Ingredients
- 400 g basmati rice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp ghee or melted unsalted butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Sea salt
- 50 g mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
- 75 g green beans
- 150 g cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 100 g peas, thawed if frozen
- 850 ml water
- 30 g raisins
- 30 g toasted pistachio nuts
Preparation
Step 1
1. Wash the rice in several changes of cold water, then leave to soak in fresh cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter in a wide, heavy-based pan and add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and star anise. Fry for a minute until they begin to crackle and smell fragrant. Add the onions and fry for another 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently until soft and golden brown. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and fry the ground spices for another minute.
3. Add the remaining ghee or butter, a pinch of salt and all the vegetables to the pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes then tip in the drained rice and stir well. Toast the rice over a high heat for a minute then pour in the water and add the raisins. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the rice looks dry and the water has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and, without removing the lid, leave to steam for another 5 minutes. Uncover and fork through the rice and vegetables. Sprinkle with the toasted pistachios and serve