Pudina Pulao
Rice cooked with mint leaves and flavored with whole spices
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 large onion sliced
- Pinch of turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
To grind
- 1 cup mint leaves tightly packed
- ¼ cup coriander leaves tightly packed
- 4-5 green chillies
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ inch ginger
- 2 tbsp grated coconut
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds / sombu / saunf
- 2 tsp lemon juice
To temper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp ghee
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 1 cardamom
Instructions
- Wash rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Grind mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic, coconut, fennel and lemon juice to a smooth paste adding very little water.
- In a pressure cooker, heat oil and ghee. Add cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise, cloves and cardamom. Fry for few seconds.
- Then add onions and fry until they become soft. Add the ground paste, turmeric powder and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add rice, 1½ cup water, salt and gently combine everything. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and then turn the heat to low and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Once the pressure subsides completely, open and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
Notes
- You can also cook this in an open pan. To cook in pan, follow steps 1-4. Add rice, water, salt and gently mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover and cook until rice is done.
- You can also use leftover rice in this recipe. After frying the mint paste, add the rice, salt and gently combine everything.
- Adjust the quantity of green chillies according to your spice preference.