Nutritious and Scrumptious Spinach Rice- A one pot meal!

makes 6 cups of rice

One pot meals are a blessing to so many of us, especially on busy days. Basmati rice combined with masoor dal is a complete protein that is easily digestible. Add spinach, onion, ginger and garlic to the mix and you have a delectable meal that is also so healthy. These are my ‘go to’ dishes when I remember my new year’s resolution.Served with a scrumptious raita like a cucumber raita, the piquant pineapple raita ,or the cool onion raita, it makes for a meal that I look forward to instead of a ‘diet meal’

So here are the Ingredients-

• 1 teaspoon oil plus 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• a pinch of salt + 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch peeled fresh ginger, grated
• 1 green chili pepper, (optional)
• 1 cup Basmati rice, washed well and drained
• 1 cup masoor dal, (red lentils), washed well and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 4 cups water or low sodium, low fat vegetable or chicken broth, heated to bring up to a boil
• salt to taste
• 2 big fist fulls of spinach leaves, washed and chopped

To make the rice-

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil and ghee over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle and you smell their aroma, add the onions, pinch of salt and the brown sugar. Let the onions caramelize, stirring them in between, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic, the grated ginger and the chili, if using. Stir for a minute or so.
3. Reduce heat to low,add the drained Basmati rice and masoor dal. Stir for 30 seconds, add the turmeric powder and stir again until rice looks opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the broth or water, salt to taste, stir and let it cook on low for about 5 minutes.
5. Fold in the chopped spinach, and cover and cook on low until the rice and dal are cooked, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve with a raita of your choice!

Enjoy!

Love,

Sandhya