RedChillies

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend and now it is back to the grind already. We had a hectic Saturday and were out of the house most of the time, taking the kid to ice-skating, finishing up some chores etc. 

We made up for that on Sunday, by staying at home, relaxing and doing work around the house. I did not have the mood to cook something elaborate and made this quick and easy Mint Pulav. Serve with Raita and some roasted Pappads and it is a meal by itself. 

For making this I have been inspired by many people my mom, friend Subbi and also little bit of experience. I do not like making a paste of the mint leaves as I feel the aroma and flavor is lost. So I chop it and mix it along with onions and fry it in oil. 

The best part about this dish is the fragrance and the aroma it imparts. The whole house smells pretty amazing which gives me a cosy and comfortable feeling.

Note: There were few comments about preventing the pulao/ rice from sticking when made in the pressure cooker. So I thought of adding that note here:  

Here are some useful tips to prevent rice from sticking: 

• I have had good success cooking pulav/pulao in the pressure cooker. If using Basmati Rice, then add slightly less water than the required. Example, if using 1 cup rice, then the norm is to use 2 cups water. In this case, use slightly less than that.
• Soaking the rice in water for 30 minutes before making the rice helps.
• I allow only 2 whistles to blow from pressure cooker and then switch it off. More count than that also makes the rice over cook. ( I use the Hawkins style cooker, it might vary for other pressure cookers).
• Also after all the seasonings, water is added to the rice, close the lid only after the water is boiled. This way the pressure is released early and does not over cook the rice.
• A friend of mine has added that rice/pulao in a cooker cooks well on gas stove rather than on electric stove. 

Continue reading Mint Rice/ Pudina Pulao