PALAK PULAO - This is a tasty, healthy, and fragrant Indian rice dish made with fresh spinach leaves, rice, and a few spices that can be prepared in one pot. This post includes both Instant pot and stovetop methods.
It's a great lunch box recipe that can then be served plain or with raita made with yoghurt.
My family enjoyed this pulao very much as it is very mild with full of flavours. This pulao is rich in Iron and other minerals.
Sending this quick and easy Palak pulao recipe as my 9th-day post to the Blogging Marathon
Ingredients to make pulao
- Basmati rice -1cup
- Finely chopped spinach – 1cup
- Green peas – ¼cup
- chopped onion -1
- Garam masala – ½tsp
- Peppercorns – ½tsp
- Shahi jeera-1tsp
- Cloves-2nos
- Cardamon-2nos
- Bay leaves -1
- Salt to taste
- Oil-1tsp
- Ghee-2tbsp
To Grind:
- Green chillies -4
- Garlic pods- 3or4
- Ginger – ½inch
Palak Pulao with step by step instructions
Stovetop method:
Wash and soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes.
Heat a non-stick pan, add ghee, oil once they heat, add shah jeera along with cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
Next, add the chopped onions and sauté them for a minute or until onions turn into translucent.
Add grounded green chilli, garlic, ginger paste and fry till raw smell goes.
Next add green peas, finely chopped spinach leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Drain the water from the rice and add to the saucepan and mix gently without
breaking the rice and fry for a minute. Add garam masala and mix well.
Then add 1 ½ cup of hot water and check the seasonings.
Cover with lid and cook on low flame for 15 minutes or till the rice is cooked.
Then gently fluff up the rice with a fork and transfer into a serving plate.
Enjoy tasty and delicious Palak pulao with raita.
Instant pot method:
First, wash and soak basmati rice in plenty of water for 15 minutes. Once the 15minutes are over, drain the water from the rice and keep it aside.
Next, in a blender add green chillies, garlic pods, ginger and grind into a smooth paste by adding some water.
Now, place the inner pot inside of the instant pot and switch on the saute mode. Once the inner pot is hot, add oil and ghee.
Then add shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leave and stir it well.
Next, add chopped onions and fry it until the onion is translucent.
After that, add ground paste and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Then add finely chopped spinach leaves and sauté for few minutes.
Now add the soaked rice and sauté for few minutes. Then add garam masala and mix well.
Add 1 ¼ cup of water and adjust the salt according to your taste. Mix well.
Cancel the sauté mode.
Then close the lid and keep the valve in sealing mode. Select pressure cook mode and set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
Once the cooking time is done, allow 10 minutes and release pressure manually.
Finally add the frozen peas and mix well without breaking the rice.
How to serve this palak pulao?
You can serve this rice with plain yoghurt, raita or papadum or with any curry like JEERA ALOO and ALOO GOBI.
How to store Pulao?
Allow the rice to cool down completely. Store the rice in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Thaw the rice in the fridge overnight before Reheating.
Notes
- Adjust spices according to your taste
- You can use normal rice instead of basmati rice
- To avoid burn, make sure there is enough liquid while cooking the rice.
- In the stovetop method for 1 cup rice:1, ½ cup water is required.
- In instant pot method for 1 cup rice: 1, ¼ cup water
- You can make it Vegan by skipping the ghee.
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Palak Pulao Recipe | Spinach Pulao Recipe
Ingredients
- Basmati rice -1cup
- Finely chopped spinach – 1cup
- Green peas – ¼cup
- chopped onion -1
- Garam masala – ½tsp
- Pepper corns – ½tsp
- Shah jeera-1tsp
- Cloves-2nos
- Cardamon-2nos
- Bay leaves -1
- Salt to taste
- Oil-1tsp
- Ghee-2tbsp
To Grind:
- Green chillies -4
- Garlic pods- 3or4
- Ginger – ½inch
Instructions
Stovetop method:
- Wash and soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan, add ghee, oil once they heat, add shah jeera along with cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
- Next, add the chopped onions and sauté them for a minute or until onions turn into translucent.
- Add grounded green chilli, garlic, ginger paste and fry till raw smell goes.
- Next add green peas, finely chopped spinach leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the water from the rice and add to the sauce pan and mix gently without
- breaking the rice and fry for a minute. Add garam masala and mix well.
- Then add 1 ½ cup of hot water and check the seasonings.
- Cover with lid and cook on low flame for 15 minutes or till the rice is cooked.
- Then gently fluff up the rice with fork and transfer into a serving plate.
- Enjoy tasty and delicious Palak pulao with raita.
Instant pot method:
- First, wash and soak basmati rice in plenty of water for 15 minutes. Once the 15minutes are over, drain the water from the rice and keep it aside.
- Next, in a blender add green chillies, garlic pods, ginger and grind into a smooth paste by adding some water.
- Now, place the inner pot inside of the instant pot and switch on the saute mode. Once the inner pot is hot, add oil and ghee.
- Then add shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leave and stir it well.
- Next, add chopped onions and fry it until the onion is translucent.
- After that, add ground paste and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Then add finely chopped spinach leaves and sauté for few minutes.
- Now add the soaked rice and sauté for few minutes. Then add garam masala and mix well.
- Add 1 ¼ cup of water and adjust the salt according to your taste. Mix well. Cancel the saute mode.
- Then close the lid and keep the valve in sealing mode. Select pressure cook mode and set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is done, allow 10 minutes and release pressure manually.
- Finally add the frozen peas and mix well without breaking the rice.
Notes
- Adjust spices according to your taste
- You can use normal rice instead of basmati rice
- To avoid burn, make sure there is enough liquid while cooking the rice.
- In the stovetop method for 1 cup rice:1, ½ cup water is required.
- In instant pot method for 1 cup rice: 1, ¼ cup water
- You can make it Vegan by skipping the ghee.
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Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99
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such a flavourful, power packed dish Pavani... so nutritious too ...
Very nice combo of paalak and peas , nutritious , protein packed rice . We make methi and mattar , now I shall try paalak mattar !
Palak and peas is a great combo. Perfect way to feed palak to fussy kids. Yummy
Spinach and peas make a nutritious combo and the pulao looks colorful. Great for lunch boxes or a quick one pot meal.
A great way to sneak in spinach. I make it similarly but I do add some coconut while grinding. Love this version of yours.
This pulao has surely turned out great pavani, the rice looks excellent!
This meal looks delicious. I have to try this recipe. Thanks.
Thank you Enoch.Please try this recipe and give your feedback.
This is one amazing way to make kids eat palak. The rice looks so yum and we can always call it coriander if kids ask.
Love palak pulao in all its variety. Simple and nutritious for sure.
Even i made palak pulao will be posting it this week... Pics are beautiful!!
A healthy way to feed the fussy eaters some palak. Rice is a favourite of my kids and with that beautiful green colour from palak My kids would love to try this.
A wholesome one pot meal for lunch boxes. Palak and peas make a superb combination with rice and this looks so inviting.