Aromatic basmati rice cooked with a boat load of spinach! Here's an easy pressure cooker and stovetop recipe for flavorful Spinach Rice, a healthy vegan and gluten-free side-dish, that compliments any meal!
Easy Gluten-Free and Vegan Side Dish
You can elevate your everyday rice into an elegant and delicious side dish with this quick and easy Instant Pot Spinach Rice recipe!
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can be easily made vegan by using vegetable or coconut oil.
I finish the Instant Pot Spinach Rice with a light squeeze of lime and it tastes divine. I like to add a few cashews or slivered almonds to spinach rice, as they add a nice texture and contrast to the creamy spinach and the soft fluffy rice.
Palak Rice Recipe - Indian Spiced Spinach Rice
Spinach Rice, or Palak Rice is a popular Indian vegetarian side, in which long grain Basmati rice is cooked with fresh spinach, and seasoned with cumin seeds, garam masala (Indian spice blend) and ground coriander.
Spanakorizo Recipe - Greek Style Spinach Rice
Spanakorizo is a simple greek variation for this rice recipe. If you switch the spices to a mediterranean blend, you have a delicious bowl of Spanakorizo! That's pronounced as span-a-ko-reezo. Now, try saying that 10 times fast 🙂
It is extremely easy to make Spanakorizo by switching a couple of ingredients in this recipe. Typically flavored with fresh dill, lemon zest and juice, this flavor-packed dish goes really well with a mediterranean themed menu.
I pair it with these Lamb Chops, or my Mediterranean Chicken and everyone loves it in my home.
I have listed the detailed ingredient list and recipe for Spanakorizo in the recipe card below.
Make a Meal: What to Serve with Spinach Rice
Indian Spiced Spinach Rice
This Instant Pot Spinach Rice has a nice fluffy and creamy texture and taste, due to which it seems like the perfect pairing with most Indian curries. My personal favorite pairings with Spinach rice are:
Serving Suggestion for Spanakorizo:
How to Make Spinach Rice in Instant Pot
Here's how I make this delicious Spinach Rice in the Instant Pot. This recipe will work for any electric or programmable pressure cooker like Mealthy Multi Pot.
- Rinse rice 2-3 times, till water runs clear. If you have the time, soak it for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain before using. Heat ghee in instant pot on SAUTE mode.
- Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle, about 15-20 seconds.
- Add chopped onions and cashews and saute for 30 seconds. If you're adding curry leaves and green chilies, you can add them with the onions.
- Add crushed or grated, ginger & garlic, and saute another 30 seconds.
- Add chopped spinach and cilantro and saute for about a minute, till the spinach wilts. See video for clarity.
- Add rinsed and drained rice and saute another minute.
- Add spices and stir well.
- Add water, stir and close the lid. Cancel SAUTE.
- Set pressure valve to 'Sealing' position if using DUO. Cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 6 minutes.
- Wait 5 minutes before manually releasing the pressure, by turning the valve to venting position (NPR 5). Open the lid after the pin drops.
- Fluff rice with a fork. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes. That allows the extra moisture to evaporate. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and mix it gently.
Pro-Tips for 'Fluffy' Delicious Instant Pot Spinach Rice
- After opening the lid, gently fluff up the rice with a fork. Lift the rice, not stir.
- Remove the Instant Pot insert from the base unit. Then, let it rest UNCOVERED for 5-10 minutes. This allows any excess moisture to evaporate. The result is always fluffy and separated kernels of rice.
Stove-top Recipe
In this recipe, I made the Spinach pilaf in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot, but this recipe can very easily be made on the stove-top too. Here's how:
- Rinse rice 2-3 times, till water runs clear. If you have the time, soak it for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain before using.
- Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium-high heat and add ghee.
- Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle, about 15 seconds. Add chopped onions and cashews and saute for 30 seconds. If you're adding curry leaves and green chilies, you can add them with the onions.
- Next add crushed or grated, ginger & garlic, and saute another 30 seconds.
- Chopped spinach and cilantro go in next. Saute for about a minute, till the spinach wilts. See video for clarity.
- Add rinsed and drained rice and saute another minute. Next, add spices and water, stir well.
- Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
- Open lid, gently fluff rice with a fork, add lime juice and mix. Let it sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving. As a result of this resting period, any excess moisture evaporates, therefore, resulting in soft and fluffy rice.
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📖 Recipe
Spinach rice in Instant Pot | Spanakorizo
Ingredients
Indian Style Spinach Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice : rinsed 2-3 times, soaked for 20 mins if possible
- 2 teaspoons ghee or oil for vegan option
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots thinly sliced or chopped
- 8-10 curry leaves (optional)
- 2 green chilies, whole (optional) rinsed and dried
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic, crushed or grated (½ inch ginger + 3 cloves garlic)
- 6 oz baby spinach (½ bag) chopped fine
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cashews or blanched slivered almonds
- 1 cup water
Spices for Indian Spinach Rice
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala homemade or store-bought
- ¼-½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Garnish
- ½ lime juiced : about 1 teaspoon. Add after cooking
Greek style Spinach Rice: Spanakorizo
- 1 cup basmati rice : rinsed 2-3 times, soaked for 20 mins if possible
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots thinly sliced or chopped
- 3 cloves garlic fine chopped or grated
- 6 oz baby spinach chopped fine
- ¼ cup fresh chopped dill
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds : optional
- 1 cup water
Spices for Spanakorizo
- ¾ teaspoon salt : adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Garnish
- 1 small lemon juiced : about 2 teaspoons, to be added after cooking
Instructions
- Rinse rice 2-3 times, till water runs clear. If you have the time, soak it for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain before using.
- Heat ghee in instant pot on SAUTE mode. Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle, about 15-20 seconds. Add chopped onions and cashews and saute for 30 seconds. If you're adding curry leaves and green chilies, you can add them with the onions. Add crushed or grated, ginger & garlic, and saute another 30 seconds.
- Add chopped spinach and cilantro and saute for about a minute, till the spinach wilts. See video for clarity. Add rinsed and drained rice and saute another minute. Add spices and water, stir well. Close lid. Cancel SAUTE. Set pressure valve to 'Sealing' position. Cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 6 minutes.
- Wait 5 minutes before manually releasing the pressure, by turning the valve to venting position (NPR 5). Open the lid after the pin drops. Fluff rice with a fork. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and mix it gently.
Stove-top Recipe
- Rinse rice 2-3 times, till water runs clear. If you have the time, soak it for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain before using.
- Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium-high heat and add ghee or oil.
- Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle, about 15 seconds. Add chopped onions and cashews and saute for 30 seconds. If you’re adding curry leaves and green chilies, you can add them with the onions.
- Add crushed or grated, ginger & garlic, and saute another 30 seconds.
- Add chopped spinach and cilantro and saute for about a minute, till the spinach wilts. See video for clarity. Add rinsed and drained rice and saute another minute. Add spices and water, stir well.
- Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
- Open lid, gently fluff rice with a fork, add lime juice and mix. Let it sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving. As a result of this resting period, any excess moisture evaporates, therefore, resulting in soft and fluffy rice.
Video
Notes
- After opening the lid, gently fluff up the rice with a fork. Lift the rice, not stir.
- Remove the Instant Pot insert from the base unit. Then, let it rest UNCOVERED for 5-10 minutes. This allows any excess moisture to evaporate. The result is always fluffy and separated kernels of rice.
srimayyia says
Amazing recipe. Keep Sharing.
Aneesha says
Thank you!
Ruti Goodfriend says
Made it tonight and will make it again! So much flavour and a great way to sneak in spinach for picky teens 🙂 chefs kiss 💋
Aneesha says
Hi Ruti, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for your sweet comment and ratings! Another gem to sneak in broccoli (and carrots) is this pasta: https://spicecravings.com/broccoli-cheddar-pasta
Anjana Ganjiguntae says
The Spinach recipe (Indian version) turned out very well ! I was on the hunt for a flavored "lite" rice dish and this is perfect. Even my Dad nodded in approval as he tasted the dish and that is huge. 🙂 I saw your comment on Kale and that would be my next attempt. Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe, Ameesha.
Aneesha says
Hi Anjana, thank you! And you're most welcome! I'm glad you and your Dad enjoyed this recipe. It's one of my favorite ways to incorporate greens in our meals. Hope the Kale version turns out great too!
Ann says
Excellent recipe
Kids loved it
Tried the Indian version
Will definitely make again
Will try Greek next
Aneesha says
Yay! So happy your family enjoyed it Ann! I hope you enjoy the greek version too. I pair it with Mediterranean Chicken (if you eat chicken). Thanks for stopping by and rating this recipe 🙂
Douglas Hernandez says
I made this recipe today and it was amazing! I served it with your paneer makhani recipe. My wife loved it, she even told me: "if you have served this to me, and said that you bought it from our favourite Indian restaurant, I would have believed you". Thanks !
Aneesha says
Hi Douglas, you and your wife just made my day, thank you 🙂 I'm so happy you both enjoyed this meal so much, it's one of our favorites! I hope you try some other Indian restaurant favorites like Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Korma too!
BJ says
Curry leaves and green chilies are mentioned in Step 2 but not in the ingredient list?
Aneesha says
Hi BJ, thanks for pointing that out, I fixed that! Hope you try it soon!
Erica says
Hi, Aneesha! I'd love to make this recipe this weekend, and I was wondering if I could substitute brown rice instead. If so, how should I adjust the cooking time? Also, I have frozen chopped spinach... Can I just microwave it and squeeze some of the water out and throw it in right before the rice? Or should I just run to the store and grab some fresh spinach? Thanks!
Erica says
Oops, never mind! I just saw that my questions were answered in other comments :] My mistake!
Aneesha says
Hi Erica, glad you found your answers. I'd love to hear how it comes out with brown rice! Enjoy!
Sam says
Nice Recipe! Great way to include spinach in my meal! Will be making it again for sure.
Aneesha says
Hi Sam, thanks so much! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Douglas Hernandez says
I can't wait to make this during the following weekend. Do you know if I can freeze it and for how long? Thanks!
Aneesha says
Hi Douglas, this can be frozen for up to 3-4 weeks. But personally, I don't enjoy the texture of thawed rice, it gets a bit mushy for my taste. That being said, it tastes amazing when fresh 🙂 Hope you enjoy it.
Douglas Hernandez says
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I noticed that with a recent batch of white rice I froze. My wife is pregnant and I'm trying to stock up on food in the freezer. Any recommendations would be great! Thanks again.
Aneesha says
Hi Doughlas, Congratulations! How nice that you are thinking ahead of meals- very practical. Some dishes that would freeze well would be Chili (chicken, Black bean), Goulash, Moroccan chickpea soup, salsa chicken, Bolognese sauce, Chicken Corn chowder (add cornstarch after thawing), Mexican Quinoa, Chicken Saag, Pasta Fagioli (I add pasta to it after thawing) etc. All these recipes are on the blog. I'll post some more as they come to mind. Good luck!
Renu says
Your recipes are good tried many of them... thnx for sharing.
One quick question why do you not use rice cook button to cook pulaos or biryanis. ?
aneeshasg says
Hi Renu, thank you so much. I am glad you're enjoying the recipes. As for rice, I'll say it's a combination of time and habit. Since I get perfect rice in 6 mins on regular mode, I rarely think of using the rice button, which defaults to 12 mins. Have you observed any texture difference on Rice mode? I'be been wanting to try it for Chicken Pulao. Will try it soon!
Jan says
I would like to double this recipe...would I just double all the ingredients?
Can’t wait to make this!
aneeshasg says
Hi Jan, yes, simply double up the ingredients, time remains the same. Enjoy!
Julie Deane says
This recipe sounds simple and delicious. I do have a question though. I thought you had to have at least a cup of liquid every time you cook in a electric pressure cooker, don’t you? Maybe I missed seeing the liquid part in the recipe, is it water like regular rice cooking?
aneeshasg says
Thank you Julie! The recipe does have 1 cup of water going in, you might have missed that 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
May says
Oh my gosh, this turned out so yummy. Definitely one of the better IP recipes I've tried. I used chard from my garden for the greens, but otherwise followed exactly. It made for a seriously yummy and fast lunch!
aneeshasg says
Hi May, That's awesome! It's always good to hear that! Chard sounds like a great addition in this recipe. I've made this recipe with kale and that came out really good too. Thanks for sharing your experience. I appreciate it!
radhika neel says
could I use frozen spinach for this recipe. I'd do how would I modify the recipe ?
aneeshasg says
Hi Radhika,
I've never used frozen spinach in this recipe, but I am sure you can. I would thaw out the spinach and using a couple of kitchen towels, tightly squeeze out the water from the spinach. You may have to saute the spinach for a few minutes longer to dry it out well. After that just follow the recipe and it should work. Would love to hear how it goes!
JT says
I made the Greek flavored version yesterday for my friends and I! It was DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for sharing this. One question: can I use brown rice for this? What changes would I need to make? Thank you again!
aneeshasg says
Hi JT, I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for sharing your experience! You can make this recipe with Brown rice, but I would add the spinach towards the end after cooking the brown rice, else it'll get overcooked and mushy. So, I would proceed with the recipe, minus the spinach, and cook the brown rice for 22 mins. QR, open lid and with a fork, stir in the chopped spinach. The heat from the cooked rice will wilt the spinach. Adjust for seasoning if you have to. Let the pot rest, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, that will help dry out the liquid from the spinach. Let me know how this version goes. Here's a link to brown rice if you need one: http://spicecravings.com/brown-jasmine-rice-in-instant-pot