Peas pulao

Method

1. 1 Soak the rice for 30 minutes, then drain it completely for 10 minutes.
2. 2 Sauté cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves in ghee for 60 seconds.
3. 3 Sauté the onions and ginger for 5 minutes without letting them brown; the pulao rice should be off-white.
4. 4 Add the rice and stir in the ghee for 3 minutes, then add the peas.
5. 5 Pour in one and a half times the amount of hot water as rice, then cook for 15 minutes without opening the lid.
6. 6 Let it sit for 10 minutes, then use a spatula to loosen it from the outside in, and stir with a spoon until the rice grains are soft.

With an appliance

• Microwave 37 min

  Replace steps 5–6: put rice, beans, and hot water into a partially covered bowl, microwave at 900W for 12 minutes, then let it sit for 8 minutes; reduce to about 5 minutes. The rice will be evenly cooked without needing to monitor the heat or open the lid, and the beans will be less wrinkled. The rice should still be stirred in the ghee from step 4 to coat each grain with oil to prevent sticking.