Name: Coriander Rice (Cilantro Pulao)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ⅔ cup Basmati Rice, soaked for 20 mins and drained; 1⅓ cup Coriander Leaves, tightly packed, thoroughly washed; 2½ tbsp Mint Leaves, pudina (optional but recommended); 2 Green Chili Pepper, adjust to heat preference; ⅔ inch Ginger; 2⅔ clove Garlic; ⅔ Onion, thinly sliced; ⅓ cup Potato, cubed potatoes or peas/carrots, or Mixed Vegetables; ⅔ tsp Cumin Seeds; ⅔ Assorted Whole Spices, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms; ⅓ tsp Garam Masala; ⅔ tbsp Lemon Juice, preserves the green color; ⅔ tsp Salt, to taste; 1⅓ tbsp Cooking Oil, or ghee, for cooking; 1⅛ cup Water, hot

35 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Make the green paste: in a blender, combine the fresh coriander, mint leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Blend to a completely smooth, bright green paste, using just enough water to get it moving.
Bring the specified cooking lipid to temperature in a heavy-gauge pot or pressure cooker over a steady, medium flame.
Introduce the cumin seeds alongside the assorted whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom). Allow them to sizzle and bloom, extracting their essential aromatic oils.
Add the finely sliced onions. Sauté them patiently until they caramelize to a light golden brown.
Add the diced potatoes, or your chosen mixed vegetables, to the pan. Sear them for 2-3 minutes so they hold their texture.
2–3 min
Add the fresh coriander paste to the pot. Stir-fry continuously over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, cooking out the raw garlic and onion until the oil just starts to separate.
3–4 min
Season the developing base with the prescribed garam masala and an exacting measure of salt. Integrate thoroughly.
Add the soaked and drained basmati. Toss it very gently to coat the grains in the green masala, toasting them lightly for 1 minute.
1 min
Quench the pan with the measured volume of hot water. Add the lemon juice—a critical professional technique to chemically lock the vivid green chlorophyll—and force the liquid into a rolling boil.
Cover the pot tightly. Simmer on the lowest heat for 12-15 minutes, or pressure-cook for 2 whistles. All the liquid should be absorbed.
12–15 min
Turn off the heat. Let it rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Then uncover, fluff the green grains gently with a fork and serve.
10 min

How to tell it's done

Anticipate highly elongated, hyper-distinct rice grains immaculately enrobed in a brilliant herbal reduction, delivering a profoundly fresh, sharply savory, and exceptionally vibrant bite.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

354kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein6.1 g7%
Carbohydrate60.3 g68%
Fat9.8 g25%

Sugars: 2.4 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Fibre: 2.6 g
Sodium: 785 mg
Potassium: 355 mg
Calcium: 65 mg
Iron: 1.6 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

A squeeze of lemon in the boiling water keeps the coriander rice a fresh, bright green. Don't fry the paste too long either, or the colour dulls.

What to serve it with

Bright green and strongly herby. Serve it with a cooling boondi raita, curd, a papad, or a mild pickle. It suits a lunchbox too.

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Ingredients