Looking for a flavorful and wholesome rice dish that can be prepared in a short time? This Palak Pulao is a delicious one-pot recipe made with fresh spinach, paneer, green peas, aromatic whole spices, and fragrant basmati rice.
Also known as Palak Paneer Matar Pulao, this green pulao gets its beautiful color and fresh flavor from spinach and green chilies. Soft paneer cubes and sweet green peas make it more filling, while mint leaves add a refreshing aroma.
This is one of those recipes that is especially useful when you have guests at home and want to prepare something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen. Everything comes together in a pressure cooker, making this pulao quick and convenient.
Serve this flavorful green pulao with plain yogurt, raita, pickle, or a simple salad for a satisfying meal.
- Quick and easy one-pot rice recipe
- Made with fresh spinach, paneer, and green peas
- Beautiful naturally green color
- Flavorful but made with simple ingredients
- Perfect for lunch or dinner
- Great option when guests are visiting
- Pairs beautifully with raita or yogurt
- A delicious way to include spinach in your meal
For the Spinach Puree
- Fresh spinach leaves – 1 bunch
- Green chilies – 4–5, preferably less spicy varieties
For the Pulao
- Rice – 2 cups
- Paneer – 200 g, cut into cubes
- Green peas – ½ cup
- Ghee – 3 tablespoons
- Onions – 2, thinly sliced
- Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tablespoons
- Cashews – 5, optional
- Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
- Sugar – ¼ teaspoon
- Garam masala powder – ½ teaspoon
- Salt – to taste
- Mint leaves – a handful
- Fresh coriander leaves – for garnish
- Hot water – as needed, according to your rice and cooking method
Whole Spices
- Bay leaves – 2
- Cinnamon stick – 1 small piece
- Black peppercorns – 10–12
- Cloves – 2
- Green cardamom – 3
- Black cardamom – 1
- Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Step 1: Prepare the Spinach Puree
- Start by thoroughly washing 1 bunch of fresh spinach leaves to remove any dirt or impurities.
- Take 4–5 green chilies. You can adjust the quantity depending on how spicy you prefer your pulao.
- Add the spinach leaves and green chilies to a blender jar.
- Blend everything into a smooth puree.
- If required, add a very small amount of water while blending. Keep the spinach puree aside.
Tip: Use fresh green spinach for the best color and flavor.
Step 2: Prepare the Rice
- Take 2 cups of rice and wash it thoroughly under running water until the water becomes relatively clear.
- Drain the washed rice well and keep it aside.
- If you prefer, you can soak the rice for about 15–20 minutes before cooking. This helps the grains cook evenly.
Step 3: Prepare the Paneer and Peas
- Cut 200 g paneer into medium-sized cubes.
- Measure ½ cup green peas and keep them ready.
- You can use fresh or frozen green peas for this recipe.
- The paneer adds a soft, creamy texture, while the green peas provide a subtle sweetness and lovely contrast to the spinach.
Step 4: Temper the Whole Spices
- Heat a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of ghee.
- Once the ghee is hot, add: 2 bay leaves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 10–12 black peppercorns, 2 cloves, 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom
- Sauté the whole spices in the ghee for a few seconds until they become fragrant.
- Now add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
- Let the cumin seeds crackle. The whole spices fried in ghee create the aromatic base for the pulao.
Step 5: Sauté the masala
- Add 2 thinly sliced onions. Add a little salt to help the onions cook faster.
- Sauté the onions over medium heat until they become lightly golden and translucent.
- Avoid burning the onions, as burnt onions can affect the color and flavor of the pulao.
Add 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste. Mix well and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
The ginger and garlic add a wonderful depth of flavor to the pulao.
Add ½ cup green peas. You can also add about 5 cashews, although they are completely optional.
Mix everything well and sauté for a couple of minutes so that the peas and cashews get coated with the aromatic ghee and spices.
Now add 1/4 turmeric powder, 1 tsp tsp red chili powder. Mix gently so the spices coat the peas and onion mixture. At this point, the pulao already starts becoming wonderfully fragrant.¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
Now add the prepared spinach and green chili puree. Mix everything well.
You will immediately notice the beautiful green color of the mixture.
Add ¼ teaspoon sugar. A small amount of sugar can help balance the flavors and maintain the bright green appearance of the spinach.
Cook the spinach mixture for about 4–5 minutes over medium heat.
This step is important because cooking the spinach puree helps reduce its raw flavor.
After a few minutes, the mixture will become slightly thicker and more flavorful
Step 5: Add the soaked rice, paneer.
- Now add the washed and drained rice.
- Add salt according to taste, keeping in mind that some salt was already added while cooking the onions.
- Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder. Using a gentle hand, mix the rice with the spinach mixture.
- Be careful not to break the rice grains. Sauté the rice with the spinach mixture for about 1–2 minutes.
Now add the 200 g paneer cubes. Add a generous handful of fresh mint leaves. Mint gives this pulao a wonderfully fresh and aromatic flavor, so I highly recommend not skipping it.
Gently mix everything together.
Step 6: Pressure Cook
- Now add hot water according to the type of rice you are using and your usual rice-to-water ratio. Mix gently.
- Increase the heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
- Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Close the pressure cooker with the lid and cook for 1 whistle.
- After one whistle, turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to release naturally before opening the cooker.
Important: Avoid opening the pressure cooker immediately after cooking. Allowing the pressure to release naturally helps the rice finish cooking without becoming mushy.
Step 7: Garnish and Serve
- Once the pressure has released naturally, carefully open the cooker.
- Gently fluff the pulao using a fork or a flat spoon.
- You will have a beautiful, aromatic, green Palak Paneer Matar Pulao ready in a short time.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
- Our delicious Palak Pulao is ready to serve!
This flavorful green pulao tastes delicious when served hot with: Plain yogurt, Cucumber raita, Boondi raita, Onion and cucumber salad, Pickle, Papad.. For a complete meal, serve it with a bowl of chilled raita and some fresh salad.
This Palak Pulao is a delicious way to turn simple ingredients into a flavorful and satisfying meal. Fresh spinach gives the rice its beautiful green color, while paneer, green peas, aromatic whole spices, and mint make every bite delicious.
And because this pulao comes together in a pressure cooker, it is especially convenient when you have guests at home or need a quick meal.
Serve it hot with chilled raita or yogurt, and you have a simple yet special meal ready to enjoy.
Do visit my other recipes also from my blog…
Instant Palak Rava Dosa | Spinach Semolina Dosa in 10 minutes
- Wash the spinach thoroughly Spinach can contain dirt or sand, so wash it very well before making the puree.
- Use fresh spinach Fresh spinach gives the pulao a beautiful green color and fresh flavor.
- Don’t overcook the spinach puree Cooking it for about 4–5 minutes helps remove the raw flavor, but prolonged cooking can dull its bright green color.
- Be gentle while mixing the rice Once the rice is added, mix gently to avoid breaking the grains.
- Mint is highly recommended Fresh mint gives this pulao a beautiful refreshing aroma and complements the spinach very well.
- Paneer can be lightly sautéed If you prefer slightly golden paneer, you can lightly fry the paneer cubes in a little ghee before adding them to the pulao.
- Adjust the water according to your rice The exact amount of water can vary depending on the rice variety, whether the rice has been soaked, and how much moisture is present in the spinach puree. Follow the water ratio that works for your particular rice
Palak Pulao Recipe | Palak Paneer Matar Pulao
Ingredients
For SpinachPuree
- 1 bunch Fresh Spinach leaves
- 4 - 5 nos Green Chilies
For Pulao
- 2 cups Rice
- 200 gm Paneer
- 1/2 cup Green peas
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 2 nos Onion (thinlysliced )
- 2 tbsp Ginger & garlic paste
- 5 nos Cashews
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
- Salt as per taste
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
Whole Spices
- 2 nos Bay leaf
- 1 small Cinnamon stick
- 10-12 nos Black Peppercorns
- 2 nos Cloves
- 3 nos Green Cardamom
- 1 no Black cardamom
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
Instructions
- Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and add them to a blender with 4–5 green chilies. Blend into a smooth puree and set aside
- Wash 2 cups rice thoroughly and drain. Optionally soak the rice for 15–20 minutes before cooking.
- Cut 200 g paneer into medium-sized cubes and keep the green peas ready.
- Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a pressure cooker.
- Add bay leaves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, green cardamoms, and black cardamom. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
- Next add sliced onions and a little salt. Sauté over medium heat until lightly golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
- Next add green peas and optional cashews. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
- After that add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix well.
- then add the prepared spinach puree and ¼ teaspoon sugar. Mix well and cook for 4–5 minutes until the raw spinach flavor reduces and the mixture thickens slightly.
- Next add the washed rice and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder. Mix gently without breaking the rice grains.
- Now add paneer cubes and fresh mint leaves. Mix gently. Add hot water according to the rice variety and your usual rice-to-water ratio. Mix gently.
- Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle.
- Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the cooker and gently fluff the pulao. Finally garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with raita or yogurt.
Video
Notes
- Wash spinach thoroughly before making the puree.
- Use fresh spinach for the best color and flavor.
- Mint leaves add a wonderful aroma and are highly recommended.
- Avoid overcooking the spinach puree to retain its fresh green color.
- Mix the rice gently after adding it to prevent the grains from breaking.
- Water requirements vary depending on the rice variety, soaking time, and moisture in the spinach puree.
- Paneer can be lightly fried in ghee before adding if you prefer golden edges.
Yes. You can easily skip the paneer and make a simple spinach and green pea pulao.
Yes, frozen green peas work very well. You do not need to thaw them completely before cooking.
Yes. You can prepare it in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the appropriate amount of water, cover the pot, and cook on low heat until the rice is completely cooked.
Mint is not absolutely necessary, but it adds a wonderful fresh aroma and complements the spinach and whole spices beautifully.
