Chickpea and Spinach Pressure Cooker Rice
A one-pot Indian-style rice with dried chickpeas, onion, and spinach, seasoned with garam masala bloomed in hot oil for a warm, toasty depth. Everything cooks together in the pressure cooker, so the rice soaks up the tomato and spice water.
- Total
- 536 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 511 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Blooming spices · Absorption rice
- Savory
- Indian
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
-
Put the 60 g dried chickpeas in a bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and leave to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain well before cooking.
~480 min
Soaking rehydrates dried chickpeas so they cook evenly and become tender; unsoaked beans stay hard even after pressure cooking.
-
Finely chop the onion. Drain the 150 g canned tomatoes and roughly chop them. Rinse the 60 g spinach and roughly chop it. Rinse the 70 g rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain.
~10 min
-
Set the pressure cooker to the sauté setting and add 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in 1 tsp garam masala and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
~8 min
Blooming garam masala in hot oil dissolves fat-soluble flavor compounds, making the spices more aromatic and evenly distributed.
Toasting the garam masala in the hot oil for just 30 seconds wakes up its aroma; if it starts to darken, pull the pot off the heat immediately so it does not turn bitter.
Blooming spices Cook ground spices in hot oil for 30 seconds until fragrant; if they darken, remove from heat immediately to avoid bitterness.
-
Add the drained chickpeas, chopped canned tomatoes, rinsed rice, 250 ml water, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pot.
~3 min
Absorption rice Use the right water ratio and let the rice rest covered after cooking so grains absorb liquid evenly and become fluffy, not sticky.
-
Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
~30 min
Natural pressure release prevents starchy liquid from erupting and lets the rice finish cooking gently, avoiding a sticky texture.
If the rice is still firm after the rest, add 2 tbsp hot water, lock the lid, and cook on high pressure for 2 more minutes, then release immediately.
Absorption rice Use the right water ratio and let the rice rest covered after cooking so grains absorb liquid evenly and become fluffy, not sticky.
-
Open the lid, stir in the chopped spinach, and let the rice stand covered for 5 minutes so the spinach wilts and the grains firm up. Fluff with a fork and serve.
~5 min
Residual heat wilts the spinach without overcooking it, while the covered rest lets rice grains firm up and absorb remaining moisture.