Palak Rice (Instant Pot Spinach Pulao)

A perfectly delicious and easy palak rice recipe! You’ll fall in love with the mild flavors. This spinach pulao makes a great lunchbox for kids or adults. You can make it 2 ways, on the stovetop or in Instant pot. 

Jump to:

• ❤️About This Recipe
• 🧾Ingredient Notes
• 👩‍🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions 
• 💭Expert Tips
• 🍽 Serving Ideas
• 📋 Recipe Card
• ⭐ Reviews

❤️About This Recipe

To make this palak rice recipe, first spinach puree along with onion, ginger, garlic, and chilies are made and sauteed with whole spices. Then veggies of your choice and basmati rice are added and cooked together. This way it produces a nice green-colored spinach pulao. Kids would love it and enjoy it because of its bright color. 

There is another method of making palak rice where chopped spinach is sauteed and mixed with rice and spices.

Taste & Texture: This palak rice has mild yet delicious flavors with soft, tender veggies and perfectly cooked, separated rice grains.

Two Ways:

1. Stovetop (in a saucepan): This original recipe was shared in 2013 and it was made in a saucepan on the stovetop. I have shared that in the step-by-step photos below. Many readers have tried that and given a good review in the comments.
2. Instant pot: Nowadays electric pressure cooker is a trend and I do use it a lot in my kitchen as it makes my life easy. So I have updated this recipe to add the instant pot palak rice recipe as well. I have shared the video as well as step-by-step photos. It gives the same results in taste and texture. So choose any method as per your preference. 

You’ll Love This Palak Pulao Recipe

One pot: Whether you make it on the stovetop or in instant pot, it calls for one pot only and a grinder jar to make spinach puree. So less stuff for cleaning.

Easy & quick to make: This instant pot spinach pulao takes just 20 minutes (from start to finish). While the stovetop version takes around 30 minutes, plus rice soaking time. 

Nutritious: Spinach is iron-rich and also contains many vitamins and minerals. Plus, the addition of veggies adds more natation value. 

Versatile: You can add your choice of veggies as per your liking. I have added peas and carrots only as my kids love these two. 

Lunch-box friendly: This can be packed into kids’ or adults’ lunch boxes along with yogurt or raita and salad on the side to make a perfect, healthy meal.

🧾Ingredient Notes

Here is a pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make a flavorful palak rice recipe.

• Rice: I have used basmati rice here. Also, the water ratio and cooking time given are for basmati rice only. If using any of your local verities like sona masoori, ambe mor, jeerasar, etc then adjust the water and cooking time accordingly.
• Spinach: I have used fresh baby spinach, but you can regular spinach (fresh or frozen). 
• Onion, ginger, and garlic are added while making puree which adds a nice flavor to the palak rice.
• Green chilies: Adjust the amount as per your liking spice level. If making for kids who can’t tolerate spice level then skip or reduce the amount as needed.
• Carrot and Peas: You can add sweet corn, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, green beans, etc. 
• Oil: In the original recipe, I used oil but over the years, I started using ghee for my kids. Ghee adds a nice flavor and is also good for growing kids.
• Cumin seeds: They add flavor as well as help in easy digestion.
• Whole spices: I have added cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf. Always add whole spices to hot oil to release their flavor to the maximum. They also add a nice aroma. Never add them to cold oil.
• Garam masala: It adds a slightly hot flavor to the pulao. Instead you can use pulao masala or biryani masala.

👩‍🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions 

Instant Pot Method:

Prep: Wash or rinse the rice using cold water until the water is clear (not cloudy) anymore. Keep the rice in a colander and let the excess water drain.

1, 2) Take spinach, onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilies in a blender jar along with 2-3 tablespoon of water and make a smooth puree out of it.

3) Turn on the instant pot with saute mode on. Add oil and once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.

4) Add whole spices (cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, and bay leaf) and saute for 30-40 seconds or until you’ll get a nice aroma of the spices.

5, 6) Add prepared spinach puree and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the raw smell of garlic goes away. 

7) Add veggies and salt.

8) Also, add rice, garam masala, and water.

9) Stir and make sure all the rice is submerged in water.

10) Cover the instant pot with a lid, and keep the valve in a sealing position. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes. Then do QPR (quick pressure release) after 5 minutes by positioning the valve from sealing to venting.

11) Once the pin drops, open the lid and let the rice rest for 5 minutes by partially covering it. 

12) After the resting time fluff up the rice using a fork or spatula and serve.

StoveTop Method:

1) Wash the rice under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore. Soak in enough water for 15 minutes.

2) Drain the water and keep it aside.

3) While the rice is soaking, do the prep work. Take an onion, ginger, garlic, green chili, and spinach into the blender jar. Add only 2-3 tablespoons of water to make grinding easy.

4) Grind into the smooth puree.

5) Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick). Saute for 30-45 seconds or until you get the nice aroma of spices. 

6) Add prepared spinach puree. Cook for 2-3 minutes or till it gets thickened sightly.

7) Now add peas, carrot, salt, and garam masala. 

8) Also, add drained rice and mix.

9) Add water and bring it to a rolling boil (for that you can crank the heat to high).

10) Once it starts boiling lower the heat to LOWest possible. Cover with the lid and cook for 18-20 minutes. No need to peek through by opening the lid. Put on the timer and forget it.

11) After cooking time is done, turn off the stove. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes (do not open the lid yet). 

12) After resting time, open the lid and fluff up the palak rice.

💭Expert Tips

• Resting time (after the rice is cooked) is a must. During this resting time will get a chance to firm up slightly and they don’t break easily (or get mushy) as you fluff up or stir. Still, you need to be careful and gentle while fluffing the rice. 
• Don’t let the palak rice cool down in the pan/pot itself without fluffing, otherwise, it sets up like a cake and clumps together. So always fluff up the rice while it’s warm to get separated rice grains.
• No need to soak the basmati rice for instant pot palak rice. But it is recommended for the stovetop version. 

Variation: 

• Grains: Try with quinoa, millet or brown rice. Adjust the water amount and cooking time accordingly.
• Protein: Add boiled chickpeas, soya chunks (Soaked in hot water and squeezed out the water), tofu or paneer to add some extra protein to your palak rice.
• Veggies: Add other veggies like sweet corn, broccoli, potato, sweet potato, cauliflower, green beans, etc can be added to your palak rice recipe.

🍽 Serving Ideas

• Palak rice tastes good on its own without any sides.
• To make a complete, filling meal, this spinach pulao can be served with plain yogurt (mixed with black salt, roasted cumin powder and chili powder) or raita. You can have salad on the side. To add some crisp element, you can have papad on the side. 

Did you try this palak rice recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

📋 Recipe Card