Instant Pot Chickpea and Spinach Pulao

4.75 from 4 votes

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.

Prep: 10

Cook: 19

Total: 29

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: SERVINGS

Calories: 115kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

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

Notes

Other Variations!

Long grain basmati rice is perfect for pulao. It's grain after cooking separates quickly and has a beautiful aroma.
Feel free to add veggies of your choice. You can substitute carrots and beans with bell peppers, broccoli, peas or corn.
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.
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.
For extra protein- fried paneer cubes or tofu cubes are a great addition.
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