Summer is at its peak here in India and I can’t wait to see the first monsoon clouds on the horizon. The heat is unbearable as hot winds suck the moisture out of everything. Spicy and oily food is the last thing you want to eat in this weather. Mint has a naturally cooling effect and go equally well in hot food and cold drinks. So the Mushroom Mint Pilaf looked really promising, as I thought about dinner.
So as the summer heats up, hot food and hit stove are something you can do without. Mint has a naturally cooling effect and is flavorful. I have used mint before with rice in Biryani recipes and love the flavor along with other spiced. I also like the heady mushroom flavor and is a favorite substitute for meat flavors.
Well, with the hot biryani masala out of the equation, mushroom rice was up for discussion. But I also wanted to do something different than the usual Chinese fried rice flavor profile. I recently heard that Caraway (Shah Jeera) Seeds go quite well with Mushrooms. Caraway seeds are look and and taste very much like Cumin, but have a more delicate flavor.
I prefer not to put the whole bag of spices in everything that I make. I wanted Mint and Mushroom to be the star of the dish. So this pilaf has a subtle taste of Caraway Seeds and Bayleaf, with no other spices. Make sure you fry the mushrooms in low heat just enough to allow the juices to flow. The juice will give you the maxim mushroom flavor as you toss the rice.
So after trying a few combinations and imagining different tastes, I narrowed down on using Mint as the herb for the simple and quick rice.
Mushroom Mint Pilaf Ingredients
2 Cups Chopped Mushrooms
4 Cups parboiled Basmati Rice
1 onion slivers
1 tsp Shah Jeera/ Caraway seeds
1 Bayleaf
2 Tbsp Chopped Mint
1/4 Cup Chopped Cashews
1 Tbsp Raisins
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper or Chili powder
2 Tbsp Oil
How to Make Mushroom Mint Pilaf
1. Heat the oil on medium heat and add the Cashews
2. Roast them until lightly brown and set them aside
3. Add the onion slivers and fry until tender
4. Remove the onion slivers and set aside
5. Add Cumin and Bayleaf to the remainig oil and heat until aromatic
6. Add the Chopped mushrooms and a pinch of salt
7. Heat the mushrooms until you see the mushroom juice separating
8. Mix in the onion and cashews along with the mint
9. Add the rice and toss it in the mushroom juice
10. Cover the pot and let it rest for five minutes on low heat.
11. Turn off the heat and let it rest for another half hour, as the rice soaks all the flavors along with the trapped steam.
With these simple steps you get a heady, woodsy flavor of mushrooms and a fresh whiff of mint, mingling with the aroma of Basmati rice.
Although it is very much discouraged, I like to have a good dinner in front of the TV watching my favorite TV serial marathon or a good movie.
Liam Neeson is captivating in the Taken trilogy. I was hooked on the Takesn movie in the first 10-15 minutes when it came out in 2008 and am still a loyal fan of the Taken franchise. I think this is the only other movie that I have seen multiple times, after Bruce Willis’ Die Hard movie franchise.
Taken 2 (2012)
Director: Olivier Megaton
Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace
Bryan Mills manages to save his daughter from the human trafficking gang of Albanians in the first part. But doing this he also create many new enemies, specifically Murad Hoxha. Murad is now looking for any opportunity to get back at Bryan and avenge his brothers death in Paris.
Bryan mills has complete a small security assignment and is in Istanbul. He is joined by his ex-wife and daughter. But he soon realizes that they are being followed by Murad’s men. He manages to alert his daughter, but cannot save his wife. He then offers himself in exchange fro his ex-wife and is captured by Murad’s men.
And so the race begins. Although borderline impossible, the movie is tight enough to forget about the realities of the world. There is no Bryan Mills running loose this time. Will his daughter manage to get Bryan Mills out of captivity and save his life? An intense action-thriller, Taken 2 is an enjoyable and engrossing movie to savor your Mushroom Mint Pilaf.
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