Mint Pulav | Pudina Rice

Pulav is once a week fare at my place as it is easy to make and yummy to eat and also is good for lunch boxes or as a nice one pot meal for a weekend lunch.I make various kind of pulavs which I directly make in pressure cooker or rice cooker by sauteing all the masalas and rice and pressure cook together,but this pulav is bit different as the rice is prepared separately and is mixed with a masala paste which helps in retaining the fresh aroma of mint leaves and also eye-catching color.Mint is one of the most flavorful herbs and is must while making biriyanis to get that special flavor and I assure you that this pulav is truly flavorful as it is loaded with mint flavor.I like to add soya chunks to pulavs as they absorb the strong flavors of pulav and it is a pleasure to bite into those chewy flavorful soya chunks in pulavs.However if you don't prefer adding soya chunks to pulav you can go ahead with roasted baby potatoes or blanched mixed vegetables or paneer cubes instead of soya chunks and is completely your choice.
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
2 potatoes/10-12 baby potatoes or 1/3 cup soya nuggets
1 big onion,finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh/frozen peas
juice of 1/2 lemon or 2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste

to temper:
2 tbsp broken cashew nuts
3-4 laung/cloves
1/2" cinnamon
2-3 green cardamom
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp oil

masala-to grind:
1 bunch(1 cup) fresh mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1/2" ginger piece
6-7 green chillies
1 tsp oil
Method:

• Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 10-15 mins and cook it until done.You can cook it in either pressure cooker with the proportion 1c-rice:1 3/4c-water or in the rice cooker 1c rice: 2c water.
• Spread it over a plate and add a tsp of ghee all over it after spreading it,it will keep the rice granules separate.Let the rice cool completely.
• Pressure cook soya nuggets(or potatoes) for 2 whistles or cook it on stove top.I made rice and soya nuggets in different compartments in cooker.
• If you are using potatoes peel them and cut into cubes,if you are using baby potatoes remove the skin and prick them using fork.If you are using soya nuggets after cooking them squeeze out the water from it and keep them aside.
• Clean and wash the mint leaves and let them drain excess water.
• Heat a tsp of oil and add mint leaves and saute it for a minute until they wilt.Add green chillies,ginger and grated coconut and slightly warm it and let it cool completely.Grind it into a paste by adding half of the lemon juice and open the lid and keep it separately.Adding lemon juice will help in discoloration and also keep it open.
• Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottom kadai and add cloves,cardamom,cinnamon and bay leaf and add chopped cashews and fry until light brown in color.
• Add sliced onions and fry well until they bit dark brown in color and add fresh/frozen peas to it and fry well.
• If you are using potatoes add them now and let them roast a bit until you get brown patches on it.If you are using soya nuggets no need to fry them much,just add them.
• Add ground paste and fry well until the raw smell goes away.This takes a couple of minutes.
• Add cooked and cooled rice,salt and lemon juice and mix carefully until everything is well mixed and the rice is warm.

Serve it hot with cucumber-onion raitha and papad.

Note:

• I have used small soya nuggets in the recipe,it is your wish to add soya nuggets or potatoes in the recipe.
• If you add lemon juice while grinding the mint leaves it will help in retaining its color.
• You can even pressure cook the masala along with rice but I like the freshness and flavor retained by mint when sauteed separately and mixed with rice.
• As the mint has strong flavor in taste,the bland tasting soya nuggets soak all the flavors from the mint masala and makes it extra flavorful chewy bites in pulav,so I recommend to use soya nuggets in this recipe.