I love Mint. Every week I use to get mint leaves from my nearby grocery store. Also I always stock dried mint in my pantry . You can make lot of dishes with both fresh and dried leaves like  paratha, chutney, rice, soups and curries. I really love the beautiful aroma of mint. Research study has said that the aroma itself stimulates the salivary glands, there by increasing digestive enzymes and facilitates the digestion. It has lots of health benefits. Try to include this leaf in your diet and stay healthy. If you get mint leaves from store, use the leaves for cooking and don’t throw the stem, just place it a pot of soil, it grows so fast and you can use it later for cooking. Coming to the recipe, this is a flavorful one pot meal and a nice lunch box dish. Even a bachelors can cook this rice, it is so easy to make and filling.


    Ingredients

           1 Cup of Basmathi Rice
           1 Big Red Onion, Finely Chopped
           3 Garlic Cloves, Big,
           1 Inch Size of Ginger,
           3 Medium Size Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
           1/2 Tsp of Garam Masala
           Salt to taste
           1.5 Cups of Water
           1 Tsp of Lemon Juice(Optional)
     
     To Grind

           1 Cup of Mint
           1 Cup of Coriander Leaves
           4 Green Chillies
          

     To Temper

           1 Tbsp of Ghee
           1 Tbsp of Oil
           1/2 Tsp of Fennel Seeds
           2 Cloves
           1 Cinnamon, Small Stick(1 inch)
           1 Cardamom
           1 Bay Leaf
                   


     Method

• Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and rinse it in tap water for 2 times. Keep this aside.
• In a blender, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies and little water, grind it to a smooth paste.
• In a mixie or mortar&pestle, make a paste of ginger and garlic.
• Heat oil and ghee in a cooker, add clove, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf & fennel seeds. Saute this for few secs. Add chopped red onion and salt, saute this for 2 mins until it turns golden brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste, fry for a min. Add chopped tomatoes, fry until it turns soft and mushy.
• Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies paste,fry this for 2 mins until raw smell goes off. Otherwise it spoils the taste of the rice.
• Add garam masala, saute this for a min.
• Add rice and water, mix well. Check the salt. Close the pressure cooker with a lid and cook for 2 whistles. Turn off the flame. Let the pressure release on its own.
• Open the cooker, add lemon juice,if necessary, mix gently with a fork or spoon.
• Serve hot with any spicy gravies and raita. I had with mushroom peas fry.

    Tips

• You can add vegetables like peas, corn, potato and cauliflower to this rice.
• Adjust the no of chilies according to your taste.
• If you want little more spicy, then add 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder.
• If you have coconut milk, use instead of water.
• Don’t break the rice while mixing.
• Addition of lemon juice gives a mild tangy taste.
• Rice : water ratio is for 1 cup of rice :1.5 cups of water.

     Health Benefits of Mint

• Aroma of mint, activates the salivary glands, there by increasing digestive enzymes and facilitates the digestion.
• Soothing the digestive tract, if you are having any stomach ache.
• Cooling sensation to skin.
• Eliminates the toxins from the body.
• Helps in whitening teeth and combats bad breath.
• Good cleanser for the body.

          Hmmm…I Love curd(Yogurt)…I cannot live without it even for a single day….Here I used vermicilli (Semiya) which is a type of pasta thinner than spaghetti. You can make lot of dishes with vermicilli like vermicilli biryani, vermicilli payasam. This is very simple dish made with vermicilli, curd and spices. This recipe is similar to curd rice .Try this semiya bagala bath(Yogurt Vermicilli) with mango pickles.


    Ingredients

    To Cook Semiya

         1/2 Cup of Semiya
         1 and 1/4 Cup of Water
         Salt
         1/2 Tsp of Oil

    To Saute
        
         3 Tbsp of Red Onion, Finely Chopped
         2 Green Chillies, Finely Chopped
         1/2 Inch Ginger, Grated
         3/4 Cup of Curd
         2 Tsp of Butter

    To Temper

         1 Tsp of Oil
         1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
         Pinch of Asafoetida
         Few Curry Leaves
       
    To Garnish

        Few grated carrot
        2 Grapes

    Method

• Heat water in a pan, add salt and a tsp of oil, bring it to a boil, add semiya to a boiling water,  Stir well. Cover and cook for 5 mins until the semiya absorbs all the water.
• After it is cooked, keep this aside.
• Allow it to cool, add curd, mix well.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves, when they pop up, add onion, saute for few mins, add ginger and green chillies, saute this for few mins. Now add the temperings to the semiya.
• Finally add butter and give a quick stir.
• Transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate it for 15 mins. Serve chill.
• Finally garnish with grapes and grated carrot.

    Tips

• If you use unroasted vermicilli, then you need to dry roast it in a pan and then cook it.
• You can use raisins and cashews, for extra flavor to the dish.
• Adjust the number of green chilly according to your taste.
• If you are planning to prepare curd semiya for lunch box, then add 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of curd.
• Don’t ever add curd to the hot semiya, in that case, live cultures get lost in the curd.

    

         Spinach carrot pulao / spinach rice / palak pulav is a great one pot meal and easy to make dish. You can make pulao in different ways but this spinach pulao recipe is really authentic which has no onion and no garlic in it. This spinach rice is highly nutritious because of rich in iron, calcium and other vitamins. This palak pulao(pulav) is perfect for lunch. Serve with side dish like potato peas fry, papad and cucumber raita.