1 cup of Basmati Rice
1½ cups of water (not including the water needed to wash the rice)
1/2 cup of frozen green peas
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper powder
1 star anise
1 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter); you can use canola oil instead
1 small onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste
1½ teaspoons of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
2 chili peppers, slit lengthwise (optional)
Soak the Basmati rice in water for 15 – 30 minutes.
Clean the Basmati rice in several changes of water (until the water is clear).
In a pressure cooker (you can use a pan with a lid), heat the ghee. Then add the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds pop, add the chili peppers, the ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and star anise.
Add the onions, and sauté them for a minute. Add the black pepper powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder, sautéing the onions until they become translucent.
Add the frozen peas. Sauté for a minute. Then, quickly add the rice and fry it for about a minute.
Add salt to taste.
Add the water and mix well.
Close the lid of the pressure cooker (or pan) & let it cook on a medium flame.
When the rice is completely cooked, turn the stove off and fluff the rice.
* If you’d like, you can avoid using the cumin powder, coriander powder, and black pepper powder to have a much simpler taste.
* The time required to cook this meal is around 20 – 25 minutes (I don’t really time it)