Ingredients

• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 75g/2½oz butter
• 1 small onion
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 300g/10½oz basmati rice
• rinsed and drained
• 500ml/18fl oz chicken or vegetable stock
• fresh or made from 1 stock cube
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Using a pestle and mortar
• pound the coriander seeds into a coarse powder. Add the cardamom pods and grind until the husks split and the seeds are lightly crushed. Add the cumin
• cloves
• cinnamon and bay and pound very lightly for a few seconds
• to mix.
• Melt half the butter in a sauté pan or wide-based saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes
• or until softened
• stirring regularly. Sprinkle in the turmeric and mustard seeds
• plus all the ingredients from the pestle and mortar. Fry gently for 2 minutes
• stirring.
• Mix in the rice to coat it in the buttery spices. Add the stock and a good pinch of black pepper. Add a pinch of salt if needed (stock from a cube will already contain salt). Stir well and bring to the boil. Give a final stir then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes.
• When the rice is cooked
• cut the rest of the butter into small pieces. Remove the pan lid and dot the butter over the hot rice. Leave to melt for a few seconds
• then quickly fluff up the rice using a fork
• taking care not to break up the grains.
• Replace the lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving. (Warn your guests not to eat the cardamom
• cinnamon or any whole cloves.)