Mint Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup mint leaves, tightly packed. Stems removed and cleaned
• 1 onion chopped and divided. Approx, 270 grams We will be using one half for the pudina paste and the other half while sauteing.
• 2 green chilies or to taste
• 2.25 tsps salt or to taste
• 2 tsps oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsps cumin seeds
• ⅛ tsp asafoetida skip for a gluten-free version
• 5 curry leaves
• 1 cup raw rice I used sona masoori rice. But you can use basmati as well
• 2.5 cups water divided. 2 cups to cook the rice and ½ cup for preparing the pudina paste
• 2 boiled potatoes peeled and mashed (optional)

Instructions

Cook the rice –

• Cook the rice in your preferred way. I cooked the rice in a pressure cooker by adding 2 cups of water. Spread the rice on a plate and let it cool completely. You can use leftover rice also. If I plan to pack this for lunch, I usually make the rice the night before so it will be more comfortable in the morning.

Prepare the pudina paste-

• Grind the two green chilies, half of the onion, and mint leaves by adding 3 to 4 tbsps of water. Rinse the mixer jar with remaining water and set it aside.

Make the pudina rice-

1. Heat the kadai and add oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, jeera, and asafoetida.
3. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the onion and curry leaves. Saute until the onions are soft.
4. When the onions are soft, add the mint paste and the water used to rinse the mixer jar.
5. Add the salt and mix well.
6. Cook well until all the water gets absorbed, and mint leaves paste thicken like below. We need to cook until the raw smell completely goes off.
7. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked and cooled down rice and mix gently but thoroughly. 
8. If using potatoes, mash them and add them to the rice. Turn off the heat.
9. Serve it with raita of your choice.