Pudina Rice/Mint Rice

There is a mind blowing variety of rice/pulao dishes we can make. Every vegetable has a rice associated with it. There is a mix veg pulav, biryani and fried rice. Add to this, an array of meats go with rice to yield unique rice preparations. As if all these veggies and meats were not enough there are other types of rice like lemon rice, tamarind rice and coconut rice!
Adding to this list is one of my childhood favorites, Pudina rice. It was a yummy preparation dished out by my mom, almost all the guests went gaga over! Of course, if you are not a mint/pudina fan, this dish is not for you, as the star ingredient here is pudina.

I remember mom's version was flavored with garlic, onion and tomatoes. Here is my version of it, inspired by the original! :)

What you need:
Basmati rice : 2 cups
Fresh mint leaves(pudina), coarsely chopped : about 2 loosely packed cups.
Onion thinly sliced: 1 medium
Tomato diced : 1 medium

Tempering
Garlic finely chopped : 5 cloves
Ginger finely chopped : 1/4th inch
Green chilles finely chopped : as per your taste (optional)
Cloves : 3
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Pepper corns : 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon stick: 1/4 inch

Ghee/ oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

1) Wash the rice and keep it aside.
2) In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Add in the ginger, garlic, spices and chillies  (all ingredients under tempering)
3) Add in the onions and fry till they are golden brown.
4) Add tomatoes and chopped mint/pudina. Fry for a minute
5) Add the washed and drained rice. Lightly stir for a minute or two. The rice will turn fragrant. Take care not to burn it. And stir very gently, we don't want the rice grains to break.
6) Add in the required quantity of water - about 3 cups for the basmati rice I used. Add salt and check seasoning.
7) Cook in pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Once it cools down, fluff with a fork and serve hot with raita/dal.