Intensely Flavorful Mushroom Pulao

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee

1 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 onion, cut into a dice

1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin

3 pods cardamom

1 cup thickly sliced button mushrooms

1 1/2 cups of white basmati rice

2 3/4 water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dry roasted cashew nuts

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

Heat the ghee and the oil and add in the cumin seeds and cook for about 30 seconds till the cumin sizzles becomes very aromatic.

Add in the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, till the onion softens, wilts and begins to turn golden. If you love cumin and onions as much as I do, you will simply do this step just to savor the fragrance of these two ingredients cooking together.

Add in the powdered cumin, cardamoms and the mushrooms and cook for another minute.

Add in the basmati rice and mix gently.

Add in the water and the salt and bring the water to a boil, let it simmer and cover and cook on medium heat for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 5 minutes.

If you do not have roasted cashew nuts, place the raw cashew nuts on a skillet and lightly roast them till they turn very lightly golden at spots. This process enhances the flavor of the nuts.

Remove the cover and stir in the nuts, sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired and serve either alone or as a side.