Spinach and Corn Rice

I was commenting to my friend, Prajakta, about how I'm always looking for lunchbox recipes that are easy to prepare and are tasty and nutritious at the same time. She, a hotel management grad and a long time friend, gave me this recipe. I tried it twice so far and it was wonderful. I took this picture as I was packing our boxes.

S is for Spinach and this is one of my entries to Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables.

I make pureed Spinach whenever I have the time and store it for future use. I usually wash the leaves and cook them in the microwave for 5-8 minutes. When they are cooked, I blend them in a liquidizer.

Ingredients:

1 cup Spinach puree

1 cup Basmati Rice, washed and drained

1 cup Sweet Corn

1 Onion, sliced

1 tsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the asafoetida and the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the sliced onions and fry for a while. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and the dry spices and fry a little. Add the corn and the spinach puree. Add the rice and 1 1/4 cup of hot water. Add salt to taste.

Pressure cook for 2 whistles or 10 minutes on a low flame. Enjoy this rice with jeera raita or plain curd.