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So, here’s your one pot answer on “How to make green rice with spinach and chicken ?” A dish that does not only look appetizing but is also protein packed with a lot of health benefits.
I love mixing things up while cooking like adding a vegetable in a curry or in this case combining chicken and fresh spinach with rice. It really brings out great flavours and I consider it to be a great way to make sure the goodness of vegetables makes its way into the diet.
If you are a vegetarian or would like to make this dish a veg one then you can easily convert this recipe by eliminating chicken from it since the process would remain the same.
While making use of spinach I usually adopt the recommended method of blanching it in order to maintain its green colour and remove harmful nutrients. This gives the dish a beautiful green colour or else you will land up with a more brownish colour. Do note that this recipe is more on an Indian pulao or pilaf style and is not Mexican green rice or Arroz Verde.
Firstly boil water in a saucepan over medium heat, when it reaches its boiling point switch of the gas. Now, put in the fresh spinach leaves (make sure you have washed them before adding it to the hot water) and let it sit in the hot water for 3 minutes.
Then you take it out from the hot water and dip it into a bowl of ice cold water. This process stops the spinach from cooking further thus retaining its bright green colour.
In Pilafs or Pulao or Biryani, I usually use India Gate Basmati Rice. Reason being you get nice, fluffy long grains of cooked rice that takes your dish to the next level. However you can use any rice that you would like to as there is no thumb rule as such just the matter of your taste preference and availability in your local store.
What to serve with Green Rice with Spinach and Chicken Recipe
- Arabic tomato chutney from Chicken and Vegetable Rice Pilaf recipe
- Mutton Mince Potato Chops
- Chicken Tava Kebab
Recipe benefits for people suffering from food allergies
- Nut free
- Soy free
- Dairy free
- Potato free
- Free from sunflower seed oil, as I have used Rice bran oil
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Green Rice with Spinach and Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Mixer Grinder
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
Boil Chicken / Chicken Broth
- 500 Grams Mixed Chicken Cuts Washed
- 1 Small Onion Cut into 4 quarters
- 1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- ⅓ Tsp Turmeric Powder
- Water as needed
- Salt to taste
Green Masala Paste
- 1 Small bunch Fresh Coriander Leaves
- 5 Springs Mint Leaves
- 8 Spinach Leaves Blanched in hot water and set aside
- 8 Small Green chillies
- 3 Green Cardamoms
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Inch Cinamon stick
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper Corns
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 ½ Tsp Coriander powder
- 1 Small Star Anise
For Green Rice
- 3 Cups Rice Basmati or Long grain
- 2 Medium Onions cut into lengthwise
- 1 Big Tomato cut into fine cubes
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 3 Cloves
- 3 Tbsp Oil I have used rice bran oil
- Salt as per taste
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Firstly, wash and rinse the rice a couple of times (4-5 times) in water until the water is clean. Then soak it in fresh water with the water level being higher than the rice for 45 mins while you prepare for the dish.
Pressure Cooking Chicken
- In a pressure cooker add all ingredients mentioned in “Boil Chicken / Chicken Broth”
- Cover the pressure cooker with a lid and set it on a gas over high flame until you hear the first whistle. After the first whistle, make the flame to low and let it give 1 more whistle.
- Switch of the gas and let the steam escape naturally with the lid on while you prepare the green masala paste.
- Once the steam has cooled of, using a sieve separate the chicken pieces from the chicken stock and set them aside separately.
- Use the chicken stock and plain water. The total of which should be 3 ½ cups. Heat this in a sauce pan over medium heat until its hot enough. As we will need hot water while making the rice.
Grinding the Green Masala into Paste
- In a food processor or mixer grinder add all ingredients mentioned in “Green Masala Paste”.Grind it into a smooth paste, you may not need water as the spinach will leave water. Incase you still do then you may add 2 tbsp of water while grinding but not more.
Making Green Rice
- Add oil in the same pressure cooker that you used for boiling the chicken. Place it on the gas on medium high heat.
- Once the oil is hot enough add bay leaf, green cardamom and cloves as mentioned in the “For Green Rice” ingredients list.
- After 2 minutes when a nice aroma has been released add in the slit onions. Continue frying them stirring frequently until they all turn translucent and pink in colour.
- Turn the flame to medium low and then add the green masala paste and continue to fry for 5 minutes or until the oil separates.
- Now add tomatoes and chicken and turn the flame to high heat. Fry until the water from tomatoes dries up and it turns mushy. Add salt as needed
- Now add 3 ½ cups of hot water to the pressure cooker
- Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook it for 2 whistles on fast flame and then switch of the flame allowing the steam to escape naturally from the cooker.
- Once the steam has released, remove the lid and you can now garnish the dish with some fresh coriander leaves and serve it with some chutney (Arabic Tomato Chutney) or Raita.
Notes
- If you need help with any Herb or Spice listed in this recipe then refer to the guide: List of Herbs and Spices
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