Palak rice or spinach rice recipe Indian style is a great way of adding greens to your lunch. It helps you increase your Iron content in the long run. Also, gives you a change from plain white bowl with lentils. It is a great way of having spinach and other greens instead of making a curry. Make it vegan and gluten free. Choose your way to good health! Best palak recipe which is easy yet quick, even good for kids lunch box.
Pilaf or pulao are great for a quick lunch or dinner. All traditional cuisines have their rice recipe, traditionally known as bhaat or chawar. I have to eat it once a day so my week has pilaf in different colors. Learn how as you scroll below.
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Ingredients
- palak / baby spinach leaves /fresh spinach leaves
- rice ( I prefer basmati rice)
- Fresh ginger
- Cumin seeds
- Green chillies
- Ghee / oil for tempering if vegan
- Lemon juice
- Salt as per taste
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make recipe of palak rice?
1. Soak rice for 10 mins after washing it 3-4 times. Meanwhile, heat oil or ghee in your pan, as per your choice. Sauté crushed ginger, cumin seeds and green chili as per taste.
2. In a blender, add chopped spinach leaves and blend it without water. It should result in a puree <1 cup. Add this puree to the pan.
3. Let it cook for few minutes.
4. Add soaked rice along with salt.
5. Add 1- ¾ cup water and stir. Hint: Always add some water to your blender and remove residue of puree from it so that no nutrients are lost.
6. Let it come to a boil.
7. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let it cook until water evaporates. Serve pulao with pickle or curry.
Hint: Iron is best absorbed in the body, when you avoid dairy along with it. This is important if you are vegetarian. Adding vitamin C loaded lemon juice also enables iron absorption.
How to make spinach rice in instant pot?
You can easily make instant pot spinach rice.The only difference is the amount of water that is required. Since instant pot cooks like a pressure cooker, there is less water required for this recipe of spinach rice .
- Similar to the recipe above. Use the saute option,Heat oil, add cumin seeds, ginger,chillies ,add spinach and then add rice.
Add water ( I add 1.25X times the quantity of rice)
Close the lid and choose pressure cook mode in seal position . Cook on high for 4 minutes and release after 5 minutes.
- Open the lid, add a tablespoon at lemon juice.
Serve this warm with a salad.
Related links
Easy Spinach rice recipe | instant pot palak rice recipe
Equipment
- saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 piece ginger small
- 2 cup spinach leaves / palak chopped
- 1 cup rice washed and soaked for 20 mins
- 1 ¾ cup water if cooking in a pot, use 1.25X times water if cooking in instant pot.
- 1 tbsp. or juice of ½ lemon
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Soak rice for 30 mins after washing it 3-4 times.Meanwhile, heat oil or ghee in your pan, as per your choice. Saute crushed ginger, cumin seeds and green chillies as per taste.
- In a blender, add chopped spinach leaves and blend it without water. It should result in a puree little less than 1 cup. Add this puree to the pan.
- Let it cook for few minutes.Add soaked rice along with salt.
- Add 1 ¾ cup water and stir. Hint: Always add some water to your blender and remove residue of puree from it so that no nutrients are lost.
- Let it come to a boil and cook it on low flame
- Add a dash of lemon juice and let it cook until water evaporates. Check if the rice is cooked, if not, add ¼ cup water.
- Serve it with any curry/pickle or have it just as it is.
For instant pot
- Follow the same instructions, just that the water used to cook is 1.25X times the rice quantity. Hence for 1 cup rice , use 1 ¼ cup water.
- Close the lid and choose pressure cook mode in sealing position . Cook on high for 4 minutes and do a quick release after 5 minutes.
- Open the lid, add a tablespoon at lemon juice. Serve warm with a salad
Notes
Variations & Substitutions
- This is a no onion no garlic recipe as many strict vegetarians avoid it. However, as a variation you may add onions and garlic to your palak pulao recipe.
- Adding vegetable soup stock cubes can also enhance the flavor. However, that contains onion garlic and salt. Hence, adjust salt accordingly.
- You can also add whole spices such as black pepper, bay leaves,cinnamon sticks, green cardamom or green chilies or a teaspoon of garam masala powder to this rice dish.
- Add green peas, bell pepper, chopped carrot or veggies of your choice.
- You can make this green rice Indian style recipe with any kind of spinach, fenugreek or greens available with you. You can make this indian style spinach rice with brown rice instead of white basmati.
Storage
You can store spinach puree in a freezer whenever you are cooking or blanching spinach for other curries like aloo palak, saag paneer and chana saag over the weekend. Make a palak pulao or palak biryani next day for an easy meal. You can also make a palak paneer pulao by adding some paneer to the above recipe if you are a vegetarian.
Top tip
Make sure you choose water quantity according to the variety being used like basmati, sona masuri or long grained version . Some varieties need more water to cook.
FAQs
What is Greek spinach rice called?
Spanakorizo. However, it has Feta cheese in it. Basically you can call it palak paneer rice.
Should you fluff rice after cooking?
Fluff it with fork once rice is cooked. Never mix it while cooking as it gets lumpy.
What are Benefits of spinach
- Greens are good for your gut and helps aid digestion.
- It is good way to improve vitamin A too.
- It improves your metabolism and energy levels too.
- Helps manage blood pressure and supports the brain too.
- It is full of anti-oxidants and helps clear the skin too.
- Aids hair growth and reduces inflammation.
Easy Indian lunch box ideas
Fluffy rice recipe is a gluten-free dish hence there is no problem if someone has allergies. When I crave green, it is hariyali pulao, spinach pulao. Yellow calls for lemon pulihora or ven pongal. Orange/brown calls for Tamarind pulihora or puliyogre while red calls for South Indian tomato rice.
When I m in no mood to cook or unwell it is khichdi and daddojanam/ thayir sadam/ curd rice. If I am craving garlic its thoom ware chawar or green garlic pulao. If i want something sweet, zarda or tairi and chakkara pongal.
Conclusion: Pilaf or pulao are great for a quick lunch or easy recipe for dinner. instant pot rice recipe and one-pot meals are a great way to avoid takeaway too.
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