Instant Pot Pudina Rice Mint Pulao

Me and my husband are both very passionate backyard gardeners. We started out pretty small back in NY at our first home and have been doing it year after year for almost 15 years now. We have passed on our passion to our boys as well and they are a great help to us when we are out and working. One of the first vegetables/herbs that we started growing is Mint / Pudina. This also comes with a very interesting story. We planted one mint plant as our first plant when we started gardening. Within 2 to 3 years the mint grew like a weed and it took up almost ¼th of our garden. It was so hard to get control the spread and we learned a very important gardening skill with it. Always plant Mint in a pot! Mint or Pudina is very prolific and the more we harvest, the more it grows. Constant and regular harvesting is the key and that leads me to try out many recipes with mint.

How to clean Mint / Pudina to use in recipes

To make any recipe with mint, the first step is to properly clean it. Mint is a leafy vegetable and grows close to the dirt. So the leaves pick up quite a bit of dirt. I have explained in detail how to clean the mint easily in the pictorial before. Pluck the leaves from the stem - Remove the leaves from the stem. The stem of mint is quite hardy. If you find the tip of the mint stem tender, we can use that in the recipe. (step 1) Wash and soak the leaves in water - Wash the leaves under running water and then soak them in a bowl full of water. Scrub gently with your fingers. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. (step 2) Remove the leaves - Start removing the leaves gently and carefully from the water without disturbing it too much (step 3). You will notice that the leaves would be floating on top and the dirt would be settled at the bottom. (step 4)

Ingredients Needed To Make Pudina Rice

Mint / Pudina – A large bunch, leaves removed and washed (refer to the pictorial above on how to clean the mint leaves)

Basmati Rice - works the best. We can use sona masoori rice as well. Based on what rice we use, we will have to adjust the water quantity.

Produce - Onion and Green chilies

Fresh coconut - I use frozen grated coconut. We can substitute with desiccated coconut if fresh one is not available.

Ginger garlic paste - I use store-bought paste.

Whole Spices - Cardamom, cinnamon, Bay leaf, Star Anise, Fennel Seeds

Roasted cashews and raisins - optional but adds a lot of texture and flavor.

Oil - I use coconut oil as it makes the Pudina Rice very aromatic. If you are not vegan, can use ghee.

Salt

Can I make Pudina Rice in Instant Pot

I have always made this Mint rice in a traditional pressure cooker but lately have been making it as a one-pot meal in my Instant Pot. It is pretty much a similar process except we do the whole process in the IP.

Step-by-Step Process To Make Pudina Rice

Prep Work

Soak the Basmati rice in water for about 30 minutes. We can skip this step if using sona masoori rice. (step 1)

Make a paste of mint leaves, coconut, green chilies, and half the onion. Try to make the paste thick by using less water. (steps 2 and 3)

Remove this paste to a bowl and keep it aside. (step 4)

Heat the Instant Pot on saute mode and fry the cashews and raisins and remove it on a plate. (step 1)

Add more oil and add the whole spices. (step 2)

Saute onions. (step 3)

fry ginger and garlic paste. (step 4)

Add the ground mint paste and saute until it becomes aromatic and changes color to dark green. (step 5)

Add the soaked and drained rice. (step 6)

Add water needed. (step 7)

Cook on pressure cook mode for 6 minutes. Quick release in 10 minutes. (step 8)

Add the reserved cashews and raisins to the Mint rice and serve.

Use fresh mint to make this recipe.

Basmati rice works the best but if it is not available, use sona masoori. Do not use sticky rice as it will ruin the texture.

Preserving Mint to use later

If you grow mint at home and want to save them for winter, you could do so by making a powder out of it. Wash the mint leaves and let them dry. Spread the mint leaves in a microwave-safe plate or flat container and microwave them for a couple of minutes. Spread them again with your hands and again microwave it for a couple of minutes. Do the process until the leaves are crumbly. Repeat the process with all the leaves. Powder them using a dry grinder and store them airtight in a glass container. This powder has a very long shelf life and you could use this as a dry spice in any of the preferred dishes.

You could also make a paste of the mint leaves and pour it into ice cube trays and then store them in freezer bags once frozen. This paste could be used in Pudina Rice or any dish that requires mint in wet form.