Fragrant basmati rice served with any kind of curry or roast meats is a real Pigeon Cottage favourite. I was taught the secret of how to make it perfectly every time by the mum of one of my old uni housemates many, many years ago. Sometimes I just make it plain, sometimes I add a black cardamon pod which emits a lovely smoky flavour, other times I add chicken stock and stir through some crisply fried onions at the end. For a proper festive showpiece though, this glamorous yellow rice version is absolutely the best. The secret is in how you pre-soak the rice, the pan you use and the amount of water that you cook it in – just follow my directions in the recipe to the letter. I keep a battered old non-stick frying pan with a very tight fitting lid just to cook rice in. If you don’t have a really tightly fitting lid for your pan, you can scrunch up some foil so that the steam traps underneath and the rice cooks in it gently.

• 200g basmati rice
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium cinnamon stick
• 6 green cardamon pods
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Roughly 450ml water
• 50ml coconut milk
• Garnish: 4 tbsp vegetable oil, 20g cashew nuts, 10 curry leaves, 1 red onion, sliced, 20g sultanas

To make…

• Cover the rice with cold water and rinse a couple of times. Add more clean cold water to cover and leave to soak for about an hour. The grains will turn white. Drain using a fine sieve and place it over a bowl to drain a bit further.
• Place a heavy pan on the hob over a medium heat and add the butter. Once it has melted, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
• Add the rice, the turmeric and salt. Stir until all the grains are coated and then add the water. The water should just be a few millimetres above the level of the rice – no more than the depth of your thumb nail. Bring it to the boil and then cover with a a tightly fitting lid. Switch off the heat and leave to stand for about 10 minutes. Prise the lid open and gently fluff up the grains with a fork – I have a wooden one just for this very job.
• While the rice is cooking, make the garnish. Place a frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Add the cashew nuts and fry until they are golden brown. Add the curry leaves and fry for another 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the curry leaves and the cashew nuts to a plate lined with a little kitchen paper. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes until caramelised and crisp. Add the sultanas in for the last few minutes to plump up. Transfer everything to the plate of nuts and curry leaves. Remove the draining paper and mix thoroughly. Set aside whilst you finish the rice.
• Turn the rice out into a warmed serving bowl. Pour over the coconut milk and combine gently so as not to break up the grains. Sprinkle over the onion mixture and serve.

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