the onions, half of the salt and sauté until onions turn light golden. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for couple minutes more
- Then add the chopped tomatoes, chilis and cook until they turn mushy, add splashes of water in case the pan dries out. Throw in all the spice powders, mix well. Add a few tablespoons of water and cook the masalas until the ghee separates
- Add the chopped palak or spinach and stir fry on high heat, until the moisture evaporates and the raw smell of the vegetable goes away. Next, add the drained rice grains, mix well and add the salt*
- Pour 500g (double the quantity of rice) of water and cook over medium high flame until the water from the surface dries out. Then lower the flame to a minimum and cook covered for 7 minutes and remove from heat. Keep covered
- In a separate small pan, heat remaining ghee and add the sliced garlic. Fry until it turns golden. Drizzle the garlic and ghee over the prepared rice, do not mix. Keep covered for 7-10 minutes so that the garlic flavor can infuse
- Remove lid, fluff the rice using a fork and gently mix without breaking the rice grains. Serve your delicious spinach rice or palak pulao with raita or chilled yoghurt. Enjoy!
Notes
- *Do a taste check before adding the salt as spinach by nature also tends to be salty
- To make a vegan version of the pulao, substitute the ghee with any neutral oil
- You could also pair some crunchy popadoms (papad) with the rice. It is an enjoyable combination, as well
- Measure the water in the same container you measure the rice. Water to be added is always twice the quantity of the rice
- g - grams
- tsp - teaspoon
- tbsp - tablespoon
