Mint Condition

Know your ingredient: the ubiquitous pudina or mint

Did you know that cutting the leaves is a no-no for it can destroy their intrinsic goodness?

Our very own pudina (mint) is probably the ubiquitous herb in Afro-Asian, European and Australian cuisine alike. The gaily green leaves that lend a sense of freshness, besides a unique smell and taste, are a universal favourite.

• If you follow certain thumb rules while using mint leaves, you can extract the best out of them. Did you know that cutting the leaves is a no-no for it can destroy their intrinsic goodness?
• Instead, you can crush the leaves with your fingers while garnishing juices, smoothies, salads and raithas.
• If you want to use the greens to flavour chutneys, gravies or curries, make sure that you sauté the leaves before adding them to the main dish. If your recipe expects you to grind mint leaves, remember that fresh leaves can alter the taste; heat the leaves on a tawa or in a pan so that they lose the moisture content, and then grind the same.
• Though people add mint leaves to snacks like pakodas or sundried papads and khakras, your discerning taste buds must have realised that pudina neither smells nor tastes as you expect it to. That’s because the herb loses its flavour when exposed to extreme heat.
• Sometimes, we may end up buying more mint than we need. To preserve pudina is to wrap the leaves in a newspaper and leave them in the refrigerator. Make sure that you discard the yellowed or blackened leaves.
• Pudina leaves added as a flavour to your tea, lime water, rasams, and even your water can not only tickle your taste buds, but can also comfort your tummy.