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Home » Entree » Rice Recipes

Published: Jul 27, 2020 · Modified: Dec 21, 2020 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Instant Pot Pudina Rice | Mint Pulao

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Pudina Rice or Mint Pulao is a very aromatic and easy recipe to make with the mint / pudina that is growing wild in your backyard. Love this one pot meal and ever since  started making it in the Instant pot, it has become even more easier to enjoy it.

Mint rice served with boondi raita

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 great help for us when we are out and working. 

One of the first vegetable / herb 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. 

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Pudina rice with raita in the background

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 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 it in a bowl full of water. Scrub gently with 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 in the bottom. (step 4)

How to clean mint leaves

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients shot to make Mint Pulao
  • 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 traditional pressure cooker, but lately have been making it as a one pot meal in my Instant Pot. It is pretty much similar process except we do the whole process in the IP. 

Step by Step Process 

Prep Work 

Rice soaked and mint paste process shots
  • 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. (step 2 and 3)
  • Remove this paste in a bowl and keep it aside. (step 4)
Process shot for making Mint Pulao
  • 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. 

Expert tips and FAQ's

  • 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 microwave safe plate or flat container and microwave them for couple of minutes. Spread them again with your hands and again microwave it for 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 it 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.

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below.
You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan.
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Mint rice garnished with cashews and raisin

Instant Pot Mint Pulao | How to make Pudina Rice

Pudina Pulao or Mint Rice is a very aromatic and easy recipe to make with the mint / pudina that is growing wild in your backyard. Love this one pot meal and ever since  started making it in the Instant pot, it has become even more easier to enjoy it. 
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Mint tightly packed, Washed and leaves separated
  • 2 cups Basmati Rice
  • 4 Green chilies
  • 1 Onion thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup Fresh coconut
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
  • 4 Cardamom
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 2 Bay leaf
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
  • 2 tablespoon Roasted cashews and raisins
  • 2 tablespoon Oil
  • to taste Salt

Instructions

  • Wash the rice well and soak it in water for at least 30 mins.
  • Make a paste of Mint leaves, coconut, green chilies and half the onion. Try to make the paste thick by using less water.
  • Heat oil in saute mode of IP and fry the cashews and raisins. Remove it on a plate.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add the whole spices. (fennel seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise)
  • Then add the remaining onion, ginger garlic paste and sauté them for until they are slightly brown.
  • Now add the pureed mixture. Sauté until the paste thickens and changes dark green from bright green.
  • Add the soaked rice along with salt. Mix well and cook on pressure cook mode for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, do a quick release in 10 minutes.
  • Add the fried cashews and raisins and serve the Mint Pulao hot with raita.

Notes

Expert tips and FAQ's
  • 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 microwave safe plate or flat container and microwave them for couple of minutes. Spread them again with your hands and again microwave it for 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 it 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 pulao or any dish that requires mint in wet form.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 637IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
Pinterest image for mint pulao
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pavithra says

    June 01, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    Hi,
    Looks delicious!
    What kind of mint do you use? Is it spearmint?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      June 02, 2021 at 11:26 am

      Thanks Pavithra! I used spearmint, but you could any kind that you have. They all have the flavor of their own and tastes amazing.

      Reply
  2. Sasmita says

    September 02, 2020 at 11:43 am

    5 stars
    Pudina Pulao looks so aromatic Sandhya !
    Quite easy recipe to make with the mint which I love to make and enjoy 🙂 Use of IP is a ncie choice ....

    Reply
  3. Seema Sriram says

    August 29, 2020 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    I have a huge patch of pudina in my backyard and I will love to make this recipe. I will try this out this week for the lunch box.

    Reply
  4. NARMADHA says

    August 20, 2020 at 5:42 am

    5 stars
    I always love one pot dishes especially pulao/Biryani. Mint pulao looks so flavorful and delicious with separate grains. Perfect to enjoy with simple raita.

    Reply
  5. Lathiya says

    August 15, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    I love such easy recipes to make in the busy days. This mint pulao is such flavorful, easy yet delicious lunch recipe.

    Reply
  6. sapana says

    August 08, 2020 at 3:21 am

    5 stars
    I love mint flavor in any diah. This mint rice or pudina pulao looks so so delicious. This is going to make such a yummy lunchbox or picnic food.Will try it as I have big bumches of pudina in my backyard.

    Reply
  7. Padma Veeranki says

    August 07, 2020 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    Such a quick n easy pudina rice full of refreshing flavours! I love such one pot meals and making them in instant pot is such a breeze!!

    Reply
  8. amrita says

    August 07, 2020 at 5:07 am

    5 stars
    Mint pulao looks so perfect meal and hardly needs any accompaniment...Good to know about your backyard garden where you grow these refreshing mints...

    Reply
  9. Vandana says

    August 06, 2020 at 3:51 am

    5 stars
    Such a nice simple recipe. It sounds so delicious and flavorful. I have a lot of mint leaves in my fridge and was looking for ideas to finish them. Came across this recipe at the right time, will make pudina pulao tomorrow 🙂

    Reply
  10. ARCHANA says

    August 05, 2020 at 4:13 am

    5 stars
    Yum pudina pulao. Just the way I love it with a lot of pudina. Sounds and looks so very delicious.

    Reply
  11. Uma Srinivas says

    August 04, 2020 at 5:11 pm

    5 stars
    Such a easy and delicious mint rice! I have a pot full of mint leaves I usually make mint chutney. But next time i will try your recipe. Lovely post sandhya!

    Reply
  12. Lata Lala says

    August 04, 2020 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    Now I know what to do with my lots of homegrown mint. The mint flavoured pulav looks super delicious and sounds so fragrant and it's a best way to use it.
    Lovely recipe Sandhya.

    Reply
  13. Malini says

    August 04, 2020 at 10:28 am

    5 stars
    The Pudina Pulao looks delicious. One of my favorite recipes, it's flavourful rice. My mom also planted some pudina leaves. She always uses the fresh one, Unfortunately, I couldn't get a chance to plant one at my place. I totally agree with you, the quality of the fresh one is so much better than buying outside.

    Reply
  14. Pavani says

    August 02, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    5 stars
    Such a flavorful and delicious pudina pulao Sandhya. I love making rice dishes in the IP - they always turn out perfect. Will try this pulao sometime soon.

    Reply
  15. Mayuri Patel says

    August 02, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    5 stars
    Mint pulao must be so aromatic and tasty. Have to try it as I've not tried mint pulao. As for growing mint..feel a bit jealous that you have it growing in abundance in your garden. I can't even plant it in a pot here as the water we get is very salty.

    Reply
  16. The Girl Next Door says

    August 01, 2020 at 10:15 am

    5 stars
    We grow mint at home too and nothing can compare to the fragrance and flavour that the freshly harvested leaves offer. I love how you use home-grown produce in your cooking - isn't it so very satisfying? The mint pulav looks absolutely brilliant and very inviting!

    Reply
  17. Bless my food by Payal says

    August 01, 2020 at 3:09 am

    5 stars
    Me too recently made this recipe and it was super fantastic. The aroma of mint in rice was mind blowing. Looking superb and a must try recipe

    Reply
  18. My Cooking Journey says

    June 26, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Thanks Suji. I really appreciate all your feed backs. Do keep them coming 🙂

    Reply
  19. Suji says

    June 26, 2011 at 3:37 am

    Sandhya - Your blog shows your passion in cooking. I'll try out your recipes someday and let you know. Great job!

    Reply

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I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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