JEERA RICE

Jeera means cumin seeds in Hindi
The cumin seeds give the rice an aromatic and  distinctive flavour .
Wash 300gm of rice under running water through a colander .
Then fill a bowl  with cold water , leaving the rice to soak for 30 minutes .
Heat 2 tbs of ghee in a pan , add 30 gm of cashew nuts and fry for 4 minutes .
Remove nuts from pan and set aside .
Add 1 tbs of cumin seeds to the pan with 2 bay leaves , 4 black peppercorns , 1 cinnamon stick broken in half  and 3 whole cloves ....
Fry over a medium heat until the spices become aromatic .
Then add 1 peeled and finely sliced onion to the pan , saute gently until the onion softens.
Now drain the rice and add to the pan .
Stir well to coat the rice with spices and ghee.
Pour over 400ml of water and salt to taste .
bring to the boil .
Reduce the heat and cover the pan with crumpled baking paper or a lid and let simmer till most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Turn of the heat and allow to stand with cover for another 5 minutes .
Fork through the rice to separate the grains and stir through the cashew nuts .
Serve immediately .