Varagu Arisi Pudhina Sadham /Kodo Millet Mint Rice (Mint-Lemon Millet)

Category: Rice Varieties
Preparation Time: 15 mins  
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Servings: 2 servings

Millets are very nutrient rich grains. These super grains were forgotten for a while and now they are making a coming back. 

Varagu Arisi Pudhina Sadham

This is a very easy recipe and we can call this as mint-lemon millet. For this I have used Kodo millet / Varagu Arisi, but we can use any of the millets. 

Mint Kodo Millet with Moongdal-Carrot Salad

I prefer soaking millets for atleast 2 hours so that it would help with digestion and also will get cooked faster. If we have time, we can soak for about 6 to 8 hours.

Ingredients:

• Kodo Millet / Varagu Arisi - 1/2 cup
• Raw Peanuts- 2-3 Tbsp
• Lime / Lemon juice - as needed
• Oil - 1/2 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1/2 Tbsp
• Urad dhal, Split - 1/2 Tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Red chillies, broken - 1-2 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required

To Grind:

• Mint leaves - 1 cup
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Green chilly - 1

Method:

• Cooking Millets: Wash and soak 1/2 cup of the millet for atleast 1 hour. Take 1 to 1  1/2 cup of water in a pan (if we want more grainy, we can use 1:2 ratio and for softer rice we can add 1:3 ratio) and bring to boil. Once it started to boil, add the drained millet and cook until most of the water gets absorbed. Then cover and cook in low flame for few mins and switch off. Once its done, fluff it up and spread it in a plate to allow it to cool down

Lime flavoured Mint Rice

Category: Rice Varieties
Preparation Time: 15 mins  
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Servings: 2-3 servings

Lime flavoured Mint Rice

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Mint leaves - 1 - 1 1/2 cup, loosely packed
• Peanuts, Roasted & halved - 1/4 cup
• Lime / Lemon juice - as needed
• Oil - 1/2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Red chillies, broken - 2-3 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Ginger, grated - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
• Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak 1 cup of rice for atleast 30 mins and then cook as usual in such a way the grains are separate. Once its done, spread it in a plate and allow it to cool
2. Wash the mint leaves and grind to a fine paste with 1-2 tsp of water and keep it ready
3. Heat oil in a wide pan, once it becomes hot add mustard seeds followed by Channa dhal, Urad dhal, red chillies and curry leaves; saute for a min till the dhals turn golden brown
   
4. Add the roasted peanuts and fry for 30 secs
   
5. Then add the grated ginger and saute for a min without getting it burnt
   
6. Now add in the mint puree and saute in low to medium flame for 2 mins
   
7. Add turmeric powder and mix well, add required salt 
   
8. Saute for few secs
   
9. Add in the cooked and cooled rice, mix gently until combined and switch it off
   
10. Then drizzle the lemon / lime juice over the rice and mix gently so that they get combined
    
11. Serve with any vegetable curry!
    
12. Perfect for lunch box too:)
    

Mint-Tomato Chutney

Category: Chutney
Preparation Time: 5 mins  
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Mint-Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• Pudhina / Mint leaves - 1 cup, packed
• Small Onions - 8-10 nos / 1 Big Onion, chopped
• Ripe Tomato - 1 big sized or 2 small ones, chopped 
• Fresh coconut - 2-3 tbsp (Optional)
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 2-3 nos (adjust per required spice level)
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal, split - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add Channa & Urad Dhals fry till they turn golden brown. Then add the red chilly, fry for 30 secs
   
2. Add chopped onions and fry for 1-2 mins
   
3. Add chopped tomato pieces and saute till it turns mushy
   
4. Switch off the stove and add the mint leaves and saute till it shrinks in volume
   
5. Add the coconut pieces if using and allow the mixture to cool
   
6. Grind to a fine chutney
   
7. In a small pan, heat coconut oil and once it becomes hot add the mustard seeds followed by urad dhal, curry leaves and asafoetida
8. Pour the tadka over the chutney
   
9. Serve with hot Idlies / Dosa

Mint flavored Sundal for Kids

Category: Snacks / Kids Recipes
Preparation Time: 10 mins + overnight / 7-8 hrs soaking   
Cooking Time: 15 mins   
Servings: 3 Servings

Sundal with Mint flavour:)

Ingredients: 

• Kabuli Channa / White Sundal - 1 cup
  
• Coconut Oil- 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 tsp
• Urad dhal (split) - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Red Chillies - 1-2 nos (adjust as per required spiciness)
• Small Onions - 5-6 nos, chopped
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece chopped
• Fresh Coconut, grated - 1/4 cup
• Mint leaves, finely chopped - 1/4 cup, loosely packed (Optional)
• Salt - to taste

Note: This is a mildly spiced sundal perfect for kids;

If making spicier version, we can coarsely grind 2-3 green chillies with mint leaves and ginger and add while preparing 

Method:

1. Soak the Channa for 7-8 hrs or overnight and then pressure cook it with required salt and water for atleast 3-4 whistles or until it cooks soft but not mushy. (Since its for kids, I cooked till soft) Drain the water and keep it aside
   
2. Heat oil in a pan, once its hot add the mustard seeds followed by Channa dhal, Urad dhal, Red chillies and curry leaves; saute for a min till the dhals turn golden brown
   
3. Then add the chopped ginger pieces and onions, saute well for 2 mins
   
4. Now add the cooked Channa and mix well 
   
5. Saute for 5 mins in low to medium flame till it gets blended with the tadka; Check for salt and add if required
   
6. Add the finely chopped mint leaves and mix well
   
7. Add the grated coconut, mix well
   
8. Switch off and Serve hot!
   

Pudhina Chutney for Rice

Category: Lunch / Chutney
Preparation Time: 5 mins  
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Servings: 2-3 servings

Pudhina Chutney for Rice

 Ingredients:

• Pudhina / Mint leaves - 1 to 2 cups, loosely packed
  
• Fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
• Small Onions - 6-8 nos
• Channa Dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 1-2 nos (adjust per required spice level)
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind - a small piece
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp 

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add Channa & Urad Dhals fry till they turn golden brown. Then add the red chilly, tamarind followed by cumin seeds and pepper; fry for 30 secs
   
2. Add small onions and fry for 1-2 mins
   
3. Switch off the stove and add the mint leaves and saute till it shrinks in volume
   
   
   
4. Add required salt and coconut gratings  
   
5. Grind the mixture with required water to a chutney like consistency and transfer to serving bowl
   
6. Serve with hot Rice or even with Idly / Dosa

Pudhina (Mint) Paratha

Category: Chapati / Paratha  

Preparation Time: 15 mins   

Waiting Time: 30 mins  

Cooking Time: 20 mins    

Servings: yields 8 - 10 Parathas

Mint / Pudhina Paratha

Ingredients:
For dough:

• Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
• Pudhina / Mint leaves- 1 cup tightly packed
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Warm Water  - as needed

For Mint Masala Powder:

• Pudhina / Mint leaves - 1/2 cup tightly packed
• Chaat Masala / Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp

Other Ingredients:

• Ghee / Oil - for toasting
• Wheat Flour - for Dusting

Method:

1. In a wide bowl, take 2 cups of wheat flour, ghee and required salt, mix well; Clean and chop the mint leaves, add it to the flour  and knead into a smooth soft dough by gradually adding warm water. Keep aside for atleast 30 mins
   
2. Heat a pan and dry roast the 1/2 cup of mint leaves until it become crispy
   
   
   
   
3. Once the leaves got shrunken and crispy, crush them into coarse powder and mix it with Chaat Masala / Cumin powder; keep aside
   
4. After 30 mins, knead the dough for 2 mins and divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls  
5. Take one dough ball, dust it with flour and roll into a thin paratha  
   
6. Apply few drops of ghee / oil and spread it evenly on the paratha, sprinkle little flour
7. From one end of the paratha, start making small pleats till the other end is reached
   
    
8. Roll it to form a circle; flatten it and keep aside till the remaining dough were prepared in the same way
   
9. Take one circled dough, roll into a paratha (not too thin) 
   
10. Heat the tawa, place the parathas and cook till bubbles started to appear on the surface; Turn over and cook the other side
    
11. Once it's cooked, spread little ghee over it and sprinkle the Mint Masala powder
    
12. Serve Hot with any raita or gravy
13. We can also roll as normal chapathis and then sprinkle the masala