Mint Cilantro Rice

Pudina Kothimera Annam.

Mint cilantro rice is prepared by frying the mint and cilantro leaves and grinding them into fine paste with spices. The paste is then cooked briefly with garbanzo and mixed with steamed rice. Serve mint cilantro rice with raita of your choice.
Makes: around 3 Servings of Mint Cilantro Rice.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice 1 1/2 Cups
• Mint 2 Cups loosely packed
• Cilantro 1 1/2 Cups loosely packed
• Curry Leaves 10
• Grated Coconut 3 tbsps
• Green Chiles 4 – 6
• Tamarind 1 – 2 inch sized Ball
• Cashews 15
• Cumin Seeds 2 tsps
• Jaggery 1 inch Block (optional)
• Turmeric powder a pinch
• Asafoetida a big Pinch
• Boiled Garbanzo / Chickpeas 1 Cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash rice and soak in fresh water for half an hour.
Cook the rice with 2 1/2 cups of water till rice is soft and all the water has been absorbed.
Soak tamarind in few tablespoons of water for some time and extract all the pulp.

Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chiles.
Clean, wash and roughly chop mint leaves, cilantro leaves and curry leaves.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add cashews and fry them till they turn light golden brown.
Remove cashews and add all the chopped leaves to the remaining oil and fry till they wilt.
Remove from heat and cool the leaves to room temperature.
Grind the fried leaves with coconut, tamarind pulp, half of the cashews, half of cumin seeds, jaggery (if using), green chiles and salt into smooth paste adding sufficient water.

Heat remaining oil in a pan, add remaining cumin seeds, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
Fry briefly, stir in chana, cashews and salt.
Fry the chana for few seconds, stir in ground mint paste.
Add few tbsps of water if necessary and cook on low for 2 – 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in steamed basmati rice.
Thoroughly mix everything and serve mint cilantro rice with tomato raita or boondi raita.
Notes: Make sure not to overcook once the paste is added to the oil.

Suggestions: If the paste is overcooked, the coconut might turn strong and the leaves lose the aroma. Adjust the spice with green chiles. Add more jaggery or tamarind according to preference.
Variations: You can also check the variation of rice here.
Other Names: Mint Cilantro Rice.