Keerai Sadam is a popular South Indian one pot rice dish made with fresh spinach (keerai), yellow moong dal, and a mix of simple spices. This Indian spinach rice recipe is a wholesome one-pot meal that combines the goodness of rice, dal, and spinach’s nutritional benefits, making it a favourite among food enthusiasts.
The Instant Pot simplifies the cooking process and locks in the flavours, resulting in a delicious and aromatic South Indian dish that is popular in all Indian households.
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This keerai sadam recipe has been my absolute favourite since childhood. My mother often made it with some delicious Potato Fry or Seppankizhangu Roast. This was a delightful combination on a Sunday when hot food used to be served straight on our plates for lunch. These days, this keerai sadham is my go-to recipe on busy days.
By following this simple yet delicious Instant Pot Keerai Sadam recipe, you can treat yourself to a wholesome and flavorful meal that’s sure to become a regular on your dining table.
Whether you’re a fan of South Indian cuisine or simply looking to try a nutritious
one-pot recipe, Keerai Sadam is a must-try for anyone who loves vibrant flavours and comfort food.
Why you’ll love this Instant Pot Keerai Sadam Recipe?
A wholesome and comforting recipe with the goodness of spinach, rice & dal.
One-pot meals are a favourite for everyone. This is a quick, easy recipe and convenient one-pot Spinach Rice.
This Indian spinach rice is made with simple and minimal Ingredients.
You can whip up this wholesome keerai rice with the Instant Pot in no time. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and an excellent option for kids’ lunchboxes. A great option to make kids eat some greens regularly.
You can customize the spices and add other vegetables to suit your preferences.
How to make Keerai sadam in Instant Pot?
Wash a cup of rice and some moong dal and soak them in enough water for 30 minutes.
Select Saute Mode on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a big pinch of asafoetida, and red chillies.
Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add onion, green chillies, garlic cloves and saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, and sambar powder. Let them cook together for a few minutes.
Add the chopped spinach, salt. Drain the soaked water from the rice and dal. Add the rice and dal to the Instant Pot.
Add the required amount of water. Close the Instant Pot with the lid. Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Wait for natural pressure release.
Open the Instant Pot, stir well, and adjust the consistency by adding a cup of boiling hot water if required. Mix well and serve the delicious Keerai Sadam with papad, pickle or your choice of side dish.
Tips & Suggestions to make this One Pot Keerai Sadam
Rice: You can use other rice varieties, such as basmati rice, brown rice or millets, but adjust the water and cooking time accordingly.
Dal: Apart from moong dal, toor dal or masoor dal can also be used. Soaking the dal and rice for 30 minutes ensures they are cooked well in the Instant Pot.
Spinach: I used baby spinach in this recipe, but you can use any variety of spinach that you prefer. Paruppu keerai, palak dal can be used to make this flavorful spinach rice.
Spices: Feel free to adjust the spice levels to suit your taste preferences.
Additional Ingredients: You can add vegetables like carrots, potatoes or peas to enhance the spinach dal rice’s nutritional profile.
Serving Suggestions
Instant Pot Keerai Paruppu Sadam pairs perfectly with a side of papad and pickle. For added richness, you can also enjoy it with a dollop of ghee.
To make the meal more fulfilling, you can serve spinach rice with Potato Podimas, Aloo Matar, Kovakkai Poriyal, and Seppankizhangu Roast.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, keerai sadam can be made vegan using oil instead of ghee to cook the rice.
Absolutely! While regular spinach is the traditional choice for Keerai Sadam, you can experiment with other leafy green vegetable, such as amaranth leaves, fenugreek leaves, or even kale, to create your own unique variation of this dish.
To reduce the spice level for a milder version suitable for children, reduce the number of green chillies and sambar powder in the recipe.
Absolutely! Although the Instant Pot is convenient, Keerai Sadam can be prepared using a regular stovetop pressure cooker or a traditional stovetop method. Adjust the cooking times and water ratios accordingly.
Keerai Sadam is a wholesome and filling dish on its own, thanks to the combination of rice, dal, and spinach. However, for a more elaborate meal, you can pair it with a side of stir fry vegetable, yogurt-based raita, achar (pickle), or papad (crispy flatbread).
If you don’t have sambar powder, substitute with red chilli powder and coriander powder. Adjust the spice level to suit your taste while making this Instant Pot recipe.
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Keerai Sadam Recipe in Instant Pot
Ingredients
For Keerai Sadam
- 1 cup Rice
- ¼ cup Split Yellow Moong Dal
- 4 cups Chopped Spinach
- 1 Onion
- 1 Tomato
- 2 Green Chilli
- 10 cloves Garlic
- Salt as needed
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Sambar Powder
- 3 + 1 cups Water
For tempering
- 2 tablespoon Ghee / Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Red Chillies
- Asafoetida / Hing a big pinch
Instructions
- Wash rice and moong dal and soak them together in enough water for 30 minutes.
- Select Saute Mode on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a big pinch of asafoetida, and red chillies.
- Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add onion, green chillies, garlic cloves and saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, and sambar powder. Let them cook together for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped spinach, salt. Drain the soaked water from the rice and dal. Add the rice and dal to the Instant Pot.
- Add 3 cups of water. Close the Instant Pot with the lid. Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Release the pressure naturally.
- Open the Instant Pot, stir well, adjust the consistency by adding 1 cup of boiling hot water if required. Mix well and serve the delicious Keerai sadam with papad, pickle or your choice of side dish.