Spinach Biryani Recipe/Palak Biryani(Keerai Biryani)-Sunday Lunch Recipes-17

I tried this Chettinad style Keerai biryani recipe adding palak leaves after watching Captain TV Cookery show. It came out really well. We loved it. My daughter Raksha had a plateful of this biryani happily. As this was my first attempt of making a biryani adding greens/keerai, I was doubtful about its taste. So I made Drumstick poricha kuzhambu and Rasam along with it. But biryani bowl got emptied first. I am sure this would be a healthy choice for fussy kids who don’t eat green leaves.

Here I have used spinach/Palak as it is easy to clean & chop. You can use Arai keerai, Mulai keerai(Amaranth leaves), siru keerai, methi leaves/ vendhaya keerai as suggested in the TV show. Try this healthy biryani recipe for your kids and Husband’ lunch box. This recipe gets thumbs up from everyone in the family.

Ok, Lets see how to make this Indian Palak biryani recipe in detail.

Please check my other biryani & pulao recipes here 🙂

Palak biryani/Spinach biryani recipe

Palak biryani/Spinach biryani recipe Healthy,easy spinach biryani recipe – Sunday Lunch Recipes series -17

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Lunch menu

Serves:3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Spinach/Palak leaves/Keerai – 1 cup ( 1/2 bunch)
Basmati rice – 1 cup ( I use India Gate)
Salt – as needed
Water – 1.75 cups

To saute

Cooking oil + ghee – 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Cinnamon – 1 inch
Cloves – 2 no
Cardamom – 1 no
Black stone flower/Kalpasi – 1 no
Bayleaf – 1 no
Big onion -1 no
Small onion -5 nos
Green chilli – 1 no
Mint leaves – 2 tbsp
Tomato – 1 no
Curd – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice – few drops

To grind

Red chillies – 3 nos
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic cloves – 5 nos
Pepper corns – 1/4 tsp

HOW TO MAKE KEERAI BIRYANI – METHOD

Grind all the ingredients given under “to grind” to a smooth paste. Set aside. Wash & soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes.

Wash and chop the palak leaves. Chop the onions, mint leaves and tomato into fine pieces. Slit the green chilli.

Heat oil+ghee in a cooker base. Saute the whole spices and add the slitted green chilli and onions. Saute till transparent. Add the ground paste and saute till raw smell goes off. Add tomatoes and saute till it becomes mushy.

Lastly add the mint leaves. Mix well and add the finely chopped palak leaves. Add rice, salt, curd, water and lemon juice. Give a boil. Mix well and close the cooker. Cook in very low flame for one whistle. After the steam is released, remove the lid and fluff the rice with fork. Enjoy !

Note

You can replace palak with Arai keerai, mulai keerai or vendhaya keerai/Methi leaves.
Add more number of red chillies for spicy biryani.
You can also powder the whole spices and add to this biryani for variation.
Adding ghee gives a nice flavor. So don’t skip it.

Try this healthy, kids friendly Keerai biryani. You will enjoy it !