Spinach Rice

A simple dish with huge flavours and can be put together in no time.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati Rice
• 150 gms Baby Spinach leaves
• 1 Onion (sliced finely)
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• Whole Spices (1 inch piece or cinnamon, 5 green cardamons, 7 peppercorns, 5 cloves, 3 bay leaves)
• Salt to taste.
• A little less than two cups of water
• 1 tbsp Ghee (optional, subs with 1 tbsp oil)
• 1 tbsp oil

Method:

Wash the rice and rinse twice, till the water runs clear. Drain well into tip into a strainer and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the whole spices and fry till aromatic.

Add the spinach leaves and a bit of salt and cook till wilted, keep stirring as it releases water. We will be cooking on medium low heat.

In a separate pan heat the oil and add the sliced onions. Fry till it starts to turn brown and caramelizing.

Once all the water from the spinach evaporates, tip in the washed rice and near caramelized onions into the pan and mix well.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water and let it come to a boil.

Meanwhile about 1/2 a cup of water to the pan in which we fried the onions, we want to lift the caramelized bits that are sticking to the pan. Swirl the water around the pan and you will notice it starts changing colour. Bring it to a boil and the tip the contents into the pan which has the spinach and rice. Mix well.

Cover the pan and cook on the low flame (lowest you can possibly go) for 7 minutes and then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for about 10-15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the rice.

The rice is quite full of flavour and can be served on its own, but can also be served with curries or yoghurt.