Pudina Rice Recipe (Mint Rice)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Pudina rice, also called mint rice, is a delicious and aromatic Indian rice dish made with rice, mint leaves, and spices. Make it using my easy recipe.
Quick Look: Pudina Rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: Approx. 350 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Blender, pan with a tight-fitting lid (or a stovetop pressure cooker or Instant Pot), silicone spatula, and a fork.
Table of Contents
I grow a large patch of mint in my garden and am always looking for new recipes to use it in. I recently tried a few recipes like mint cooler, mint chutney, and mint chai, but this time I wanted to try something different, so I decided to make this flavorful mint rice.
This rice dish is made in multiple ways in different homes. In this post, I am sharing the recipe I learned from a food show.
What Is Pudina Rice?
Pudina rice (also known as mint pulao, pudina pulao, or pudina sadam) is a South Indian rice dish. It is made in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
In Hindi, fresh mint leaves are called “pudina”. To make this rice dish, blend a bright, aromatic paste of mint, cilantro, onion, green chili, ginger, garlic, and coconut. Cook the paste in oil with whole spices. Add the rice and cook until tender, letting the flavors meld.
The end product is a fragrant pudina rice with light, separate grains and a fresh mint aroma and flavor. The best part is you can make it with or without vegetables, so it is pretty versatile.
You can make mint rice on the stovetop, in a pressure cooker, or in an Instant Pot. See all the methods in my post.
Ingredients
For full instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
For The Mint Coconut Paste
- Fresh mint leaves (pudina) are the main ingredient of this pudina sadam recipe. Use only the tender leaves and discard the thick stems.
- Green chilies – Adjust to taste.
- Fresh coconut – For the best taste, use fresh coconut. Use frozen, pre-grated coconut to save time. You’ll typically find it in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Allow it to come to room temperature before use.
- Other ingredients: You will also need cilantro (coriander leaves), red onions, fresh ginger, garlic, and water.
For The Rice
- Rice – You can make this mint and coconut rice dish with whatever rice you like. In South Indian households, short-grain sona masuri rice or seeraga samba (also called jeera samba) is used. Another good option is basmati rice. Use aged rice, which holds its shape better when cooked. New rice gives off too much starch, which makes the grains soft and mushy.
- Whole spices like cumin seeds, cloves, and black peppercorns add wonderful aroma and flavor.
- Cashew nuts give a nice crunch.
- Vegetables – I added potatoes, carrots, green beans, and green peas. It’s also a good idea to use whatever leftover veggies you have on hand. Leave out vegetables for a more pronounced mint flavor in the rice.
- Oil – Any cooking oil will do, but for a richer flavor, try ghee.
- Other ingredients: You will need red onions, tomatoes, and salt.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Pudina Rice
After trying this recipe multiple times, I am listing some common mistakes you can make when making this dish, along with fixes.
| Problem | Common Mistake | Quick Fix |
| Rice turns mushy or sticky | Overcooking rice, too much water, mixing the hot rice vigorously. | Use aged rice. Rice-to-water ratio 1:0.75 (Instant Pot), 1:1.5 (pressure cooker and pan). Mix gently with a fork. |
| Bitter taste | Too much mint, thick stems | Use tender leaves; ratio 1 cup mint: ½ cup cilantro |
| Dull green or brown color | Cooking the mint paste on very high heat | Cook the mint paste on low heat |
| Bland flavor | Skipping whole spices, under-seasoned masala | Use cloves and black peppercorns, and season the masala well |
| Mint flavor missing | Too many veggies, excess ginger-garlic | Keep veggies minimal; limit the quantity of ginger-garlic |
How To Make Pudina Rice
Soak The Rice
Step 1: Wash 1 cup of short-grain rice until the water runs clear. Rinsing washes away surface starch, so the finished pudina rice has separate grains and isn’t clumpy or sticky.
After rinsing, soak the rice in about 3-4 cups of water and set aside.
Make Mint Coconut Paste
Step 2: Add the following ingredients to a blender.
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves (packed)
- ½ cup cilantro (packed)
- ¼ cup chopped red onions
- 1-inch piece of ginger (chopped)
- 1-2 whole garlic cloves (peeled)
- 2 teaspoons of chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
Step 3: Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Stop the blender once or twice to scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula. Keep the paste aside.
Do not add more water while blending, as this will result in a mushy final rice dish.
Make The Pudina Rice
In A Pan Over The Stovetop
Step 4: Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a pan and heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the following ingredients and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cashews turn slightly brown.
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 whole cloves
- 4-5 whole black peppercorns
- 8-10 whole cashew nuts
Step 5: Now add ½ cup sliced red onions to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes, stirring often.
Step 6: Add ¼ cup chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute.
Step 7: Now lower the heat to low. Add the mint coconut paste and cook for 1 minute or until the raw smell is gone.
Don’t cook the paste over high heat, as the color will go from bright green to dull at very high temperatures.
Step 8: Add the following veggies and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- ¼ cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½ inch cubes)
- ¼ cup cubed carrots (½ inch cubes)
- ¼ cup chopped green beans (½ inch pieces)
- ¼ cup green peas
Step 9: Drain the rice and add it to the pan with 1 ½ cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Gently fold the rice so you don’t break the grains. Taste the water; it should be pleasantly salty. If not, add more salt.
Step 10: Put a tight-fitting lid on the pan and simmer. Do not lift the lid till the time is up. It should take about 20 to 25 minutes for the rice to become tender and absorb all the water.
Step 11: Once the pudina rice is cooked, remove the pan from the flame. Let the rice stand for 5 minutes to finish cooking the grains with steam and make them fluffy.
Open the lid, then gently loosen the rice with a fork. Serve warm.
In An Instant Pot
- Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot and continue with the recipe until you add the rice to the pot.
- Add ¾ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir gently. Remember, you need less water to cook this rice dish in an Instant Pot than you would in a traditional pressure cooker or on the stovetop.
- Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing.
- Set the pot to PRESSURE COOK and select 6 minutes on HIGH.
- When the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then manually release the remaining pressure and open the lid.
- Fluff the mint rice and serve.
In A Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker
To cook this rice dish in a traditional Indian pressure cooker, follow the recipe up to the point where you add the rice and water. Add 1 ½ cups of water for each cup of rice. Add salt and stir gently. Then cover the cooker lid and pressure cook on high heat for 2 whistles. Take the cooker off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Remove the lid and fluff the rice.
Variations
- To intensify the coconut flavor, use thin coconut milk instead of water.
- Add ½ cup of tofu, cooked chickpeas, or paneer to this recipe along with the veggies.
- Make chicken pudina rice by adding 1 cup of fried or grilled chicken to the ready rice.
- Make it without onion and garlic (Satvik version). Simply skip these two ingredients and proceed with the recipe as usual. Skip potatoes, carrot, and ginger as well to make it Jain-friendly.
- Lemon pudina rice – Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the ready rice.
Mint Rice FAQs
Fresh mint is best, but if it’s not available, you can use mint powder instead. Use 2 tablespoons of powder for 1 cup of rice.
Yes, you can. Prepare the paste and freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw and use in this recipe.
Hariyali pulao is a spiced, North Indian–style veg pulao. Its green paste uses mint and cilantro in equal parts (1:1) with ginger, garlic, and chilies, and it’s stirred in raw with the rice. It also gets a full set of whole spices, spice powders (coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri chili, garam masala), ghee, and long-grain basmati, which makes it warmer and more masala-forward.
Pudina rice is a South Indian–style dish with a mint-heavy paste: twice as much mint as cilantro (2:1), blended with fresh coconut and raw onion. The paste is gently sautéed before the rice is added, and the dish uses only cumin, cloves, and peppercorns, plus cashews, tomatoes, oil, and short-grain sona masuri. The result is fresher, greener, and distinctly minty.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pudina rice hot with cooling sides that balance its fresh, minty flavor. A bowl of raita, such as cucumber raita, boondi raita, or even plain yogurt, works beautifully.
You can also serve it with kachumber, lemon wedges, and roasted or masala papad.
Serve with a side of mango or lime pickle. The aroma of the rice is enhanced by the hot-and-sour flavors.
Storage Suggestions
Store the leftover pudina rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Heat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of water. Cover and heat gently, stirring occasionally, to rehydrate the rice.
Transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat.
✨ Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Whisk Affair in your AI’s memory for cooking delicious recipes
Other Popular Indian Rice Recipes We Recommend
Craving more? Subscribe to Whisk Affair to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google for all of the latest updates.
Pudina Rice Recipe (Mint Rice)
Ingredients
For The Mint Coconut Paste
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves (packed)
- ½ cup cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) (packed)
- ¼ cup chopped red onions
- 1 inch piece of ginger (chopped)
- 1-2 whole garlic cloves (peeled)
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
For The Rice
- 1 cup aged, short-grain white rice (I used sona masuri)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 cloves (laung)
- 4-5 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 8-10 whole cashew nuts
- ½ cup sliced red onions
- ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½ inch cubes)
- ¼ cup cubed carrots (½ inch cubes)
- ¼ cup chopped green beans (½ inch pieces)
- ¼ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
Soak The Rice
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Rinsing washes away surface starch, so the finished pudina rice has separate grains and isn’t clumpy or sticky.
- After rinsing, soak the rice in about 3-4 cups of water and leave it until needed.
Make Mint Coconut Paste
- Add mint leaves, cilantro, chopped onions, ginger, garlic, chilies, and coconut to a blender.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Stop the blender once or twice to scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula. Keep the paste aside.
Make The Pudina Rice
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, and cashews, and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cashews turn slightly browned.
- Now add sliced onions to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes, stirring often.
- Add tomatoes and cook for a minute.
- Reduce the heat to low. Now add the mint coconut paste and cook for 1 minute or until the raw smell is gone.
- Add potatoes, carrots, beans, and peas, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the rice and add it to the pan with 1 ½ cups of water and salt. Gently fold the rice so you don't break the grains. Taste the water; it should be pleasantly salty. If not, add more salt.
- Put a tight-fitting lid on the pan and simmer. Do not lift the lid till the time is up. It should take about 20 to 25 minutes for the rice to become tender and absorb all the water.
- Once the pudina rice is cooked, remove the pan from the flame. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes so the steam finishes cooking the grains and makes them fluffy.
- Open the lid, then gently loosen the rice with a fork. Serve warm.
