Allergy Friendly Spring – Mint Rice…

The days are getting warmer and mint flavored lemonade and mojito is on my mind 🙂 Or, more to the point…the crisp, fresh flavors of mint leaves! These leaves are extremely aromatic with a cool aftertaste and are used to flavor teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, ice creams, lentil fritters, entrees etc. A word of caution people – it has a strong flavor so, a little goes a very long way. The good news is – it is also healthy and has many healing properties. I found this post on wikipedia very interesting – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha

So, here is a dish to celebrate Spring – light, flavorful and elegant ‘Mint Rice’! It does not contain any of the top 8 food allergens and is also free of mustard, sesame and corn. Yes – it still tastes delish!

• Time: 30 – 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings as a main dish

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice:  1 cup
2. Bay leaves: 2
3. Whole Peppercorn: 4 – 5
4. Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp
5. Garlic Cloves: 2 (finely sliced)
6. Mint leaves (destemmed and julienned): 1/3 cup
7. Oil: 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small sautee pan.
2. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir till it becomes a light golden brown.
3. Now add the cut mint leaves and stir. In about a minute the leaves will will wilt. Keep it aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp  oil on medium flame in a heavy bottomed, deep 2 quart vessel.
5. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and peppercorn and stir for about a minute or till the cumin seeds and bay leaves turn a darker brown.
6. Add the rice and stir for a 2-3 minutes till the rice is coated well with the oil.
7. Add 2 cups of water to the rice and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to a medium-low and cover leaving a slight vent for the steam to escape.
8. Stir once in 5 minutes to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom. When all the moisture is almost completely absorbed. Cover the dish and switch off the flame.
9. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then add add the sauteed mint and garlic. Add salt to season and mix everything by gently fluffing it with a fork.
10. Serve warm 🙂