Pudina Pulao – An aromatic and delicious one-pot vegan rice flavoured with fresh mint and spices. This simple, vegan and gluten-free one pot rice gets ready in about 30 minutes and takes the stress out of midweek cooking.
This simple flavoured one pot rice is also called pudina rice, mint rice and is quite popular in South India. This one-pot vegan rice is the most preferred dish for a lunchbox or a comfort meal on lazy days and weeknights due to the ease of preparing this dish. Serve it with a simple condiment and a salad for a comforting meal.
This mint pulao recipe doesn’t need any fancy or gourmet ingredients that are difficult to source from the local grocery stores. This is one of the popular Indian recipes with mint that requires just a handful of basic spices.
You usually find these spices in your spice pantry if you are into cooking Indian meals or they are easily available in any Indian or South Asian grocery stores.
I’ve used fennel seeds along with other essential spices to infuse a fragrant and aromatic flavour to the rice and coconut milk that adds a nutty flavour. You may have leftover coconut milk if you use a standard 400ml tin.
Use it up either in desserts such as my coconut pudding, coconut milk custard or in savoury dishes such as my creamy vegetable soup, paneer korma or butternut squash curry with chickpeas.
Ingredients
Rice: I’ve used basmati rice, feel free to use any rice variety.
Dry and Whole Spices, Nuts: This recipe doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, all you need is basic Indian spices – turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, fennel seeds, bay leaf, cassia, cloves and green cardamom.
Liquids: Water, oil and coconut milk. I’ve used store-bought coconut milk but feel free to use homemade coconut milk.
How to make mint pulao?
Wash rice 2-3 times under cold running water and keep it aside.
Grind half of the fresh mint leaves and fennel seeds with a little water to make a paste. keep it aside.
In a pot, heat oil over medium-low heat.
Once the oil is hot, add cumin and whole spices and fry for a few seconds until aromatic and cashews start to turn golden brown.
Add onions, ginger garlic paste and saute until onions turn soft and translucent.
Now add tomatoes followed by mint leaves, freshly ground mint paste, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and cook for 2 minutes or until the raw aroma vanishes.
Add water, coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
Finally, add washed rice and gently mix.
Close the pot with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the rice cooks well.
Switch the heat off, take the lid off the pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Then gently fluff the rice with a fork.
Serve delicious one pot mint rice with any side dish of your choice.
Variations
Grind one or two green chilies along with mint to make the rice spicier.
Fresh vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beans and peas make a healthy addition.
Handful fresh coriander leaves add extra flavour to the rice.
Substitutions
You may replace the water with vegetable stock for added flavour.
I’ve used store-bought coconut milk you may use homemade coconut milk.
Feel free to use green chillies instead of chilli powder. Either grind them along with mint and fennel seeds or cut them lengthwise and saute them along with onion.
Tips and tricks
To make a perfect rice liquid to rice ratio and cooking time plays an important role. Too much water makes rice mushy and not adding enough water leaves rice underdone and might burn on the base of the pot.
I use basmati rice that requires a 1:1.5 rice to water ratio. The liquid ratio may vary depending on the quality and variety of rice you use. Check the rice packet for the liquid to rice ratio and cooking time.
Soaking rice for 10-15 minutes reduces cooking time.
Once you turn the heat off, open the lid and leave it for 5-10 minutes before you fluff the rice.
Adjust spices as per your preferred taste.
You may reduce the coconut milk to half of the quantity mentioned here and use more water.
Combine rice with liquids gently to ensure rice grains do not break.
Serving Suggestions
Mint pulao served with cucumber raita makes a simple yet delicious weeknight meal.
For an elaborated weekend meal, serve this pudina pulao with raita, pickle such as allam pachadi or tomato pachadi, salad such as my cucumber kosambari and a simple side-dish jeera aloo, bombay aloo and a glass of masala lassi or rose lassi for kids to compensate for the spiciness.
This mint rice makes an ideal food to pack in a lunch box with onion raita.
FAQ
Leftover mint rice keeps good for 2-3 days in the fridge when stored properly in a clean airtight container.
To reheat, place the rice in a heat proof bowl and heat it in the microwave until it’s piping hot. Pause at intervals, remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the rice using a spoon for even heating.
Of course, make a big batch, divide it into desirable portions and freeze them in an ice cube tray or small freezer-friendly containers to use later on busy days.
Thaw each portion in the fridge overnight and use it to prepare pulao. Freezing masala paste comes in handy on busy weekdays when you are pressed for time.
More Pulao Recipes
Matar Pulao
Mint Pulao (Pudina Rice)
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 2 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ inch Cassia (dalchini)
- 1 Cardamom
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 cup (or) 131 gms Onion 1 large, chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- ½ cup (or) 113 gms Tomato 1 large, chopped
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric
- 1.5 Teaspoon Chilli powder
- Salt as required
- 1 cup (or) 250ml Water
- ½ cup (or) 125 ml Coconut Milk
- 1 cup (or) 205 gms Rice
- 2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 cup (or) 23 gms Mint
Instructions
- Wash rice 2-3 times with cold water and keep the rice aside.1 cup (or) 205 gms Rice
- Grind 3/4 cup mint leaves and fennel seeds with little water in a blender until smooth.1 cup (or) 23 gms Mint, 2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- In a deep pot or stockpot, heat oil on medium-low heat.2 Tablespoon Oil
- Add bay leaf, cumin, cassia, cloves, cardamom and saute for few seconds or until cumin sizzles.½ inch Cassia (dalchini), 1 Cardamom, 3 Cloves, 1 Teaspoon Cumin, 1 Bay leaf
- Now add onions and ginger- garlic paste, sauté well. Slightly increase the heat and cook for a minute or until onions are soft and translucent.1 cup (or) 131 gms Onion, 1 Teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- Add tomatoes, mint leaves, saute well.½ cup (or) 113 gms Tomato, 1 cup (or) 23 gms Mint
- Now reduce the flame slightly and add turmeric followed by chili powder, salt and ground mint-fennel seed paste. Mix well until all the spices are well combined with vegetables.½ Teaspoon Turmeric, 1.5 Teaspoon Chilli powder, Salt
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the raw aroma of spices vanishes. Keep stirring regularly to avoid burning the spices and vegetable mixture.
- Add coconut milk, water and mix well. Increase the flame to medium-high heat and bring it to boil.½ cup (or) 125 ml Coconut Milk, 1 cup (or) 250ml Water
- Now add washed rice, mix gently until well combined with liquids and masala. Close the pot with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until rice is well cooked.1 cup (or) 205 gms Rice
- Turn the heat off and let it sit for 5 minutes before you open the lid.
- Serve piping hot mint rice with raita or any side dish of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
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