Mint Fresh

Read on to discover the different ways you can use pudina in your cooking, right from making naans to mojitos

Mint Fresh

Read on to discover the different ways you can use pudina in your cooking, right from making naans to mojitos

Paneer aur Pudina Naan

Ingredients

4 cups refined flour (maida)
1 tsp baking powder
u00bd tsp soda bicarbonate
Salt to taste
2 tsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)
Butter, to serve
Stuffing
800 gms cottage cheese (paneer), gratedu00a0u00a0
3 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0u00a02 tsp cumin seedsu00a0u00a02 medium onions, choppedu00a04 green chillies, choppedu00a0u00bd cup coriander and mint chutneyu00a0u00a0u00a0
Salt to taste

Method

Sift refined flour with baking powder, soda bicarbonate and salt in a deep bowl. Add sugar, egg, milk, yogurt and a little water and knead into a medium soft dough.

Brush with oil, cover with a damp piece of muslin and set aside for one hour.

For the stuffing, heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and when they begin to change colour, add onions and green chillies and sautu00e9 over medium heat for one minute.

Add coriander and mint chutney and continue to sautu00e9 for another minute. Add grated paneer and salt, toss well and transfer to a plate to cool. Divide into eight equal portions.

Knead the dough again and divide it into eight equal portions. Shape into round balls and dust with flour. Flatten each ball and roll out into four-inch rounds.

Place one portion of the stuffing in the centre, gather the edges together and shape into a ball again. Sprinkle one-fourth tsp of kalonji, press lightly and roll out into a seven-inch round

Heat a pressure cooker. Moisten one side of the naan with wet fingers and gently stick the moistened side to the inner wall of the pressure cooker. Make sure the naan is moist enough to stick.

Place the cooker upside down over an open flame to make a kind of tandoor. Cook over high heat for two to three minutes, lower heat and cook for two to three minutes more.

Turn the cooker upright and gently dislodge the naan from the cooker wall.

Cut into quarters and serve with butter.

Mint Quick Lime Mojito

Ingredients

u00bd cup hand torn fresh mint leavesu00a0u00a09 lemonsu00a0u00a0u00a04 tbsp brown sugaru00a010 peppermint flavoured candies, powderedu00a02 cups crushed iceu00a0u00a02 cups lemonadeu00a0u00a04 fresh mint sprigsu00a0

Method

Cut eight lemons into eight pieces each. Discard pips.

Place lemons in a stainless steel glass. Add hand torn mint leaves, brown sugar and crush everything together with a rolling pin.

Take four tall glasses.u00a0 Halve the remaining lemon and rub one half around the rims of the glasses. Dip them in the powdered peppermint candy. Slice the remaining half of the lemon thinly.

Divide the crushed ice into the glasses. Add two tbsps of crushed mint-lemon mixture to each glass. Fill them up with lemonade.

Stir lightly. Serve chilled decorated with a mint sprig and a lemon slice placed on the rim.

Pudina Pakoda

Ingredients

u00bd cup split Bengal gram (chana dal)u00a0u00a0
u00bd cup split pigeon pea (tuvar dal/arhar dal)u00a0
u00bd cup split black gram (dhuli urad dal)u00a0u00a0
u00bd cup chopped fresh mint leavesu00a0u00a0
u00bc cup chopped fresh coriander leavesu00a0u00a0
5-6 green chillies, choppedu00a0u00a01 inch ginger piece, choppedu00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0Oil to deep fryu00a0

Method

Soak the dals in four cups of water for two to three hours.

Drain and grind coarsely.

Add mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger and salt and mix well. Rest the mixture for 15 minutes.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and drop a tablespoonful of the dal mixture into the hot oil. Deep fry on medium heat till golden and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper.

Serve hot.