Spiced Rice/Pulao

This recipe is from Gwen's Class of '55 reunion page. It comes from the Feast of India.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 cup basmati or other long-grain rice, rinsed & well-drained
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. butter or margerine
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp. blanched slivered almonds or cashews

Instructions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and coriander. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 minute. Stir in rice and fry until rice has been well coated with oil.
3. Add salt and boiling water and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
4. When rice begins to boil, cover pan, reduce heat to very low, and cook rice for about 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender.
5. When rice is cooked, heat butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add raisins and nuts and fry for one or two minutes or until raisins are plump and nuts are golden brown.
6. Stir raisin-nut mixture into rice and serve immediately. (Don't forget that there are whole spices in this that you will want to remove before eating.) Serves 6-8.