Vagharela Chaval (Seasoned Rice)

Ingredients

• 4 cups Basmati rice (Originally '2 Tipri' (approx 1 seer/4 cups). Use high-quality aged rice.)
• 1 cup Ghee (Originally '0.25 Seer'. Can reduce to 1/2 cup for lighter preference.)
• 2 large Onions (Originally '0.25 Seer'. Finely sliced.)
• 2 teaspoons Salt (Originally '1 Tola'.)
• 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger (Crushed/pounded. Originally 'chutelu chharu' (interpreted as crushed ginger or spice paste).)
• 2 pieces Cinnamon stick (Broken into small pieces.)
• 1 teaspoon Black peppercorns (Whole. Originally '0.5 Tola'.)
• 1 teaspoon Star anise (Broken pieces. Originally '0.5 Tola'.)
• 12 pods Green cardamom (Whole.)
• 12 whole Cloves
• 8 cups Water (Originally '2 Seer' for old rice. Use 6-7 cups if using new rice.)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar (Optional. Burnt/caramelized for red color.)
• 1/4 cup Almonds (Optional garnish. Blanched and halved.)
• 1/4 cup Raisins (Optional garnish.)

Instructions

1. 1Pick and wash the rice thoroughly, then drain and set aside. Peel the onions and slice them very finely (like vermicelli).
2. 2Heat the ghee in a large pot. Fry the sliced onions to your desired color: slightly golden for brown rice, or deep red for reddish rice. If you want a deeper red color, you can add a teaspoon of burnt sugar (caramel) at this stage. NOTE: If making white rice, fry the onions but do not add the spices yet; wait until after adding the water in the next step.
3. 3Add the crushed ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, star anise, cardamom, and cloves to the pot (if making white rice, add these now, after the water). Pour in the water (use 8 cups for old rice, or about 6 cups for new rice) and add the salt. Cover and bring to a vigorous boil.
4. 4Once the water is boiling, add the washed rice. Stir gently once to prevent the rice from clumping or mounding in the center. If using new rice, stir continuously until the water returns to a boil, then cover. Cook until the water is absorbed and rice is tender.
5. 5When the rice is cooked, gently fluff it with the handle of a spoon to mix the bottom and top layers. Reduce heat to the lowest setting (or place on hot coals/embers) and let it steam (dum) for 8-10 minutes. Check a grain; if it feels hard, sprinkle a little water over the top, cover, and steam for a few more minutes until perfectly soft.
6. 6For a richer dish, fry blanched almonds and raisins separately in ghee until golden. You can also fry additional sliced onions until crisp and red. If desired, mix in fried meatballs (kebabs). Garnish the rice with these fried toppings before serving. For a sweet variation, mix in 1/4 cup sugar after the rice is cooked and let it steam.