Pudina Pulao / Mint Pulao

If I say Pudina Pulao, my family members wud turn back to run..... not that it tastes that bad but I have made it around 3-4 times in the past 1 month and they are bored of it. It was because that I wasnt satisfied each time with my click I had to repeatedly cook it ;) Not that this pic satisfied me but this was ok among the others. Taste wise no complaints from them...even my lil one likes it when mixed with raita inspite of her being a sambar girl....Yes she loves sambar so much that she wants sambar rice everyday :) I always luv the flavour of puthina either in chutney or thovayal or biriyani. To my mother biriyani is only when u add puthina she wudnt go for biriyani if puthina is missing, I've heard this from my MIL too.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup (I used basmati rice)
• Onion - 1 chopped lengthwise
• Potato - 1
• Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom pod - 1
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Grind to smooth paste

• Puthina leaves - 1 bunch (it will come to around 1/2 cup)
• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Tomato - 1/2
• Green Chillies - 1

Method:

1. Soak the rice in water for 30mins. Drain rice and keep aside.

2. Grind the pudina leaves with the coconut, green chillies and tomatoes to a fine paste.

3. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add cardamom, cloves and cinamom, and saute for about a minute Then add the ginger garlic paste fry for 2mins next add chopped onions and saute until the onions turn light brown.

4. Add the ground paste to the pan and fry till raw smell of tomatos and puthina goes off. Now add potato, required salt and basmati rice and mix well with the masalas and fry for 2-3 mins.

5.Add 1.5 cups of water to the above mixture and pressure cook it for 8-9mins.When the pressure releases gently turn over taking care not to break the rice.You can garnish with ghee fried cashews.

NOTE: I usually use 1:1.5 cups as rice:water ratio when rice is soaked for 30mins.