Spinach Coriander(Cilantro) Pulav

Whenever I want to eat something healthy, spinach is the first thing in my mind. I always search for recipes in which I can add vegetables. Spinach pulav is one such dish. But today I wanted to something different with normal Spinach Pulav, so finally I add bunch of coriander(cilantro) in it. Guess what...Pulav was really awesome. I also twisted the recipe a little bit more, by putting it in the oven at the end to give it touch of biryani also. I added red and yellow belle pepper to make this green colored pulav more colorful.

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati rice(or plain rice)

1 bunch of spinach(palak)

1 bunch of coriander(cilantro)

1 medium piece of ginger

4-5 cloves of garlic

4-5 green chili

butter for cooking

2-3 curry leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion

1/2 cup red & yellow belle pepper(cut in thin-long strips)

1/2 tsp garam masala

oil for cooking

salt as per taste

Soak the rice in water for half an hour. Add salt and water in the rice.Take one large crock pot and cook the rice on medium flame or else cook the rice in rice cooker. Make sure rice is just partially cooked. Take out the rice in colander and put it under cold running water to prevent further cooking.

Roughly chopped the spinach and coriander. Make smooth puree of spinach, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili in grinder.

Cut the onion in long and thin strips. Fry it till golden brown in oil and take out on absorbent paper. Saute the red and yellow belle pepper in the same oil. (Don't cook the belle pepper too much, keep it just half cooked)

Take one medium size sauce pan and put it on medium flame. Add butter in it. When butter is melted, add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add curry leaves. Then add spinach and coriander puree. Add some salt,garam masala powder and coriander powder and mix all them well. Cook the puree for 5-7 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Take one oven safe pan. At the bottom make one layer of half of the rice. Make another layer of puree on the rice layer. Sprinkle sauteed belle pepper on it. Make the layer of remaining rice on top of it. Sprinkle fried onion on it, just keep some for garnishing. cover the pan with lid and put it in preheated oven. Cook it for 12-15 minutes.

Garnish the pulav with friend onion and serve hot with dahi(curd) or raita.

This is my entry to srivalli's Rice Mela event.