Spinach Rice with Beet Raita

Written by

Elizabeth Townsend

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Spinach Rice with Beet Raita

Ingredients

Spinach Rice

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut, freshly grated (thaw if frozen)
  • 1 small green chili, roughly chopped (I use Thai birds eye chilies, but ½ jalapeno or serrano will also work)
  • 1 cup tightly packed chopped cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 cup raw cashew halves
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 6 ounces bag baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup long grain basmati, cooked (at room temperature)
  • 1 handful green peas (optional)
  • 1 handful corn kernels (optional)
  • 2 ounces paneer, cubed (optional)

Beet Raita

  • 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3/4 cup beet, grated (using the large holes of a box grater)
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼-½ teaspoons red chili or cayenne powder
  • 3 cups plain whole milk yogurt
  • Fine sea salt, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala, or to taste

Instructions

Spinach Rice

  1. Using a food processor or blender, pulse the coconut, cilantro, green chili, lemon juice, sugar, and ½ tsp of salt until they form a smooth, thick paste, using a teaspoon or two of water if needed to get the ingredients moving. You should end up with approximately ¼ cup of paste.
  2. In a large saute pan, heat the ghee or oil of your choice over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cashews, and stir for a minute or two until the cumin sizzles and the cashew pieces turn golden.
  3. Add the chopped red onion, season with ½ tsp salt, and saute until the onion softens and begins to brown around the edges, about 3-5 minutes.
  4. Add the coconut-cilantro mixture, another ½ tsp of salt, and saute for 1-2 minutes until the blended paste turns a darker green and most of the liquid evaporates.
  5. Add the chopped spinach, a handful at a time, letting it wilt before adding more. Increase the heat to medium-high and saute for another 2 minutes, until any excess water from the spinach evaporates. If you’re using any of the optional add-ins, add those now. Give the mixture a few final stirs, then turn off the heat.
  6. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Add the cooked basmati rice to the pan and gently fold it in.
  7. Taste the spinach rice and adjust for salt.

Beet Raita

  1. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
  2. Add the grated beets, turmeric, red chili or cayenne powder, and ½ tsp salt. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, then uncover and cook for another minute so the beets can give off some moisture. Turn off the flame and set aside to cool completely.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the yogurt with a few tbsp of water until smooth.
  4. Add the cooled beets and ½ tsp chaat masala, and swirl it all together. Taste to check if you’d like more salt or chaat masala.
  5. Serve beet raita with spinach rice.

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