Indian Kale Rice Recipe

Kale rice is one of the easiest, healthy and delicious Kale Indian recipe. It is loaded with veggies and greens and a mix of brown rice and white rice is used here to make this dish healthier.

This Indian Kale rice recipe is perfect for lunchboxes or as a weeknight dish because of its simplicity, usage of easily available ingredients, nutrition, and on top of everything its deliciousness.

Feel free to use the button at the top of the page to go to the recipe directly or the table of contents below to go to any section of the page you want. The recipe card has all the information that is needed to make the recipe perfectly. However, I try to provide as much useful information in the post for the readers who are looking for it.

To tell you the truth, I don't like Kale!! If I have to eat it, I try to hide its taste in smoothies or soups and consume it to get the health benefits.

However, on our last weekend day trip, when we stopped at the local produce market, hubby got two big bags of Kale while I was waiting in the car. It is kind of our family custom to always shop at the local produce markets whenever we go on day trips or long drives. Fresh and local produce always excite us😊. Anyways, now since I don't want to waste all that kale, we are trying to include it in different recipes. That is how I made this Kale rice which is one of the best Kale Indian recipes in my opinion. We also made a Kale and potato stir fry which turned out delicious as well. Will post the recipe soon for that as well.

Reasons to love this Indian style Kale rice

• Completely Vegan and Gluten-free
• Loaded with veggies and greens so multiple health benefits
• Super easy, barely comes together in 20 to 25 mins
• Very customizable as per your taste and preferences
• Last but not least yum yum and yum!!

Here is a list of some more Indian style vegetarian rice recipes that you will love !!

• Bagara Rice (Instant pot & stove top)
• Tomato Mint Coconut Rice ( Video )
• Ven Pongal | Khara Pongal
• Instant Pot Kheer | Rice Payasam | Indian Rice Pudding
• Basmati Rice Instant Pot (Perfectly Fluffy)

How to make

Preparation

• If you don't have cooked rice ready, then cook the rice and keep it ready. I cooked a mix of half white rice and half brown rice using the pot in pot method in Instant pot. Since I used half brown rice, I cooked it on manual mode for 21 minutes on high pressure and did a natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
• Dice the onions small, peel and grate the carrot, peel and mince the garlic cloves, slice the mushrooms and chop the kale.

How to make the Kale Rice Indian recipe

• Heat a frypan or a wok and add oil once hot. 
• Now add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, whole spices star anise, cloves, black cardamom (if using), cashews, and saute for few seconds, and then add chopped garlic cloves.
• After sauteeing garlic for 15 to 20 seconds, add chopped onions, slit jalapeno strips, and a little salt (around ¼ teaspoon, for the onions to cook faster). Saute the onions until they are golden brown.
• Next add sambar powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder and saute for a minute. If you don't have sambar powder, you can substitute the sambar powder with rasam powder or ½ tsp coriander powder+½ tsp cumin powder+¼ tsp red chili powder.
• Now add grated carrot and sliced mushrooms and saute for around 5 minutes until the carrots and mushrooms are well cooked.

• Then add chopped kale and stir well. Saute until kale is cooked well. It only takes around 3 mins. Do not stir fry for a long time after adding Kale to preserve the nutrients. Add salt enough for the veggies and greens.
• Once kale is sauteed well, add room temperature cooked rice, salt and mix everything well carefully without breaking the rice. 
• Stir fry for around 2 to 3 minutes until everything comes together, check seasonings, and add anything if needed.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with plain yogurt or simple raitha (seasoned yogurt).

Adjusting the spice level

This Indian Kale rice recipe is just right on the spice level. Not too bland not too spicy. However you can adjust the spice level as per your preferences.

To increase the spice level: Either use 2 or 3 green chillies in place of jalapeños and/or increase the amount of coriander powder and sambar powder. If you still want more spice, you can also add a little red chilli powder.

To decrease the spice level: Skip the jalapeño, reduce the amount of sambar powder.

Variations

This delicious Kale Indian recipe can be customized as you want by making simple changes.

• Use vegetables of your preference but do not use high water content vegetables as this will change the texture of the dish.
• Replace kale with spinach or mixed greens or baby greens.
• If you want to add protein, before adding the rice to the pan, move the veggies to the side and scramble few eggs in the middle of the pan, and mix everything together with rice.
• You can also add, shrimp or small diced chicken for protein options. Adjust the time and seasonings accordingly.

Serving Suggestion

It tastes delicious on its own so you don't have to worry about making more dishes to go with it. However, you can serve it with any of the below to make it more flavorful and complete.

• Plain yogurt
• Raita ( Indian seasoned yogurt )
• Papad or chips
• Onion slices
• any Indian pickle

Storing and Reheating

Just like any other fried rice, it tastes best when served immediately. However, it still tastes really good when you store it properly in an air tight container and reheat it either in a microwave or pressure cooker or stove top pan. It will stay good in a refrigerator up to 4 to 5 days.

Recipe

Indian Kale Rice Recipe

Yamini

An easy, healthy, and truly delicious way to incorporate Kale in Indian cooking. This Kale rice is loaded with the goodness of vegetables and greens and is ready in under 30 mins which makes it a perfect recipe for weeknights or lunchboxes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

  

For the Kale Rice

• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
• 1 cup diced onions I used red onion
• A handful of cashews or around 10 to 12
• ½ jalapeno slit lengthwise
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2.5 cups of chopped kale
• 5 to 6 cups of cooked white rice or brown rice I used a mix of Sona Masoori white rice & Sona Masoori brown rice

Optional Whole Spices (Skip them if you don't have them, they just add a nice flavor to the dish)

• 1 Star anise
• 3 cloves
• 1 black cardamom

Ground Spices/Seasonings

• Salt to taste I used around 2 teaspoons of pink Himalayan salt
• ¼ turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Sambar Powder I used MTR Sambar powder, any brand works well, Check notes below for substitutions
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin powder

Instructions

 

Preparation

• If you don't have cooked rice ready, then cook the rice and keep it ready. I cooked a mix of half white rice and half brown rice using the pot in pot method in Instant pot. Since I used half brown rice, I cooked it on manual mode for 21 minutes on high pressure and did a natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
• Dice the onions small, peel and grate the carrot, peel and mince the garlic cloves, slice the mushrooms and chop the kale.

How to make the Kale Rice Indian style

• Heat a frypan or a wok and add oil once hot. 
• Now add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, whole spices star anise, cloves, black cardamom (if using), cashews, and saute for few seconds, and then add chopped garlic cloves.
• After sauteeing garlic for 15 to 20 seconds, add chopped onions, slit jalapeno strips, and a little salt (around ¼ teaspoon, for the onions to cook faster). Saute the onions until they are golden brown.
• Next add sambar powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder and saute for a minute.
• Now add grated carrot and sliced mushrooms and saute for around 5 minutes until the carrots and mushrooms are well cooked.
• Then add chopped kale and stir well. Saute until kale is cooked well. Add salt enough for the veggies and greens.
• Once kale is sauteed well, add room temperature cooked rice, salt and mix everything well carefully without breaking the rice. 
• Stir fry for around 2 to 3 minutes until everything comes together, check seasonings, and add anything if needed.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with plain yogurt or simple raitha (seasoned yogurt).

Notes

• If you don't have sambar powder, you can substitute the sambar powder with rasam powder or ½ tsp coriander powder+½ tsp cumin powder+¼ tsp red chili powder.
• Do not stir fry for a long time after adding Kale to preserve the nutrients.
• You can use rice as per your preference, all white, all brown, or mix of white and brown. We usually cook half white and half brown.

Keyword Indian Kale, Indian Kale recipes, Kale Indian recipe, Kale Indian recipes, Kale recipes Indian

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Some more Indian Vegetarian recipes you will love

• Instant pot Aloo Matar | Indian Potato and Peas Curry (Instant pot & Stove top)
• Garlic pepper mushroom masala
• Cabbage fry Andhra style | Cabbage and green peas poriyal
• Indian style scrambled tofu curry | Scrambled tofu matar masala( Vegan)
• Tomato pachadi | South Indian Tomato chutney