Palak Rice / Spinach Flavoured Rice – Is A Must Lunch Box Idea

Working Moms sure do have a lot to worry about when it comes to cooking a healthy meal for every member of the family! From fixing breakfast for their hubby, picky eating kids, dieting In-laws and fixing her own lunch box to work…..Ufffff the list goes on! And to keep up with all these demands in the morning rush hours must be really giving her a headache! At least it gives me a head ache for sure!!!

To beat all the stress, I have discovered some worthy recipes to please these taste buds and in a healthy way too.  Palak Flavoured Rice is one of them and I am glad it saves me from the morning headaches!  Palak Rice is a very healthy and simple rice dish to prepare any time of the day!  I usually prepare this to pack our lunch boxes.  To top it all, I save some Palak / Spinach for the Raitha to go with it.  They go well together and gives us some needed nutrition.  Thank God my little fella likes these flavoured rice dishes as long as it smells like Biryani J

Here goes the pictures and simple recipe ……..

Ingredients required for Palak Rice:

Rice 3 cups/ 500 grams approximately

Water 6 cups / double the amount of rice

Palak / spinach – a large bunch

Onions chopped  2

Green chillies 3-4 ( increase if you like more spicy)

Cloves 4-5

Cinnamon sticks – 2

Bay leaf – 2

Ginger/garlic paste 2 tbsp

Oil 3 tbsp

Juice of one lime

Cilantro/Coriander leaves a handful

Turmeric powder – a pinch ( I omit this usually to get a natural green colour)

Salt to taste

How to prepare Palak / Spinach Rice:

1.      Wash rice and soak it in water.  In the mean time clean and wash spinach leaves 
         and  chop, spinach, onions, and slit green chilies into two.

2.      Heat a cooker and add oil.  Add cloves, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf one by one.

3.      Add chopped onions and green chilies, sauté till onion browns a bit and ginger- garlic
         paste and give stir.

4.      Add chopped spinach and sauté till the raw smell goes away (remember to save ¼ of
         it for Raita)

5.      Add the soaked rice, salt to taste and chopped cilantro, mix it well.

6.      Now add water and squeeze in lime juice. Taste and add little more salt if needed.

7.      Pressure cook it for one whistle or cook in an open pot till rice gets done.

8.      Serve with Spinach Raita (any Raita) or pack it for your lunch box

J …Simple isn’t it? Now off we go to Palak Raita…………

Ingredients required for Palak Raita:

Palak / Spinach ¼ bunch cleaned and chopped

Onions finely chopped 1

Green Chillies 2

Yogurt 1 cup / 250 ml.

Salt to taste

How to prepare Palak Raita:

1.      Sauté the palak in a spoon of oil ( I like to use it raw to retain the cruch)

2.      Beat yogurt / curd and combine chopped onion, green chilies and salt together.

3.      Serve with any rice dish to make it more healthier J

Kindly bear with me because I have received one more award to flaunt on my blog :D  Dear Preeti from Indian Kitchen has once again showered me with this favulous blog ribbon.  I am truly delighted to have this award.  Thanks much preeti....you make me happy everytime you pass an award to me.

 

Points to Ponder:

The scripture verse below speaks of A Wife Of Noble Character.  You must read it fully to understand how beautifully it describes the woman of good character.  I have quoted a very small portion of it here!

She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family.

And portions for her female servants

Proverbs 31: 14-15