Easy One-pot Mint Pulao

I wonder why I haven’t shared this easy recipe for one-pot mint pulao in all these years of blogging! It’s the very first thing that I cooked when I was around eight years old and it was received with much appreciation.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere ,I always wanted to be an alchemist as a child. In fact, I thought I was already an amazing little wizard and my next creation would wow the entire world. 😄

Well, in that effort I kept mixing ingredients in different jars and pots. During one such creative endeavor, I mixed rice, a few spices and lots of mint from my parent’s garden in a tiny clay pot. Burnt fire with dry branches collected from all over the garden in the mini clay stove that every little girl used to possess back in the 80s who played with dolls.

So what I cooked in there not only smelt very good but looked pretty okish too. My uncle who was visiting us, was sitting nearby reading newspaper. I was darn proud of my creation and took it to my uncle to show off. At first I thought he was just being kind when he offered to taste but I knew I made something real nice when he finished off all the rice from my tiny pot.

God I was proud! And to this day, that memory not only brings back smiles to me but also continues to boost my confidence. This Mint Pulao recipe is a refined and updated version of the original.

Ingredients:
2 cups long grain basmati rice
1 small onion
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1+1/2 cup tightly packed mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons ghee, olive or coconut oil
More mint leaves and pomegranate pearls for garnishing (optional)

This Is What You Do:
Rinse rice to get rid of polish and dirt. Soak them in water while you prep other ingredients.

Slice onions. Wash mint leaves.

Heat oil in a deep pan. Add onions, fry till golden brown.

Add all the spices, salt and 1/4 cup of water. Fry the spices for a few seconds till they release their colour and aroma in the water.

Add rice, mint leaves and enough water to come up 1 inch over the surface of rice.

Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 12 to 13 minutes or till almost all the water is absorbed.

Reduce heat to lowest possible. Place a skillet under the rice pot. Cover the lid in a cotton cloth and shut the pan tightly. Leave rice to cook this way on “dum” or steam for another 10 minutes. This will make rice fluffy.

Garnish with mint leaves and pomegranate pearls/seeds. Serve hot with yogurt.

Serves 4