Palak(Spinach) Rice

Spinach is my favorite variety among all greens.So I try to include it atleast once a week in my diet in some or the other form.This is one more variety of rice which is very easy to prepare and best for packing lunch boxes and here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Basmati rice/Normal rice
1 Big bunch of Spinach,cleaned and washed thoroughly
5-6 green chillies
3/4 cup fresh/frozen Peas or soaked dry Peas
1/2 cup Soya chunks,soaked in water
1 big Onions finely sliced
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tsp readymade Biryani masala(can be replaced by 1/2 tsp Garam masala )
3-4 cloves
1 " cinnamon stick
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp jeera
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Butter
Salt to taste


Method:

• Wash the rice a couple of times and soak it in water for 20-30 mins.
• Soak Soya chunks in warm water for 10-15 mins.Squeeze out the extra water and keep it aside
• Drop spinach and green chillies in boiling water and cook it for 2-3 minutes and drain it using a strainer.Run this immediately under cold running water in order to retain its luscious green color.Cool the greens and blend it into a nice smooth puree.Measure the quantity of spinach puree.
• Heat oil and butter in cooker,add jeera,cloves,cinnamon,bay leaves and fry for a minute.
• Add finely sliced onion,ginger-garlic paste and fry until the onions turn light brown in color.Add peas and fry until it starts changing its color.
• Add spinach puree and fry for a couple of minutes and add biryani masala, soya chunks and fry for a minute.
• Now add soaked and drained rice to it and give a stir carefully.
• Add enough water to it in the ratio of 1 : 1 3/4(rice:water) including the measure of spinach puree in it and add enough salt and boil for a minute and cover it with the cooker lid and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.You can even cook for 1 whistle and cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes which makes the rice granules separate.

Serve it hot with Onion raitha.Note:

• For a Vegan version avoid butter and use oil for tempering.