Coriander & mint rice pullao

Anything green and with coriander reminds me of my Dadijan's Sunday lunches, fragrant, tangy and incredibly delicious. We are always greeted with the  pungent aroma of the curry leaf trees in her garden to the shade of her tamarind and pomegranate trees, her home always conjures up sensory memories. All my five aunts cooking labourously in the kitchen, the house abound with the smells of home cooked food, the sound of maid grinding the coriander chutney on the sil batta (flat stone mortar and pestle), my Dadijan instructing the addition of certain spice or the other while reclining on her soft bed, her thin elegant fingers lifting out a perfect green crisp betel leaf from her solid silver pandaan (silver betal nut box) making up a tambaco pan (chewing tobacco filled betel leaf). We all eagerly awaited Sunday lunches at Dadijan's where my partially hard of hearing Dadajan (grandfather) , though he'd never admit to it, would be watching the 9 o'clock news on full blast volume, questioning every bit of information relayed by the newscaster! And then it would be lunch time, there would be an incredible spread each time. One clear memory I have is that we always had a green chutney amongst rice and bread and most importantly, long fresh green chilli to munch on, should the food be too "mild"! So here is a rice, a must have in my Dadijan's home, that is inspired by the abundance of green chutney - of which there way always an abundance, in her home and my memories of her. Ingredients: 2 cups basmati rice1 cinnamon stick4-6 cardamoms4-6 cloves1 bay leaf7-8 peppercorns1 tbsp ginger paste1 tsp garlic pastesalt to tasteFor the chutney BLEND together:A bunch of fresh coriander2-4 green chillis5-7 mint leavesA handful pomegranate to garnish and add texture and  a sweet sour pungency.Serves about 4 and takes about 25-30 minutes to cook (excluding rice soaking time) Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 1/2 hour to an hour.
2. Heat the oil and 'bhagar' - (temper) the cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom until you can smell them. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook till the raw smell disappears, dont let them burn. Immediately pour a blended chutney and cook for a few minutes
3. Pour in the rice and fry it in the chutney mixture. The pour just enough water to cover the rice, less is better. Add some salt. Cover and cook on very low heat.
4. Check every now and then to see if rice is cooked. The liquid should be absorbed and the rice should be fluffy and cooked though. Try  not to move around the rice with a spoon too much as the rice may break. Use a fork to move it around so as to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Keep the rice covered under low heat, until it is cooked though and all the water is absorbed. Don't over cook it as you are after each grain being separate.