Palak peas pulao is a quick and healthy pulao perfect for lunch boxes, that your kids and your family would love to have it. Full video, step by step picture recipe.

I can’t believe I haven’t tried palak pulao before. Aj is a big fan of palak/ spinach. I should have tried this one before. I wanted to try it out just like my palak vegetables, but adapted partially from Tarla Dalal’s and made another version where there is no grinding of the leaves involved.
Palak is widely available in north India and found across India. If you are living elsewhere in the world, and lucky, you will get fresh palak in Indian groceries. We get it here in Mustafa. Some countries sell frozen palak too.
If you cant get palak, you can easily replace it with fresh spinach (I vouch on baby spinach). Palak is new for South Indian Tamils like me. There are a wide range of keerai (amaranth) available in Tamil nadu.
Like from sirukeerai to pasalai keerai. But they cannot be replaced for these recipes. Palak according to me has a smooth texture than keerai and thicker than keerais availabe.
I have added peas to this pulao, you can even add your choice of vegetables, or even sweet corn. Really tasty pulao that can be prepared in a jiffy if you have palak ready.
I have used baby spinach that is available here in Fairprice Singapore, but you can very well make it with Indian palak just by following the same recipe.
Palak peas pulao
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1.5 cups Palak finely chopped
- 1 Onion
- 3 Green chilli
- ½ cup Green peas
- 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt – As needed
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 Biryani leaf
- ½ inch Cinnamon
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon Shahi jeera
Instructions
- Soak basmati rice for 10 minutes minimum. Clean and finely chop spinach (remove thick stem if any).1 cup Basmati rice, 1.5 cups Palak
- Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee and temper with biryani leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in order. Lastly add shahi jeera.1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 Biryani leaf, 2 Cloves, 1 Cardamom, ¾ teaspoon Shahi jeera, ½ inch Cinnamon
- Add sliced onion and slit green chillies.1 Onion, 3 Green chilli
- After a minute, add ginger garlic paste and peas. Fry for 2 mins in medium flame.1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste, ½ cup Green peas
- Add finely chopped palak/ spinach (remove thick stem if any). Add sugar and fry until it shrinks.1.5 cups Palak, ¼ teaspoon Sugar
- Add salt, turmeric, rice, 1 & ¾ cup water and bring to boil. Stir well.¼ teaspoon Turmeric, Salt – As needed, 1 cup Basmati rice
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. Once pressure goes off itself, carefully fluff.
Video
Notes
- I soaked basmati for 30 mins.
- I have used frozen peas, so added as such. If using dried peas, soak overnight and add to the pulao.
Stepwise photos
1. Soak basmati rice for 10 minutes minimum. Clean and finely chop spinach (remove thick stem if any). Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee and temper with biryani leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in order. Lastly add shahi jeera. Add sliced onion and slit green chillies.
2. After a minute, add ginger garlic paste and peas. Fry for 2 mins in medium flame.
3. In goes finely chopped palak/ spinach (remove thick stem if any). Add sugar and fry until it shrinks.
4. Add salt, turmeric, rice, 1 & ¾ cup water and bring to boil. Stir well.
5. Pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. Once pressure goes off itself, carefully fluff.
Serve hot with any raita. Check this vegetable raita recipe to go with this.
Tilak Raj
very useful information and I will definitely try Palak Pulao recipe at home.
Unknown
Hi..I tried ur recipe today..it was yummy and delicious..thanks for sharing..too simple n easy to make..