Easy Mint Rice/ Mint Pulao – Instant pot and stovetop method

The Mint rice/ Mint pulao is a one-pot dish that you can make for a busy weekday lunch. It’s so flavorful and loaded with vegetables. It’s perfect to pack for a lunch box or to cook for a crowd. Making it in Instant Pot is such a breeze.

Mint Rice

Mint is used widely in different cuisines. They are added to spicy dishes to desserts. As they have a strong flavor, they should be added carefully. If not, it would take over the other flavor of the dish.

Mint rice is an easy and yummy dish you can prepare quickly. You need only a few ingredients. This is perfect for your kid’s lunch box or at your workplace. It is usually served with Onion Raita or any of your favorite gravy. The Instant Pot makes cooking easier and you have just one pot to wash.

How to make Mint rice

Preparing Mint rice is so easy. Just grinding the spices and cooking them with rice. Delicious Mint rice is ready to be served. You can add any veggies you like or you can make it plain. I added potatoes and a few green peas. You can add Cauliflower or carrots. You can always adjust the spice powders as per your requirements.

Stove top method

Soak Basmati Rice for 30 minutes. Do not soak for more. It will become mushy. Strain it. Grind all the ingredients under ‘To grind’ with a little water to a paste. Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottom deep pot. Temper Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. Saute onions till golden.

Add the grounded paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Then add veggies and mix well. Add strained rice. Add water, lemon juice, and salt. Cook in the lower flame, else the rice may not be cooked and the water will be dried soon. Let it cook till the water is absorbed or the rice is cooked. Serve with raita or your favorite gravy.

Instant pot method

Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Then drain the water in a strainer. Keep it aside.

Switch on the Instant Pot. Press the saute button. Add oil/ ghee. Add the whole spices and saute for a few seconds. Then add sliced onions and saute until it becomes translucent. Now add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Then add the chopped vegetables and stir thoroughly. Add the strained rice and add the mentioned water. Add the required salt and close the lid. Press the cancel button and then the manual button. Set the timer for 6 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally. Open and serve with raita.

Frequently asked questions

More rice recipes in this space are

Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable biryani

Arisiparupu Sadam

Raw Mango Rice

Jeera rice

Mint rice recipe with stepwise instructions

INGREDIENTS

Basmati Rice – 1 1/2 cups

Onion – 1/2 cup thinly sliced

Potato – 1 medium-sized cubed

Frozen Green peas – 1/4 cup

Bay leaves- 2

Cinnamon Stick – 1/2 inch

Cardamom – 2

Cloves – 2

Peppercorns – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chili powder – 3/4 tsp

Biriyani Masala – 1 tsp

Salt – As required

Water – 3 cups

Lemon Juice – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Ghee / Clarified Butter – 1 tsp

To grind

Mint leaves – 1/4 cup

Ginger Garlic paste – 1/4 tsp

Green Chili – 2 nos

Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp

METHOD

Stove top method

• Soak Basmati Rice for 30 minutes. Do not soak for more. It will become mushy. Strain it.
• Grind all the ingredients under ‘To grind’ with a little water to a paste.
• Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottom deep pot.
• Temper Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns.
• Saute onions till golden.
• Add the grounded paste and saute till the raw smell goes.
• Then add veggies and mix well.
• Add strained rice.
• Add water, lemon juice, and salt. Cook in the lower flame.
• Let it cook till the water is absorbed or the rice is cooked.
• Serve with raita or your favorite gravy.

Instant pot method

• Switch on the Instant Pot. Press the saute button.
• Add oil/ ghee. Add the whole spices and saute for a few seconds.
• Then add sliced onions and saute until it becomes translucent.
• Now add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell goes.
• Then add the chopped vegetables and stir thoroughly.
• Add the strained rice and add the mentioned water. Add the required salt and close the lid.
• Press the cancel button and then the manual button. Set the timer to 6 minutes.
• Once done, let the pressure release naturally.
• Open and serve with raita.

NOTES

1. Basmati Rice and water ratio is 1:2.
2. Soak rice for a maximum of 30 minutes. Not more than that.
3. Adding Lemon juice helps to prevent the rice from becoming mushy. The grains will be separate.
4. Add veggies of your choice.
5. You can make this in a normal pressure cooker.
6. You can also add a few cilantro leaves, and a tablespoon of grated coconut along with the mint leaves while grinding.

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This recipe is sent to Cookblogshare

Post published on Aug 12, 2017. Now updated with photos and content.