Parsi brown rice

• Place the rice in a large bowl and rinse it in cold water, using your hand to stir it thoroughly. Discard the water and repeat this step twice more to remove any excess starch. Note that after the third rinse that the water may not be clear but will be noticeably less cloudy than after the first rinse.
• Drain the rice, then cover with luke-warm water. Soak for 1 hour.

to cook

• Using a deep, thick-bottomed pot with a tight lid, heat the ghee over medium-low heat. Add the cassia, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, star anise and bay leaf. Fry until they become fragrant.
• Reduce the heat to low. Add the sliced onions and sprinkle with the salt. Stir, and fry the onions until they are golden brown. This may take twenty minutes or longer. Increase the heat and fry until the onions turn a deep brown. Stir frequently as you do not want the onions to burn.
• Add the jaggery and stir. Continue frying and stirring the onions and jaggery to ensure even browning. The sugar and onions will caramelise and turn a deep brown.
• Once the onions have browned, use a slotted spoon to remove a tablespoon of them and set these aside on kitchen paper. They will become crisp by the time you use them to garnish the completed dish.
• Drain the rice and add to the pot. Gently stir to cover the grains with the ghee, onions, and spices. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, then reduce heat to very low. Cook for 25 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time or heat and steam will escape.
• Turn the heat off. Uncover the pot and quickly fluff rice with a fork. Cover the pot with a tea towel and replace the lid. Do this as quickly as possible because you do not want to lose heat or steam. Leave the rice to finish cooking in its own heat for a further ten minutes.

to serve

• Uncover the pot and fluff the rice again. Remove the whole star anise and cassia stick. Garnish with the reserved onions and serve.