For the second day, here is another simple meal plan. Spinach and peas pulao served with aloo methi roast, onion raitha and some cucumber slices. This is a really tasty and filling meal and you need to pat your back for adding greens in your kid’s diet with out any complaints from them. I have made it a habit of making Sruti eat greens by adding them in dishes where she will not find it bitter. This pulao is one such dish which gives a mild spinach taste and not at all bitter.
I normally make pulao in open pan and at the last stage of cooking add a simple dum to cook it perfectly. If you like to cook it in pressure cooker, then add water according to how you cook rice. For this pulao I used the mint chutney I had instead of making a spice paste. But I will give the spice paste ingredients in the recipe . If you have mint chutney, then skip the spice paste and add three tablespoons of the chutney. This again went as lunch box dish for Sruti last week. And she brought home empty box meaning she loved it. It is also very easy to put together. Nowadays I have started preferring different types of pulao to the rice gravy. As I prepare it early morning, it is so easy when compared to cooking rice and gravy separately. As Sruti also favours it, I try to send her pulao varieties at least twice a week.
Ingredients:
For The Spice Paste:
Coriander Leaves-a handful
Mint leaves-a handful
Garlic-2-3 pods
Ginger-a small piece
Green Chilly-4-5
Fennel Seeds-1 tsp
For The Pulao:
Palak – 2 bunches
Green Peas-1 cup
Oil-2 tbs
Onion-2
Clove-2-3
Cinnamon-1 stick
Red Chilly Powder-1 /2 tsp
Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp
Salt-to taste
Ghee-2 tbs
Rice-1 1/2 cups
Procedure:
Grind all the ingredients given for the spice paste adding little water.
In a pan take the spinach and add 1/4 cup of water.
Heat it until spinach wilts and changes colour.
Remove from heat and using a blender blend it to make it soup like.
Measure the liquid.
In another pan bring the green peas along with water and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from flame and drain water.
Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Drain water and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add oil.
When it is hot add the spices and when they crackle add the onion.
When the onions are golden, add the spice paste.
Sauté until it let out oil.
Now add the palak purée and water to the pan. The total amount of the water and purée must be 4 1/2 cups. If you are using pressure cooker, reduce water accordingly.
Add the turmeric powder, salt and red chilly powder.
When it starts boiling, add the green peas and drained rice.
Cook until 90% of the water is absorbed.
Add ghee and mix well.
Cover the pan with a foil and add lid.
Reduce flame to low and cook for further 10 minutes.
Switch off flame and let it set for another 10 minutes.
Serve hot along with raitha, cucumber slices and roast.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#61

Servings |
- Coriander Leaves-a handful
- Mint leaves-a handful
- Garlic-2-3 pods
- Ginger-a small piece
- Green Chilly-4-5
- Fennel Seeds-1 tsp
- Palak - 2 bunches
- Green Peas-1 cup
- Oil-2 tbs
- Onion-2
- Clove-2-3
- Cinnamon-1 stick
- Red Chilly Powder-1 /2 tsp
- Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp
- Salt - to taste
- Ghee - 2 tbs
- Rice-1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
For The Spice Paste
For The Pulao
| ![]() |
- Grind all the ingredients given for the spice paste adding little water.
- In a pan take the spinach and add 1/4 cup of water.
- Heat it until spinach wilts and changes colour.
- Remove from heat and using a blender blend it to make it soup like.
- Measure the liquid.
- In another pan bring the green peas along with water and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove from flame and drain water.
- Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Drain water and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add oil.
- When it is hot add the spices and when they crackle add the onion.
- When the onions are golden, add the spice paste.
- Sauté until it let out oil.
- Now add the palak purée and water to the pan. The total amount of the water and purée must be 4 1/2 cups. If you are using pressure cooker, reduce water accordingly.
- Add the turmeric powder, salt and red chilly powder.
- When it starts boiling, add the green peas and drained rice.
- Cook until 90% of the water is absorbed.
- Add ghee and mix well.
- Cover the pan with a foil and add lid.
- Reduce flame to low and cook for further 10 minutes.
- Switch off flame and let it set for another 10 minutes.
- Serve hot along with raitha, cucumber slices and roast.
TWO OF MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS
AKKA ,YOU MAKE THINGS LOOK SO EASY TO PREPARE
Spinach must add a lot of flavor to the meal. The pictures are lovely too.
I make a similar pulao with a different recipe , will try this recipe next time , rice looks very good and healthy too.
I made methi – peas pulao yday for kiddo’s lunch dabba 🙂 this one also looks yummy ! liked the cute lil ramekin too with the raita 🙂
My mom use to make spinach rice very often but with slight variation. She doesn’t grind spinach, only sautes it. Even make it but not as often as my mom use to. Will try your version very soon.
Palak peas pulav looks very healthy and tasty.
Love the way you pureed the spinach. Great idea. Will give it a try. 🙂
Pulaos are my favorite way to have rice! Love this version…have to try it soon
Both the rice and the aloo makes a wonderful combo Gayathri..
Omg, pulao with potato, just a fabulous combo, my mouth is watering here.
I am ready for lunch now! What a lovely spread and the pulao looks wonderful.
what a colorful and inviting pulao
Delicious one pot meal with spinach and mint. Sounds yummy!!
Love this one pot meal. The vibrant color of spinach is very inviting.