Pudina Pulao / Mint Rice Recipe

A bunch of you have been complaining about the rice recipes I have been posting over the last couple of weeks saying if I post all the rice recipes, then what do you all send me for The Monthly Mingle :D Its a good point, but don't hesitate to send me the same dish. I am sure that the same dish can me made a zillion different ways and it will be interesting to see that too.


Anyway, I made this mint rice about a month back because I got a huge bunch of mint leaves from the Indian vegetable market and had no clue what to do with it all. There is only so much you can use up to make mint chutney, right?

The rice came out super nice and since TH is a huge mint fan, he loved it too!

Pudina Pulao / Mint Rice
Serves : 2 to 3

What I Used:

2 cups rice (I used basmati rice)
2 cups fresh mint leaves / pudina, lightly packed
1 onion, chopped fine
3 to 4 green chillies
¼ cup grated coconut (fresh works best, frozen will do too)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
1" piece of cinnamon
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp ghee
12 roasted cashews for garnishing (optional)
Salt to taste

How I Made It:

1. If using basmati, soak the rice in 4 cups water for half an hour and cook in pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Once pressure leaves the cooker, spread out on a plate and let it cool without clumping. If using rice cooker or any other method, cook until the rice is done yet firm.

2. Grind the mint leaves with the coconut, green chillies and ginger / garlic (if using fresh) to a paste.

3. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the cashews until golden brown (if using) and drain. Add the spices - cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and star anise - and saute for about a minute, taking care not to burn them. Then add the chopped onions and saute unil it turns transparent.

4. Add the ground paste to the pan and fry for about 2 to 3 mins until it turns fragrant. Again, take care not to burn! Add salt.

5. Mix in the cooled rice without breaking it too much. Garnish with the roasted cashews and serve with a raita of choice.

Rush in your rice recipes (mixed rice, biryani, pulao, poha, rice flour, etc) for this month's Monthly Mingle - Ravishing Rice event at Edible Garden. Last date for entries is June 15, 2009.