Palak Biryani Recipe – How to make Spinach Biryani

If you want your kids to eat spinach, you must try this Palak Biryani recipe. It not only tastes amazing but also helps providing all the nutritional benefits. Palak / Spinach biryani is not really a traditional recipe, but for sure is one best innovated rice dish. This is my favorite spinach preparation, come on! who doesn’t like biryani??? 😉

I usually make this when we have vegetarian guests at home and everyone luvs it, most of the time end up with a wrong guesses and wonder whats in that green pulao. Amma cooks the best palak biryani and it would be a happy lunch box every time when this was under the menu! She cooks the biryani with coconut milk which makes it even more tastier. I’ve followed my mom’s style here and hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Some veg style biryani to try from our page…

1. Mushroom Biryani
2. Vegetable Dum Biryani
3. Chettinad Kaikari Biryani
4. Kuska Biryani

Palak Biryani Recipe / Spinach Biryani Recipe / How to make Spinach Biryani? / Easy Palak Pulao / Mild Palak Pulao / Keerai Biryani / Palak Keerai Biryani / Pasalai Keerai Biryani / Indian Spinach Biryani / பசலை கீரை  

Table -1 

• Palak / Spinach leaves 2 cups packed
• Mint Leaves 1/2 cup packed
• Coriander leaves 1/2 cup packed
• Green Chilies 3 -4 small size
• Onion 1 large (OR) 15 sambar onions
• Tomato 1/4 cup chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste 1 teaspoon
• Whole garam masala 4 cloves, 2 cardamom, 1 inch size cinnamon (grind this to fine powder) Bay Leaf 1
• Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt 2 teaspoon (or to taste)
• Oil 2 Tablespoon

Table-2 

• Basmati Rice 2 cups
• Coconut milk (diluted) 2 cups
• Water 1 & 1/2 cup

Table-3 (optional) 

• Onion 1 medium size ( cut lengthwise)
• Cashews 10 halved
• Ghee 1 Tablespoon
• Oil enough for deep frying onions

Preparing the Palak Biryani:

This is one step which is important to keep the rice grainy and separated  and also helps to make it more flavorful and aromatic. Wash basmati rice, drain excess water by placing them in a colander. Now spread the rice over a kitchen towel and gently pat dry. Now heat 1 tbsp (table-1) in a pan, add the rice and fry for 3 to 4 minutes over low flame. After frying it will look shinny and toasted. Transfer the content to the rice cooker bowl and keep aside. This step is not a must but if followed will yield good results. OR you may soak basmati rice for 15 minutes.

Making the curry:

First grind the whole garam masalas to a fine powder in a mixie, add the spinach, mint, coriander leaves & green chilies to it, add very little water and grind to fine paste. Now heat oil in a pan, sizzle the bay leaf, followed by the cumin seeds. Add the sliced onions and fry till translucent, then add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. Cook till soft and now add the ground paste along with turmeric powder & salt. Saute over medium flame for 5-6 minutes or till raw smell goes away. (Do not saute for longer- it may loose its bright green color) Once done switch off.

Cooking the prepared rice:

Cooking up the Palak biryani by these methods….Now its up to you to make a choice.- You may either choose to finish the dish by cooking over stove top by combining rice, gravy, coconut milk & water- bring this to one boil and then cover and cook over low-medium flame for 20-25 minutes(approx) OR use a pressure cooker and cook upto 2 whistles and switch off OR pop everything in a rice cooker and finish. The last method sounds very easy!  Once done, just fluff up the cooked rice using a fork.

For the garnish:

This is purely optional but gives good flavor and nice crunch to each bite. Deep fry thinly sliced onion in hot oil until golden. Drain excess oil by placing them on a paper towel. Fry the cashews in ghee till golden and add both the cooked biryani.

Enjoy this super delicious biryani with plain raita on side or any choice of gravy! Some side dish to try with biryani….Side gravy for Biryani    Egg Salna 

Notes

• For 2 cups raw rice : its 4 cups liquid (my case its 2 cups dilute coconut milk + 2 cups water) } For pre-soaked basmati rice – (2 cups coconut milk + 1 & 1/2 cup water), Without soaking -( 2 cups coconut milk + 2 cups water)
• Coconut milk has to be little dilute for this recipe.
• You can use fresh coconut milk or coconut powder mixed in water or canned coconut milk. Freshly squeezed coconut milk will definitely be the winner!
• Garnishing with fried onions and cashews are purely optional.  Adding few fried Paneer cubes also will taste great.

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