Brown Rice Green Pulao (Brown Rice & Mint Pilaf)

I love the nuttiness of Brown Rice and cook with it quite often. I usually make plain brown rice and make side dishes, like Thai Panaeng Curry or Tempeh Rendang. Basically I like to pair brown rice with spicy Asian dishes and rarely with Indian curries. So when I saw this recipe for flavored brown rice recipe on one of the Indian cooking shows that I'm obsessed with, I know I had to make it. The original recipe used cilantro, but I used mint instead. A combination of mint and cilantro would be yummy too.

This is a very flavorful and healthy one-pot dish. Soak brown rice for at least 5-6 hours or even overnight for better taste and texture. Right now my mint plants are growing wild and I'm looking for variety of dishes to use as much of it as possible. This is the first in the series of mint/ pudina recipes that I've been trying in the quest for using up my excess herb.

This dish can be eaten just as is, but I paired it with Dapka Kadhi and the combination was very delicious. Any simple raita or just yogurt would taste great. Crunchy potato chips or papad would be yummy too.

Ingredients:
Brown Rice - 1cup
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Ginger + garlic paste - 1tsp
Turmeric - ¼tsp
Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
Salt - to taste

For Green Masala/ Spice Paste:
Mint leaves - 1cup (can be substituted with cilantro or a mix of mint and cilantro)
Green chilies - 2-3
Peppercorns - 6-8
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 3 pods

Method:

• Wash, rinse and soak brown rice for at least 5-6 hours or overnight. Drain the water from the rice and reserve the drained water. 
• Make the Masala Paste: Grind all the ingredients listed under Masala/ spice paste using little water, if needed.
• Make the rice: Heat 1tbsp oil in a medium saucepan; add onions and saute until translucent. Then add ginger + garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
• Next add the green/ masala paste, turmeric and tomatoes. Saute till tomatoes soften and the paste doesn't smell raw anymore.
• Add brown rice along with 2½-3 cups of reserved water. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer covered until all the water is absorbed and the rice is completely cooked, about 30-35 minutes. (Amount of water and the cooking time depend on the type of brown rice used, so use package directions).
• Let the rice rest for about 5-10 minutes before digging in.