Instant Pot Chickpea and Spinach Pulao

Flavor-packed Instant Pot chickpea and spinach Pulao makes an excellent lunch or dinner option. This one-pot wonder meal is a medley of fresh vegetables and rice that complement each other well. Apart from that this simple yet filing pulao will simplify your lunch-box routine too!

Whenever I am looking for comfort food that is easy-to-make and good to eat, Instant Pot chickpea and spinach Pulao comes to my rescue. It is one of the easiest dishes that I can rely on, on a busy weeknight.

This nutritious pulao is prepared with real, simple ingredients that strikes just the right balance of flavor and texture. It is mildly seasoned with fragrant spices and has a subtle tartness of lemon juice along with an addicting aroma of mint leaves.

Add it to your dinner menu tonight, and it will surely please everyone’s taste buds. Even the kids will love this pulao for its mild flavor and amazing taste.

What is Pulao?

Pulao technically speaking, is a one-pot Indian style rice dish where veggies or meat are cooked along with rice in a set quantity of water. Pulaos are mildly flavored with just the right amount of spices that enhance the overall taste of the dish. 

In India, there are many varieties of pulao like Moti Pulao, Chana Dal Pulao, Matar Pulao, Paneer Tikka Pulao, and many more. Depending on the state or region, preparation and flavors of pulao may vary. 

How to make Instant Pot Chickpea and Spinach Pulao?

This is a straightforward recipe where you need some essential ingredients from your pantry, some fresh vegetables, boiled chickpeas, and rice to create an irresistible dish.

1. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds, and garlic to the insert. Saute for a few seconds. Do not skip the whole spices as they lend an aromatic and distinctive flavor to this pulao.
2. Add chopped onions to the insert. Saute the onions for 2 minutes until the onions are translucent.
3. Add chopped veggies. The combination of colorful vegetables makes this pulao reasonably healthy. Besides that, it is a great way to sneak veggies into your kid’s diet.
4. Stir in the spices. Mix and cook for a minute.

How to make Instant Pot chickpea and spinach Pulao on a cooktop?

To make this recipe over a cooktop, follow all the steps up until ‘adding water’ to the rice. In the cooktop method, extra water is added to the pulao. The ratio is 1 cup rice: 1 3/4 cup of water. Cook the rice and veggies uncovered in a pan until the water has reduced to 1/4 of its quantity.

Cover the pan with a lid. Lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame and let the rice sit covered for another minute or so. After the desired time, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Watch The Instant Pot Chickpea and Spinach Pulao Video Below!

What to serve along with Instant Pot chickpea and spinach Pulao?

Pulao can be enjoyed as is or can be served alongside with raita or pickle for a complete meal. Freshly cooked papad tastes excellent too.

So, if you are looking for something delicious to make tonight, I encourage you to give Instant Pot Chickpea and Spinach Pulao a try and share your feedback! If you have questions related to this recipe, send me an email, and I would be happy to answer them. ?

Craving for more, try these other options!

• Instant Pot Fiesta Rice
• Instant Pot White Bean Soup
• Instant Pot Coconut Quinoa with White Bean
• Instant Pot 3 Cheese Mac & Cheese

Instant Pot Chickpea and Spinach Pulao

4.75 from 4 votes

Flavor-packed Instant Pot chickpea and spinach Pulao makes an excellent lunch or dinner option. This one-pot wonder meal is a medley of fresh vegetables and rice that complement each other well. 

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 19 minutes mins

Total: 29 minutes mins

Calories: 115 kcal

Servings: 4 SERVINGS

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EQUIPMENT

• ▢
  Instant Pot Duo – 6 Quart
• ▢
  Wooden Serving Bowl
• ▢
  Silicone Spoon

INGREDIENTS 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Oil (or use ghee: non- vegan option)
• ▢ 2 – Bay leaves
• ▢ 4-5 – Cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Garlic finely chopped
• ▢ 1 medium Onion chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup Carrots sliced
• ▢ 1/4 cup Green Beans split lengthwise
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Green chilies de seeded and chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ▢ 3/4 cup Chickpeas boiled
• ▢ 1 cup Fresh Spinach Leaves chopped
• ▢ 1 cup Long Grain Basmati Rice rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1.25 cups Water

SPICES

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Chili Paste (I have used Sambal Oelek chili paste)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon Garam Masala ( or curry powder)
• ▢ – – Salt to Taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Mint Leaves dried and crushed – to be added after the cooking is done

US Customary – Metric

INSTRUCTIONS

• Press the saute button on the instant pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil and then add the bay leaves, cumin seeds, and garlic to the insert. Saute for a few seconds. Do not skip the whole spices as they lend an aromatic and distinctive flavor to this pulao.
• Add chopped onions to the insert. Saute the onions for 2 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  
• Add chopped veggies: carrots, green chilies, and green beans. Stir in the spices. Mix and cook for a minute. The combination of colorful veggies makes this pulao reasonably healthy. Besides that, it is a great way to sneak veggies into your kid’s diet.
  
• Pour in the lemon juice. Add the boiled chickpeas and chopped fresh spinach leaves to the Pot. Feel free to substitute it with the beans of your choice.
• Time to add rinsed and drained rice to the insert. Stir to combine.
  
• Pour in water. For extra flavor, feel free to substitute water with vegetable stock.

  Scrape the sides and bottom of the pot and mix the ingredients well.
• Close the lid and seal the pot. Cancel the ‘Saute‘ mode and press the ‘Manual or Pressure Cook‘ button. Cook on  HIGH PRESSURE for 7 minutes. Make sure that the pressure release valve is in place, and it is set to the Sealing position.
• After the insert pot beeps, do a Quick Pressure Release and carefully open the lid. Let the pulao rest for at least 3-4 minutes before fluffing it with a fork. This way the grains will not break while fluffing.
• Add the mint leaves to the pulao. Mix and serve hot.
  

VIDEO

RECIPE NOTES

 

Other Variations!

1. Long grain basmati rice is perfect for pulao. It’s grain after cooking separates quickly and has a beautiful aroma.
2. Feel free to add veggies of your choice. You can substitute carrots and beans with bell peppers, broccoli, peas or corn.
3. I have flavored my pulao with Dried mint leaves. Mint leaves can be swapped with dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) for an even more distinctive flavor.
4.  Why add lemon juice during cooking? Addition of lemon juice makes fluffy rice. The grains will separate easily and will result in fluffier rice. Therefore, add the recommended quantity while the rice is cooking. 
5. For extra protein–  fried paneer cubes or tofu cubes are a great addition.
6. If cooking pulao on a cooktop: avoid stirring the rice frequently as this will break the grains, and the pulao may turn out sticky and unappetizing. 

 

One Important Thing!

Wash and rinse the rice thoroughly under tap water until the water runs clear. The key is to get rid of starch as much as we can, to avoid the BURN message. High starch content foods like rice often give an error burn message on the Instant Pot. 

 

NUTRITION

Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3455IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.

Author: Ruchi

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Are you Going to make this recipe? Take a picture and mention @ruchiskitchen! I would LOVE to see how it turned out for you!