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A large spoonful of tomato spinach orzo pasta with Indian spices.
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5 from 2 votes

Tomato Orzo with Spinach (Indian Fusion)

Indian Fusion Tomato Orzo with Spinach is a delectable one-pot meal made with fresh veggies such as tomatoes, spinach, and green peas. Slow-cooked to perfection and infused with the aromatic essence of biryani flavors, this dish echoes the bold flavors of traditional biryani in every bite.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian Fusion, Italian Inspired
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 5 servings
Author: Nisha Kapur

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 cup red onions finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 green chili chopped
  • 1/2 cup orange bell pepper chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp biryani masala, more if needed I used MDH - Sindhi biryani masala
  • 2 cups orzo
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas run under warm water
  • 60 grams baby spinach chopped
  • 3-4 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Heat a wide-bottomed heavy pan on medium heat. Once hot, add oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add cumin seeds, a cinnamon stick, and a bay leaf. Saute for 45 seconds or so. Now add onions and season with a little salt. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Add orange bell pepper. Stir and cook for two minutes. Add chopped garlic and green chilies. Saute for a minute.
  • Next add cherry tomatoes sliced in half. Season with salt. Stir well. Add tomato paste. Stir well. Reduce to low-medium heat. Cover and cook down the tomatoes until melted for about 8-10 minutes.
  • Once cooked, use a large fork to press down gently on the tomatoes. Be careful to not burn yourself since the tomatoes may release some liquid. Now add biryani masala and Kashmiri chili powder. Stir well then add orzo and make sure it’s well-coated. Add 3 ½ cups of water. Stir and add salt as needed. Taste the liquid if you have to and make sure the liquid is well seasoned with salt. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes.  The end result should not be al dente, but soft and creamy. Taste the orzo and make sure it's soft and fully cooked.
  • Add chopped baby spinach and green peas. Stir well. Turn off the stove to prevent more liquid from drying out. Add fresh cilantro. Stir. Cover the orzo pasta with a lid so the flavors can marry together. Enjoy after 15 minutes.

Notes

  • Slow-cook the orzo pasta to prevent it from drying out.
  • Prevent Sticking - Stir occasionally to prevent the orzo pasta from sticking to the pan. If there is sticking, add a little water (1/4 cup) and deglaze the pan.
  • Salt - Season the orzo pasta water well - taste it and make sure it has enough salt. Note - Biryani Masala also has salt, so you'll have to use intuition here.
  • Overcooking - Do not overcook the orzo past 10 minutes else it'll dry out. The end goal should be creamy orzo.
  • Gluten-free - For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free orzo and biryani masala.
  • Vegan - For a vegan option, use vegan butter - you just need 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition

Serving: 486g | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3778IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg