I had been making this Spinach and Carrots Pullao dish on the stove top for a long time when I saw a book on Microwave cooking…looks like someone had read my mind AND my prayers had been answered!! Wow! The results were amazing! Now, I make it more often and my family just loves this Pullao/Pullav/ Pulav. The best part…I don’t have to hover around the stove and after we have relished it, I have only 1 dish to clean. You gotta LOVE it!
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 1 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Onion – 1/2 med, finely sliced
Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp
Black Cardamom – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1″ pc.
Cloves – 1
Green Cardamom – 1
Bay Leaf – 1
Spinach – 1 bunch, chopped (2 cups packed)
Carrots – 2, grated
Water – 2 cups
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Salt – to taste
Method:
- Wash and soak the Basmati Rice for at least 1/2 hour.
- In a microwave-safe dish which is at least 4″ deep and holds at least 4-5 cups, add Oil, Fennel Seeds, Onions, Big Cardamom, Cinnamon Stick, Green Cardamom, Bay Leaf and Cloves. Mix well.
- Microwave uncovered for 3 minutes.
- Add in the Chopped Spinach and the Grated Carrots. Mix well and microwave for another 3 minutes, uncovered.
- Drain the water from the soaked Rice and add it in the bowl.
- Add Salt, Red Chili Powder and 2 cups Water. Mix well and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring and checking every 5 minutes.
- Let the Rice stand for a few minutes before you fluff it up with a fork.
- Serve hot with Raita, Yogurt and/or pickle. Serves 2.
Tips:
- Every microwave is different so cooking time may vary.
- For a variation, try other vegetables.
- If you are uncomfortable using a microwave, the same method can also be used for the stovetop.
- For a Rice Cooker, follow the above steps 1-5 on stovetop and then transfer ingredients to the Rice Cooker and cook like regular rice.
Watch & learn:
Tried this out today. It was fabulous. My husband and 12 month baby enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Very nutritious and delicious recipe.
When using the cardamon pods, do you put them into the recipe whole, crushed or just the seeds inside?
Hi Corinne,
Cardamom is used differently in different recipes. In Pulaos, you use the whole pod in the hot oil to flavor it. It imparts a subtle flavor. In desserts, you take the seeds out of the pod and grind them to release a more potent flavor. You rarely use just the whole seeds by themselves.
When using the cardamon pods, do you put them into the recipe whole, crushed or just the seeds?
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
I am beginner in cooking and i tried this out today.
It was yummy 🙂
Thank you so much..
Keep up the good work !!
Regards,
Aditi
Thanks for the feedback Aditi!
Bless you girls. My ever o picky daughter has this rice yesterday. What a best way to put veggies in the food. Thanks.
Thanks Monika!
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I made this recipe for my 16 month baby because I thought it is a healthy one.And it came out to be so yummy..He loved it.And everyone in my family wanted to have it but it wasnt enough.Now I keep making this for all and people just love it.Thank you so much
Can I try this with frozen veggies
Hi Shobana,
Yes, frozen veggies will work fine.
This is a good one!! Nice n easy:)
Thanks to both of you!!
Hi Hital and Anuja,
Can I use brown rice instead of white? Will it cook exactly at the same time using microwave or I have to cook it for longer time?
Brown rice definitely takes longer to cook. Unfortunately, we have not tried this recipe with brown rice so we cannot give you an exact cooking time. Sorry.
Hi Hetal and Anuja-
First of all can you make this item in the cooker? And another thing, is fennel seeds the same thing as Methi? Thanks a lot guys! You guys are truly amazing!
Hi Jeni,
Yes, you can use a pressure cooker. Just heat oil and add all the whole spices and onions. Saute for 1 minute before adding the rest of the ingredients. For most pressure cookers, you will have to let them whistle only once before switching off the stove. Fennel seeds (saunf) are not the same as methi (fenugreek).
I made this yesterday in dinner…my family loved it.I used fresh spinach instead of frozen.
Thanks for posting such a wonderful recipe.
Made this today…wow such and easy and yummy dish.
Since I used fresh spinach instad of frozen, I added only 1.5 cup water for 1 cup rice.
Finished it off with a splash of lemon juice before serving
Sounds great, Sonia!
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I tried your spinach and carrot pulao, and cracked wheat salad. My husband and me, we are not picky with taste. But, son is very, very picky. He does not like anything healthy. But, I keep trying to feed him healthy food. Today’s spinach+carrot puloa was a hit with him. He asked for it again and again.
I browse the web for ideas a lot times. Usually I take the idea and transform into a healthy version of it.
But, from your website, I tried many as it is.
I like the way you use very little oil, different grains and veggies. Also I like the way you try to make the process easier and quicker. The variety is very good. Traditional but not really traditional.
Thankyou very much.
how to do it without a microwave
Hi,
I tried this recipe, but unfortunately it was not tasting so good. After reading all the reviews, I was craving to taste it n was carried away by the hype shown here 🙁
Hi Hetal & Anuja
I almost learnt cooking from your web site.
guess whttt I prepare daily one item by chking ur website.
I like the way u guys present :).
Thanks a lot for sharing such wonderful recipes
All the best
HAPPY Christmas and New Year
Hi Sravanthy,
Thank you so much for the feedback. Happy holidays to you!
Hii Anuja and Hetal
The recipe looks simple and yummy..
Just want to know if i use the normal Spinach instead of frozen one…will the cooking time differ?
Thankyou
Kriti
Hi Kriti,
No, either fresh or frozen, the time does not change.
Hi,
I tried this recipe, and it turned out to be good. I am not good at cooking rice…So I was a little sceptical about it.
But I am happy that I can cook rice in microwave.
Thanks
I have prepared this few times and it has become one of my favorite!
thanks for posting such a delicious and healthy recipe! it’s already becoming a regular at my place plus it’s real simple to make. just wanted to tell u that you gals are really awesome..and am a real fan of ur work. keep the awesome recipes coming 🙂
Tried yet another recipe from your kitchen. Well, it was awesome as expected. I added some snow peas and cabbage too, cause I had those veggies in my refrigerator. Made it on stovetop, cause heard somewhere that microwave rays are not really healthy.
Thanks
Prepared the pullao and turned out great in the microwave and very delicious! Easy, low-fat and nutrient dense, work for me! Hetal, I smelled the black cardamon more than the fennel.
Hi Hetal and Anuja..
I made spinach pulav it taste just awesome,its so much easy to make..thanks guys for the lovely recipe,my hubby just loved it and me aswell!! I used cauliflower instead of carrot and it worked really well for me…
thanks Anuja and Hetal keep it up!!
sneha
This is an delicious flavorful rice dish, I make it using the rice cooker. Now I make it almost every weekend! We just love it & it’s so easy to prepare too.
Thanks a bunch ladies. 🙂
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Can I use frozen chopped spinach? If yes,how much?
Thanks,
Shakuntala
Hi Shakuntala,
The recipe calls for 2 cups packed spinach so a 10 oz box should be good. If there is a little more or less spinach, it will not affect the outcome too much.
Hi Hetal,
I had just seen the written recipes & not the video before I asked the question about frozen Spinach.Then I watched the video & saw that you used frozen spinach too.Anyway,I tried it today & itwas a HIT.My husband usually is slightly skeptical about trying new dishes.But he loved it.He has liked all the dishes that I have tried so far.
THANKS A LOT
Shakuntala
Hi,
This recipe looks really awsome and very easy to make.. but is the black cardamom all tht needed for this recipe or can v make without it also?
Hi Kapsy,
If you want, you can substitute the black cardamom with green ones (if you have them). Else, you can leave it out.
Hi Hetal-Anuja,
Great recipe! I tried it today and it came out so well. I really love ur recipes coz they are so practical.
Continue ur great work,
Niti.
Hi Hetal and Anuja! I am so please with this recipe. I made it exactly as you stated in you directions…in the Microwave! I couldn’t believe how wonderful the rice turned out. I absolutly love making this dish. My husband loves it as well…Thank You for the wonderful recipes you guys post and the step by step videos really help. Please keep posting more new recipes- We love them!
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
this is a very simple & healthy recipe! very yummy indeed! i just tried it today for lunch & guess what..my husband & my daughter kept licking their fingers… 🙂
keep posting more yummy recipes… thanks
Hi Sri,
You would need to double up on everything other than the time. We would suggest that you follow the steps as shown in the video/recipe and keep checking on it every 5 mins. We, personally, have never made this recipe with double the quantity so can’t give you an exact time.
Hope it works out for you:)
If i double the all the quantities , do i need to double the cooking time as well?
Hi,
i usually loves to prepare a different varieties, this rice recipe was excellent and my hubby was so impressed.
Thank you for the great dish.
hi hetal n anuja,
excellent rice recipe!! i made it for my christmas party n it turned out awsome:)..i tried tried it on stove top,thanks a lot for this great dish.
Hi,
Can I use mint leaves in the place of Spinach??
hi,
I guess you could use mint in combination to the spinach. But the mint on the whole would give you too strong a flavor. Might not be to everyones liking.
Cheers .. pk
hello,
i tried the dish with only spinach and wow that too was good….tried it on stove top in pressure cooker….
hello hetal and anuja,
this is a wonderful dish; i made it today and it came out fabulous; thanks a lot for this great dish.
Every Dish posted in this site is Excellent.Please continue the good work. For Beginners like me this site is heaven!!
excellent
I made this yesterday on the stovetop and it turned out really nice. I threw in some cooked chicken pieces as well for the sake of hubby and daughter thrive on non-veg. Spinach and carrots and rice is a great combination. This will probably become one of our favourites.
Hetal and Anuja, that recipe looks sooo appetizing. It’s a pity the spinach in my fridge is finished, or I’d have made it for today’s dinner. Hopefully I will make it over the weekend. We’re all spinach fans in our house – daal palak and palak gosht are routine here. (okay now you can hear the background music “popeye the sailor man – toot toot!”)