Vegetable Beriani - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 cups basmati rice
7 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ghee
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cardamom pods
3 star anise
1 lemon grass root
1 onion
1/2 cup gingerroot
1/4 cup garlic
1 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup French beans, sliced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup peas
1/2 cup corn kernel
1 coriander sprig
3 screwpine leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 coriander sprig
3 tablespoons cashews
3 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon ghee

Preparation

Wash and drain rice, put aside.
In a food processor mince onion, peeled garlic and peeled ginger, put aside.
In a wok heat ghee and saute cinnamon, 5 cardamom, star anise and lemon grass for 1 minute.
Add onion ginger, garlic mix to wok and continue saute for about 5 minutes.
Add carrots, beans, and tomatoes and cook down for 10 minutes.
Add rice, corn, peas, coriander, turmeric and salt, mix well.
Transfer to the rice cooker. Add water and screw pine leaves and cook in WHITE RICE mode.
Heat ghee and fry cashews until golden, then fry raisins. Drain both.
When rice is cooked fluff rice with fork and then garnish with cashews, raisins and chopped coriander sprig.
Note: 200g diced chicken thigh or breast can be added with the rice to make Chicken Beriani.