This Spinach Rice is a quick, healthy Indian style one-pot recipe cooked with aromatic basmati rice, spinach, and a few spices in an Instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker in under 30 minutes. Spinach Pulao is Vegan and gluten-free!
This Spinach Rice is also known as Palak Rice or Palak Pulao in Hindi (Palak=Spinach). This Indian Spinach rice is easy and delicious, adds beautiful color to your plate. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare in an Instant Pot pressure cooker It is perfect for lunch boxes that your kids and your family would love to have.
I grew up eating this dish a lot. My mom would make this spinach pilaf to sneak in some greens into our daily meals, and it worked.
Health benefits of Spinach
- Spinach is a superfood. It is loaded with tons of nutrients, high levels of vitamins K and A, protein, iron and minerals.
- Spinach improves athletic performance, reduce cholesterol levels, and lessen the risk of heart disease.
- Spinach is important for skin, hair, and bone health.
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Try my Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta or Instant Pot Mushroom Masala recipes. For more Indian Instant Pot recipes, check my Instant Pot Recipe Index Page.
Spinach Rice Ingredients
These are the main ingredients needed for this spinach rice recipe.
- Rice: I have used long grain basmati rice, you can also use sona masoori.
- Spinach: I have used organic baby spinach.
- Vegetables: onion, tomato and green peas. You can also use other vegetables like carrot, green beans.
- Oil: any cooking oil of your choice.
- Garlic, ginger, and green chilies: I have used freshly minced ginger and garlic paste. You can use any green chili variety for this recipe.
- Herbs: Used fresh cut coriander leaves.
- Spices: For whole spices, I have used bayleaf, cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. For dry spices, I have used turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala.
- Lime juice: freshly squeezed lime juice.
How to make Spinach Rice in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it's hot, add whole spices, cumin, and cashew nuts. Saute till cashew nuts turn light brown.
Then add sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown - stir regularly.
Then add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes till they turn soft.
Add spinach leaves and green peas. Cook till the leaves wilt.
Add rinsed basmati rice, water, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, coriander leaves, lime juice, and give a stir.
Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
Wait for Natural Pressure Release (NPR). Remove lid away from you. Mix well.
Instant pot Spinach Rice recipe is ready. Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pot Method
I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT. But you can make this recipe easily on the stove-top too. Here’s how:
- Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium flame, Add oil and once it's hot, add whole spices, cumin, and cashew nuts. Saute till cashew nuts turn light brown in color.
- Then add sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown in color - stir regularly.
- Then add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes till they turn soft.
- Add spinach leaves, green peas cook till the leaves wilt.
- Add rinsed basmati rice, water, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, coriander leaves, lime juice, and give a stir.
- Close the lid, cook on medium-low flame for 10-15 minutes till rice is cooked well.
- After 10 mins Fluff up the rice gently.
- Indian Spinach rice recipe is ready. Serve with raita or plain yogurt.
What to serve with Spinach Pulao?
Serve Spinach Pulao with any lentil or beans curry or serve with a side of yogurt or raita.
Variations
- You can replace basmati rice with quinoa or millets. Follow the same steps but only cooking times will vary.
- You can also add canned or cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or cubed paneer (cottage cheese) or tofu in this rice for extra protein.
- Also vegetables like carrot, beans can be added.
- This dish will be more flavor-full when you cook with ghee. But vegans can simply use coconut or olive or any oil.
More Spinach Recipes
More Pulao Recipes
Spinach Rice (Palak Rice) - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed & drained
- 2-3 cups spinach (palak) fresh, chopped
- ½ cup green peas (i used frozen)
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic minced
- 2-3 green chillies chopped
- 6-7 cashew-nuts
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves (cilantro) finely chopped
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
Whole Spices:
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bayleaf
- 2 cardamom
- 2-3 cloves
- ½ teaspoon cumin(jeera) seeds
Dry Spices:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it's hot, add whole spices, cumin, and cashew nuts. Saute till cashew nuts turn light brown.
- Then add sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown - stir regularly.
- Then add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes till they turn soft.
- Add spinach leaves and green peas. Cook till the leaves wilt.
- Add rinsed basmati rice, water, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, coriander leaves, lime juice, and give a stir.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Wait for Natural Pressure Release (NPR). Remove lid away from you. Mix well.
- Spinach Rice recipe is ready. Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:
- Follow the same process mentioned above for Instant Pot. Give 2 whistles on medium flame and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same. After 10 mins fluff up the rice gently. Spinach Rice is ready
Stovetop Pot Method:
- Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium flame, Add oil and once it's hot, add whole spices, cumin, and cashew nuts. Saute till cashew nuts turn light brown in color.
- Then add sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown in color - stir regularly.
- Then add tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes till they turn soft.
- Add spinach leaves, green peas cook till the leaves wilt.
- Add rinsed basmati rice, water, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, coriander leaves, lime juice, and give a stir.
- Close the lid, cook on medium-low flame for 10-15 minutes till rice is cooked well.
- After 10 mins fluff up the rice gently.
- Indian Spinach rice recipe is ready. Serve with raita or plain yogurt.
Notes
Variations
- You can replace basmati rice with quinoa or millets. Follow the same steps but only cooking times will vary.
- You can also add canned or cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or cubed paneer (cottage cheese) or tofu in this rice for extra protein.
- Also vegetables like carrot, beans can be added.
- This dish will be more flavorful when you cook with ghee. But vegans can simply use coconut or olive or any oil.
Nutrition
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Rashmi says
Hi please add more recipes
bhavana says
Hi Rashmi
Please check out latest Potato Biryani recipe from my blog.Thanks for the support.
Sanjana Guttal says
Hi I like the recipe ?
But I just have one doubt - I cook regular plain in 3 minutes pressure cook. Wont the rice be over cooked if I keep it for 6 minutes? Even when I make tomato rice I pressure cook for 3 minutes.
Shall I go ahead and do the same for palak rice too or is there a reason why it has to be cooked for 6 minutes? Please suggest.
Thank you?
bhavana says
Hi Sanjana
sorry for the late reply.i usually like to cook all my rice dishes for 6 minutes.when i am usually in a hurry i do a quick release.so 6 minutes works perfect.
Isha Gujrathi says
I made this tonight and it turned out Lip smacking delicious. ??? perfect water measurements and got fluffy rice.
bhavana says
Thank you isha happy to hear you like the recipe ,please do try my other instant pot recipes.
Nina says
It was delicious. Made it for my son's lunch box and he loved it. Thank you!
bhavana says
@nina :welcome. Checkout for more Healthy Kids Lunch Box Recipes
Jennifer (Delva) Garcia-Bossio says
Amazing! Thank you
bhavana says
You are welcome Jennifer:)
Jen says
Amazing! Thank you
bhavana says
Thank you so much Jen 🙂 Glad you liked it 🙂
Mary says
We all loved this recipe! The rice came so good and chewy and my hubby loved it with cashew yogurt. I can't wait to make it again and try some of the variations, such as tomatoes. Thank you for posting this recipe. Yum!
bhavana says
Thank you Mary 🙂 Not only did you just try the recipe - but you went a step further, interacted with us - gave a nice twist to the recipe as per your available resources & needs. I am so glad your family loved it - It's a moment I would definitely Cherish 🙂 Thank you once again.