Spinach onion pulao Palak pyaaz pulao

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ghee

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

4 black peppercorns

4 cloves

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon chilli powder

200g (7oz) spinach leaves, finely chopped

250g (9oz) basmati rice, washed and drained

450ml (16fl oz) boiling water

Directions

Heat the ghee in a pan, add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they start to change colour. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan, add the fennel seeds, peppercorns and cloves and dry-roast over a low heat for 1–2 minutes until you can smell their aroma and they start to colour.

Transfer to a spice grinder and blitz to a powder or use a pestle and mortar to finely grind them.

Stir the spice mix into the onions with the salt, chilli powder and spinach. Then add the rice and stir until it is well coated in the flavourings. Pour in the measured boiling water, mix well and bring to the boil, then cover and cook over a low heat for 14 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and let the pulao rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Served piping hot (too-hot-to-eat hot) with just some plain yogurt on the side, onion pulao is one of my favourite things to eat, and one of the most comforting rice dishes. Here, I have added a couple of extra spices for heat and some spinach for more of a bite, making it the ultimate pulao. Serve with Cucumber Raita or Courgette Raita, or any curry.