Pudina aloo bhath ( mint potato rice )

Ingredients

Pudina leaves—3 cups

Coriander Leaves— 1 cup

Aloo —2 big

Grated coconut—1/2 cup

Green chillies—2 to 3

Ginger —3 inches piece.

Shah jeera ( or ordinary jeera )—2 tablespoon

Lemon —2 small or tamarind —lemon size

Cashews—1/4 cup

Sona masoori or basmati rice or any other rice—1 cup

Sugar —1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

For seasoning (oggarane )

Oil—4 to 5 tablespoon

Mustard seeds—1 teaspoon

Jeera—1 teaspoon

Channa dhal—1 tablespoon

Urad dhal—1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder—1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida—1 teaspoon

Method

Wash and cook rice in pressure cooker for 2 whistles (cook with 2 1/2 cup of water to 1 cup rice ratio)

Once pressure is released, remove from cooker and let it cool.

Remove pudina leaves from stem . Peel the skin from aloo and cut into small cubes.

Wash pudina and coriander leaves well and strain in colander.

Next take pudina leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, Shaha jeera or jeera, and tamarind if you are using it. Grind them to a coarse paste without adding water.

Now heat a tablespoon of oil or ghee in a pan or kadai add cashews and fry them till light brown.

Take out and keep aside.

In the same kadai add oil, once hot enough add mustard seeds, jeera, channa dhal, urad dhal. When it stops spluttering add asafoetida and turmeric powder.

Sauté for a while

Add aloo cubes fry them for a while sprinkling little water to cook them.

Once they are cooked add ground pudina paste,salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar,

Fry for a few minutes until paste thickens and raw smell goes from leaves.

Now add coconut grated and keep stirring well till everything mixes.

Turn off the heat and squeeze lemon juice.

Now add cooked rice and mix gently without breaking the rice.

Now pudina aloo Bhat is ready to serve.