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 1. Serve hot with a Tangy Kuzhambu or Pappad & Indian Pickle for a delicious meal.

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.