• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Honey, Whats Cooking

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipe » Pudhina Dhaniya Pulao (A Mixed Vegetable Pilaf flavored with fresh Mint & Cilantro)

    Posted on: Jan 21, 2011 · Modified: Jan 9, 2022 by honeywhatscooking · 8 Comments

    Pudhina Dhaniya Pulao (A Mixed Vegetable Pilaf flavored with fresh Mint & Cilantro)

    1 shares

    Today was a very productive day.  I am not one to make the absolute best use of my day so I was extremely happy that today was productive.  I woke up super excited for my haircut and highlights appointment - I was contemplating between brown highlights and red highlights, such big decisions I tell you.  My family is probably so turned off by reading my daily thoughts.  Hehe!  Well, I decided on red, reddish-brown to be exact.  I can't say that I am truly happy with my decision because the color is very subtle on my black hair, but hopefully it'll be a bit more obvious tomorrow when the sun comes out.  

    To continue on that happy note, my hairstylist straightened my hair for me which is always such a treat for my sometimes frizzy & hard-to-manage curly hair, I almost look like a different person today.  My husband surely loves the temporary look, and so do I, but I have also grown to love curly hair... it took years and years of therapy!  Just kidding!  🙂

    After I was done with my hair appointment, I headed to Noodle Gourmet, one my favorite Chinese food shacks since the Rutgers days.  If you are ever around Rutgers, I'm tellin' ya, head to Noodle Gourmet - it is seriously one of the best Chinese places.  After grabbing a bite, I headed to COSTCO - it was so empty on a weekday which saved me a ton of time!  My final stop was the grocery store where I picked up some ingredients for my friend's birthday cake... I'll be baking a healthful, moist, and delicious Banana Cake this weekend so watch out!  See, today was very productive!  I love it when I get so much done.

    And now... food!  The other day I wanted to make Chinese Veggie Fried Rice, however my husband asked me to make an Indian Rice Dish instead.  I agreed and created a recipe to make us both happy.  I incorporated the Chinese Fried Rice veggies (broccoli, carrots, scallions, onions, peas), combined them with Indian spices and a blended paste of mint and cilantro leaves.  The fresh herbs alone added color and a depth of flavor.  Hope you like this. 

    TELL ME: How do you ensure you make the best use of your day?  Help me!

     

    NUTRITION: Broccoli adds tons of nutrition value... Fiber, Folic Acid, and Vitamins A, C, and K.  Carrots are LOADED with Vitamin A (eyes).  Also, it is a very good source of Fiber, Vitamins C and K.  Green Peas are a good source of Vitamins B1 & C, Protein, and Iron, and a very good source of Folic Acid and Vitamin B1.

    INGREDIENTS:

    • Mint Leaves - 1 handful (blended)
    • Cilantro Leaves - 1 handful (blended)
    • Sunflower/Olive Oil - 2 tablespoon (I used Sunflower for this dish)
    • Bay Leaves - 3 
    • Cinnamon Sticks - 1
    • Cloves - 4
    • Black Cardamom - 1 (or you can use 3 green cardamoms instead)
    • Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
    • Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
    • Green Chilies - 4 (sliced lengthwise)
    • Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
    • Garlic - 4 cloves (chopped)
    • Scallions - 1 bunch (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
    • Red Onion - 1 medium (sliced)
    • Carrots - 3 medium (chopped)
    • Broccoli - 1 (cut into florets, use the stem)
    • Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoon initially; 1 teaspoon later
    • Red Chili Powder - 1 teaspoon (go with ½ teaspoon if you can't handle heat)
    • Frozen Green Peas - 1 cup
    • Tilda Basmati Rice - 2 ½ cups (washed & drained)
    • Water - 5 cups
    • Garam Masala - 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon (again, depends on how much heat you can handle)
    • salt to taste

    DIRECTIONS:
    1. Slice the green chilies.  Chop the ginger and garlic.  

    2. Slice the red onion.  Chop the scallions into 1 inch pieces.



    3. Heat a pot on medium heat, once hot, add oil.  Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and black cardamom.  



    4. Once they sizzle, add the cumin seeds.  



    5. Immediately add the turmeric powder.  Allow this to cook until you can smell the cumin seeds - wait about 10 seconds.



    6. Add the green chilies, ginger, garlic, onions, and scallions.  Season with salt.  Combine.  Allow this to cook for 5 minutes.



    8. In the meantime, chop the carrots.  Cut the broccoli into florets.



    9. Check on the onion-scallion mixture - this is what you should have.

    10. Add the broccoli and carrots.  Season with salt.  Combine.  Allow this to cook for 5 minutes.  

    MAKE THE PASTE
    11. Rip off a handful of mint and cilantro leaves.



    12. Blend into a paste - you will need some water if you are using the Magic Bullet.  I used about 2 to 3 tablespoon of water.  Set aside.



    13. Once done, add the blended paste over the veggie mixture.  



    14. Add 2 teaspoon of coriander powder and 1 teaspoon of red chili powder.  You can add less red chili powder.  Combine.



    15. Immediately add green peas.  Combine.  Allow this to cook for a few minutes.



    16. In the meantime, wash and drain your rice.  



    17. Once done, add the rice (WITHOUT WATER) to the veggie mixture.



    18. Combine.  Allow this to cook for a few minutes - 3 minutes.  This process will toast up the rice giving it a slightly nutty flavor.



    19. Add 5 cups of water.  Combine.



    20. Add 1 more teaspoon of coriander powder.  Season with a good amount of salt.  Combine.



    21. Cover and let this cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.  Keep checking in between.



    22. This is what you should have.  Check the rice, is it soft, or it is slightly hard.  If it is not cooked, reduce the heat and cover with a lid for a few more minutes.  



    23. Check seasonings.  Add garam masala.  I added 1 ½ tsp, however you can go with 1 teaspoon for slightly less heat.  You may need to do this in batches.



    24. Serve with Raita, an Indian yogurt usually flavored with salt, cumin powder, and very little chili powder.  The yogurt will help balance the spice level in this delicious pilaf dish.  Thoughts?

    TELL ME: How do you ensure you make the best use of your day?  Help me!

    « Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (NO OIL, NO BUTTER & 118 Calories)
    The Magnolia Bakery | New York City »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sweetpeaskitchen.com says

      January 23, 2011 at 12:52 am

      Sounds like you had a great day! 🙂 I always loved getting my hair cut and highlighted. A banana cake sounds like a fabulous birthday cake, hopefully you will be sharing the recipe with all of us?! 😉 This mixed vegetable pilaf looks great! I bet the Indian spices gave this dish a wonderful flavor.

      Reply
    2. Cardamom Hills says

      January 23, 2011 at 11:04 am

      This looks absolutely delicious...I have to try it...bookmarked u n blog rolled u coz I am relly happy with a lot of recipes in here...will keep coming back =)

      Reply
    3. honeywhatscooking says

      January 25, 2011 at 6:17 am

      @sweetpeaskitchen - I will hold off on posting the Banana Cake - it didn't live up to my expectations 🙁 Thanks!

      @Cardamom Hills - thanks so much... I'm glad you like the recipes! Love to hear that!

      Reply
    4. Katie Lemon says

      February 15, 2011 at 1:33 am

      Just made this at home and I'm currently eating a bowl! It's so good! This was my first foray into Indian food, and your instructions made it really easy, so thank you 🙂 Although I do have one question: at what point did you take out the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves? Want to make sure I get it right for next time!

      Reply
    5. honeywhatscooking says

      February 15, 2011 at 6:14 am

      @Katie.. That's great it tasted good. I didn't take out the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, or cloves. While eating, if you see any of these items you can move it to the side. That's all. Let me know.

      Reply
    6. Katie Lemon says

      February 18, 2011 at 3:08 am

      That's exactly what I did 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
    7. his khadijah says

      May 12, 2011 at 7:06 pm

      greetings, i plan to make this and i would like to add some chunks of a firm white fish, when would yu add it in? thanks

      Reply
    8. Anonymous says

      June 10, 2011 at 8:34 am

      Hey, my name is Lorraine. I'm from Mumbai. I've recently realised I have a passion for cooking n I must say, you've helped me grow 🙂
      Its been abt a month since I found your blog n its such a help. My sister is coming from the gulf today, n I'm goin to make this dish for her. 🙂

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Nisha... a foodie who is passionate about healthy-ish living and mindful eating. You'll find a little bit of everything here. I use mostly organic real ingredients and incorporate seasonal produce in my cooking. I believe food is medicine. Come join me on this soul-searching journey as I share my love for good food, and I hope somewhere along the line, I inspire you to eat better.

    Learn more about me →


    Trending Posts

    • Baked Falafel (healthy, dairy free)
    • World's BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
    • Green Moong Dal Khichdi (healthy)
    • Chicken Seekh Kebab (dairy-free, gluten-free)
    • Masoor Dal Instant Pot (Red Lentils Dal)
    • Chocolate Depression Cake with Mocha Buttercream (eggless, gluten-free)
    • Rava Uttapam (vegetarian)
    • Bombay Grilled Sandwich (vegetarian)

    Subscribe

    * indicates required

    Footer

    As Seen On

    Let's Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Menu

    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Shop

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy

    Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Honey, What's Cooking

    1 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Reddit
    • Yummly