Palak/Spinach Rice Recipe
Healthy and flavorful, this palak rice recipe is very simple to make. It is made using spinach, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, and a few Indian spices. I haven’t used green chilies, but you can add it if you like spicy food.
Ideal for any meals, especially for kids, who have a distaste for spinach. This palak rice recipe is non-spicy and would give a feel and taste of a restaurant like food to your kids.
Prep time: 10 Min
Cook time: 15 Min
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
4 cups/250gms spinach
1 and 1/2 cup rice
16-17 garlic cloves
1 small piece of ginger
1/3 cup red bell peppers
1/3 cup yellow bell peppers
1/3 cup green bell peppers
2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafetida
2 tbsp clarified butter/oil as per your taste.
Preparation method:
Plain rice preparation
Wash rice with clean water, and if time permits, soak it for at least 15 minutes. If not, you can use it straight away.
Take 3/4 water in a pot and bring it to boil. Add rice to it, a pinch of salt, and cook it to al dente at low flame.
Once the rice is done, drain excess water and let it rest.
Side by side, while your rice is cooking, you can start preparation for Spinach puree.
Palak/Spinach puree
For it, take washed spinach into another pot.
Add 1/2 cup water to it and let the spinach cook at low flame until it shrinks to 1/4 or becomes soft. It would take around 8-10 minutes.
Let the blanched spinach cool down a little. Next, blend it using a hand blender or mixing machine to get a smooth puree.
While both rice and spinach are cooking, get ready with your chopped vegetables.
Palak/Spinach rice preparation
Once all side elements are ready, take a skillet with clarified butter or oil.
Add cumin seeds, asafetida, and garlic+ginger paste to it. Sauté them for around 30 seconds and make sure to not burn Garlic. If you like spicy, at this step you can also add green chili paste.
In it, transfer chopped bell peppers, sprinkle a pinch of salt and give a light toss. Cover the lid and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. I suggest to not overcook, its crunchiness would be more delectable.
Add red chili, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder to it. Stir it and cook it for more 2 minutes till all spices mix well into it.
Next, add spinach puree, add salt as per requirement and let it cook till oil separates out. It would take hardly 2-3 minutes.
Finally, transfer boiled rice to the above mixture. If you feel the rice is more in quantity than spinach puree, add it gradually with continuous mixing. You can adjust its quantity depending on how much soggy or dry rice you want.
Note: Mix the rice so gently that it didn’t break and you can feel each bite of it.
Serve hot and can be enjoyed with or without curd.
