Parsi brown rice

• Wash the rice in several changes of cold water until the water remains clear.
• Cover the rice with luke-warm water and set it aside to soak for 30 minutes. Drain when ready to start preparing the dish.
• Using a 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, remove a tablespoon of them and set these aside on absorbent paper. They will become crisp by the time you use them to garnish the completed dish.
• Add the drained rice and gently stir to cover the grains with the ghee, onions, and spices. Add the water and stir. Bring the water to a boil, cover tightly, then reduce heat to very low. Cook for 25 minutes.
• 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 if needed. Remove the whole star anise and cassia stick. Garnish with the reserved onions and serve.