Kavita Singh'S Plain Rice Pulao - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice
3 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon young ginger root, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon red chili powder
3 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

Preparation

Clean the rice thoroughly. Soak for at least 1/2 hour in 2 cups of the water.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the ginger and onions and fry on medium heat for a few minutes - just until it begins to brown.
Slightly crush the cumin seed, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and red chili. Don't pulverize, just crush enough to release flavor. Add the crushed spices to the onions. Fry for a few more minutes.
Carefully pour the water off of the rice and into the cooking pan (the rice will be added later). Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan. Bring this water/onion/spice mixture to a boil.
Add the rice and salt to the boiling pot. Stir gently.
Cover with a tight lid and allow the rice to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with curry - Thermomix Yogurt Chicken is excellent, or Kavita Singh's Tardka Daal or yogurt. I've posted the recipes for the chicken and daal on Food.com.