Ingredients
- Basmati Rice - 2 cups
- Whole Spices - green cardamom - 4; Cinnamon - 1 inch stick, Cloves - 4 to 5, Star Anise - 1
- Bay leaf - 2
- Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp
- Sliced Onion - 3 medium
- Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
- Slit Green Chillies - 6 to 7
- Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
- Chopped Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup
- Cashewnut (split) - 10 to 15
- Raisins - 10 to 15
- Salt - to taste
- Hot Water - 4 1/2 cups
Preparation
- Wash the basmati rice in plain water and drain and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil/ghee in a pan to fry the onion. Add half of the sliced onion to this and fry on a medium flame until it starts turning golden brown. Keep stirring continuously. You could add little salt to it so that it gets cooked fast. Do not wait until the entire onion turns brown, otherwise they may get burnt and become dark brown. Remove the fried onion to a kitchen towel.
- Fry the cashewnuts and raisins in the same oil/ghee until done.
- Heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a kadhai. Once it becomes hot, add whole spices and bay leaf to this and stir for a minute (until the nice aroma of the spices comes out).
- Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone.
- Add the remaining sliced onion after this and fry until they turn translucent. You could add little salt to the onion so that it gets cooked soon.
- Add slit green chillies and fry for a minute.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and mix well.
- Add basmati rice to this and fry for 5 minutes.
- Now add hot water to this and mix well. Add enough salt and mix.
- Cover the vessel with a lid and cook on a low flame until the rice is cooked. Stir occasionally.
- For garnish, add fried onion, cashewnuts, raisins, chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, ghee and mix well.
- Server hot with chicken curry or it can be had along with raita.