Ingredients

For chutney

1. Mint leaves – 1 cup full or 25 gms
2. Ginger – 1 tsp
3. Green chillies – 2
4. Salt - as required

Tempering/tadka

5. Oil/ghee – 2 tbsp
6. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
7. Chana dal – 1 tsp
8. Urad dal – 1 tsp
9. Green chillies (slit) – 3
10. Dry chillies – 3
11. Curry leaves – 20
12. Cashew nut – 10
13. Hing – 1/4 tsp
14. Cooked rice – 2 cups

Additional ingredients

15. Mint leaves (optional) – 10 to 15

Method

1. Slice the onions, slit the green chillies and keep it ready.
2. Soak 1 cup rice in water for about 30 mins. Drain rice and keep aside.
3. Cook the rice in sufficient water (any method you are comfortable with). Keep the cooked rice ready.
4. I have used only 2 cups of cooked rice. Allow the rice to cool and let the rice be fluffy. Left over rice is also good.
5. Grind the mint leaves along with ginger, green chillies and salt to a fine paste.
6. Heat any non-stick vessel and add ghee/oil. When hot, add mustard seeds, dry chillies, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies and cashew nuts. Sauté on a medium flame until the urad dal turns light golden in colour.
7. Add onions, few mint leaves and sauté until the onions are soft and transparent.
8. Add the ground chutney and salt as per taste. Stir well. Cook for about 2 to 3 mins or until the raw smell of the chutney goes away. The colour of the chutney changes.
9. Add the cooked rice immediately and mix well. Keep the flame low while mixing.
10. Add lemon juice and mix well. Close the lid and simmer for about 5 to 8 mins.
11. Serve hot with any side dish you like or even just with crisps.

Notes

1. You can grind chutney to a coarse paste or fine paste.
2. Add salt appropriately if you have added salt in the rice.
3. Add lemon juice as per your taste.
4. You can add peanuts instead of cashew nuts.
5. Add green chillies as per its hotness.
6. Either add the rice immediately after adding the green mint chutney to the pan and mix it or fry the chutney for a few mins until the colour of the chutney changes to a pale green colour. Both give different taste but both taste good. I prefer the cooked one.
7. The colour of the rice varies as to how much quantity of rice you have added to the chutney.
8. I have used ponni boiled rice. You can use ponni raw rice or any plain rice, which is not fragrant. If not, you can use basmati rice.