Sweet Corn & Mint Pulao

Summer is officially here! To kick start the summer, our group of friends got together for our annual barbecue/grill at a scenic locale overlooking a lake. It is a fun picnic with grilled and non-grilled food. Grilled corn on the cob with butter, lemon juice, chilli powder and salt is a staple at such grilling events. With the left over corn on the cob, I made this corn and mint pulao and it turned out pretty well. 

The sweet corn mingles with the delicate fragrance of mint and other whole spices to make a sweet and aromatic dish. This is a good substitute for peas pulao to update the usual menu a bit. The quantities below serve a big party of people, especially when accompanied with other dishes.

Ingredients (serves a party of 6-8):

1. 3 cups basmati rice (uncooked)
2. 3 cups corn 
3. 2.5 tablespoons dry mint leaves / or 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
4. 6 whole cloves
5. 2 pieces of mace / javetri / jathi pathri
6. 1 bay leaf
7. 6 green cardamom pods
8. 3 inch piece of cinnamon
9. 2 teaspoons pulao powder (store bought spice mix of your choice; this is optional)
10. 2 tablespoons oil
11. 1 tablespoon yogurt
12. 1 medium-big red onion, finely chopped
13. Salt as required

Preparation:

1. In a mortar & pestle, gently crush the cloves, mace, cardamom and cinnamon until fragrant. Do not finely powder. 
2. Heat oil in a wide pan and add bay leaf and crushed whole spices. Heat on medium heat until the spices are fragrant and perfume the oil. 
3. Add the chopped onion and saute until pink and translucent. 
4. Add the corn and saute with a little salt for 2 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and add the pulao powder and mint. Mix well in the residual heat of the pan. 
6. Meanwhile, soak basmati rice in water for 15 minutes. When the corn-mint mixture is done, drain the rice and add it to the corn-mint spiced mixture and mix gently. 
7. Season with enough salt (take care to season the rice with salt too) and transfer to a rice cooker. Add 3.75 cups of water and a dollop of yogurt and mix well. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. 

Fluff up the cooked rice and serve with raita / yogurt sauce and a spicy curry.