PUDHINA RICE

Mint  is very cooling and refreshing. In this summer season I have lots of mint growing up in our front garden. And suddenly it reminds me mom’s Phudina rice recipe and immediately made it.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins 

Ingredients

• Mint – ½ cup
• Green chilies – 2
• Ginger – ¼ inch piece
• Garlic cloves – 2
• Oil – 1 ½ tablespoons
• Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon, broken
• Onion - ½ cup, sliced + handful sliced onions for frying
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cinnamon stick – ½ inch piece
• Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

Instructions

1. Wash mint leaves very well. Take mint leaves, green chilies, ginger and garlic to the blender.
2. And grind it into a smooth paste adding very little water.
3. Heat the oil in pan on medium heat. Once hot add cashews and fry it till it gets golden brown. Remove it to paper towel lined plate.
4. Now add handful of sliced onions in the same oil and fry it till it get golden brown and crispy.
5. This step is purely optional. I wanted to make it like biryani style so I fried some. Once browned remove it to the plate and keep it aside.
6. Now in the same oil, add bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Let it cook for few seconds, you will get nice aroma.
7. Then add cumin seeds, let them sizzle.
8. Then add ½ cup of sliced onion. Mix it.
9. Let it cook till it gets translucent or pink.
10. Then add mint paste and salt. If you rice has salt in it then be careful while adding salt here.
11. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes and all the moisture will evaporates.
12. Add cooked rice.
13. Mix it very gently so rice grains do not break.
14. Garnish with cashews and fried onions and serve.