Biryani with cardamom and cinnamon

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 dried bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

1 tsp whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed under a heavy pot

½–1 tsp chili powder

a few saffron threads

4¾ cups hot vegetable stock

2½ cups white basmati rice

½ cup sliced almonds

handful of dark raisins

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large deep-sided frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook gently for about 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon, crushed peppercorns, and chili powder, and cook for another 5 minutes or until fragrant.

2 Stir the saffron into the stock. Rinse the rice in cold water several times, until the water is no longer cloudy. Add the rice to the onion mixture, stirring to coat. Pour in the saffronstock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little hot water if needed.

3 Lightly toast the almonds in a small, dry nonstick frying pan over low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until starting to turn golden. Stir the almonds and raisins into the biryani, taste, and season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot either on its own, or topped with cooked chicken or shrimp.

Biryani with cardamom and cinnamon