Pudina-Chickpea Rice

This dish is my daughter's favourite. Pudina is rich in iron. The leaves has got good cooling properties and are commonly used as anti-inflamatory agents. It is used in ayurvedic medicine preparations.

Ingredients

Basumati Rice - 2cups

Chickpea - 1/2cup

Mint leaves - 2cups

Green Chilli - 2nos

Ginger - small piece

Garlic - 1 pod
Onion big - 2nos.
Sombhu (perunjeeragam) - 2tsp
Cloves - 3nos
Cinnamon stick - small piece
Cardamom - 2nos
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2tsp
Ghee - 2tsp

Method
1. Soak chickpea overnight. If u forgot to do it, use potatoes cut into big cubes instead.
2. Wash rice and soak for 10-15min.
3. Grind pudina, ginger, garlic, green chilli, sombhu and cardamom with little water. If u want you can add little grated coconut also.
4. Cut onions lengthwise.
5. Put the pressure pan on the flame add ghee and oil, once hot add cloves, cinnamon sticks and add onions and fry till it looks glassy. Then add the grinded pudina mixture. Saute till the raw smell goes.
6. Add the chickpea and rice. Mix well. Add salt and water (41/4 cups). 4 cups for 2cups rice and 1/4 cup water for chickpea. Cover the lid and switch it off after 3 whistle.
If u dont have pressure pan, you cook the rice and chickpea seperately and mix everything in the kadai after frying the pudina mixture.