Ingredients

  • 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed but still in its skin
  • 2 cloves
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 2 cardomom pods
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup basmati rice
  • 1 2/3 cup water

Method

  • Rinse the rice in a sieve until water is clear (no more starch)
  • Heat the oil in a smallish saucepan with a lid, add the spices and garlic clove and fry them for one minute.
  • Stir in the rice, getting it coated in the spices.
  • Add the water, stir one more time, then cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
  • When you can see through the lid that there are no water bubbles in the rice, but before it dries out and starts to burn, turn off the heat, remove the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel.
  • Leave it like this until you are ready to serve
  • Take off the tea towel, fetch out the spices and smashed garlic clove (they should be at the top of the rice anyway) then use a fork to fluff up the rice before putting it on the plate.