Basil RIce

This is a hearty flavorful rice made with fresh herbs. I used homegrown basil, mint and coriander. After making pesto with basil, I had a lot of basil leaves left-over. So I ventured into making basil rice for our lunchboxes. The subtle flavor of basil paired very well with flavorful mint and coriander. Any vegetables can also be added to make it more healthy. It is a one-pot meal and very easy to prepare. We had it with chips and cucumber raita.


Ingredients

Basil - 2 cups chopped
Mint - 1/2 cup chopped
Coriander/Cilantro - 1 cup chopped
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Garam masala - 2 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2 slit lengthwise
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1
Ginger - 1 inch minced
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 3
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to
Cashews roasted in ghee

Directions

Wash and soak the basmati rice for atleast 15 minutes. Wash the basil, mint and coriander/cilantro leaves and grind them into a coarse paste using a blender. In a pressure cooker or a deep bottomed vessel, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and saute till they turn translucent. Add the slit green chillies and saute for a while. Add the ground basil-mint-coriander paste and green peas and saute until the raw smell goes away. Add the garam masala followed by the basmati rice. Saute until the entire mixture gets mixed with the rice. Add 3.5 cups of water. Cover and cook until the rice is done.
Garnish with roasted cashews.


Serve with raita and chips. The quantity of basil-mint and coriander can be adjusted according to availability and taste.

Here is a picture of my basil plant!

Sending this to Rice Feast hosted by Chaitra