Palak Pulao (Spinach Rice)

Pushpa Chechi this recipe is for you, I'm sorry it took me this long to put it up.

This is a nutritious rice dish, you can add other greens too, but spinach is so convenient to use and easily available. This pulao is not the fluffy dry kind of a pulao, its more like a rissotto I want to say, the rice does not get mushy or anything, but the whole thing stays together, very comforting to eat.

1 cup Basmati Rice washed and drained

2 cups chopped spinach/ palak

1/2 onion chopped fine

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil or ghee

Grind to a paste: 1 tomato, 1/2 inch ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp mint leaves, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 3 cardamom pods.

Method:

Heat oil or ghee, add onion, fry till well browned.

Add ground paste, turmeric pwd, and chilli pwd.

Fry till mixture is browned and thick.

Add rice, saute for a minute.

Add spinach, saute for a minute, and add salt.

Add 2 and1/2 cup water, and cook in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle.

If not using a pressure cooker, just cover and cook till done about 20 minutes.

Once the pressure cooker cools, open and serve with raita.

I served mine with Beetroot Pachadi.