January 5, 2014

Spinach Rice / Keerai Saadham /Palak Rice

How to make Spinach Rice / Keerai Saadham /Palak Rice


                Being a descendant of a Tamil family, I have mostly eaten Spinach in the form of Masiyal, Poriyal, Kootu & Kuzhambu during childhood, but never as a Rice or Raitha. So this caught my eye & made it into my collection of  recipes. This dish is from my Recipe diary & often makes it to our lunch box and dining table; because of it's ease of preparation  & well known health benefits. 

             The Spinach gives the rice some color, the ground spices give a nice kick to the otherwise, bland Spinach. Top it with roasted peanuts to add some crunch to your bite & you have a hearty one (almost) pot meal to feed your family. Although I've been making this for more than a decade now, sadly there is no mention in my diary, of where I got this recipe from. Anyways, this goes to Valli's CCChallenge #4 week 1Serve hot with a Tangy Kuzhambu or Pappad & Indian Pickle for a delicious meal.


Spinach Rice / Keerai Saadham



Ingredients:

2 bunches, cleaned & chopped Spinach
1 large Onion, finely chopped
5 cloves Garlic, chopped
Chopped Green Chillies - 2-3
Paprika/Chilli powder - 1/4 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Urad Dal - 1 Tbsp
Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 Cup
Cooked Rice (Make sure NOT to cook it too soft)

Saute in oil & powder the following:
Channa Dal - 1 Tbsp
Coriander seeds - 2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 Tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 Tsp


  • Heat a small pan & saute the ingredients mentioned, powder them fine & set aside.
  • Spread the cooked rice on a plate to cool & fluff the grains with a fork to separate the grains.
  • Heat a wok/kadai with 1 Tbsp of oil, add the mustard seeds, wait for it to crackle & Urad dal & roast until golden.
  • Next add the chopped onion & garlic & saute for a few minutes on medium flame.
  • Add chopped spinach, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt & the freshly ground powder, cover & cook until spinach is wilted. If it gets too dry, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
  • Add the cooked rice & mix gently, taking care not to break the rice. If there is any extra moisture, let simmer on open flame for a few minutes until the water evaporates.
  • Check seasoning & top it with roasted peanuts.
  • Serve hot with a Tangy Kuzhambu or Pappad & Indian Pickle for a delicious meal.

Notes:

  • If the spinach mixture get too dry, you will have a hard time, mixing in the cooked rice.





3 comments:

  1. Great looking rice love the flavours

    ReplyDelete
  2. Spinach rice looks tempting :) Never thought these could be made in an 'pulao' form

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a healthy and flavorful rice,looks so delicious....

    ReplyDelete

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