1 onion
1/4 cup cashews
1 whole cinnamon stick broken in half
2 whole cardamoms
1 Tb oil or sweet butter
3 cups of basmati rice- uncooked
water
Directions:
1) In a bowl, put the rice and rinse throughly until the water runs almost clear.
2) Cover the rice with water and allow to sit for 20 minutes while preparing the onions.
3) Cut the onion in half, lengthwise, then slice the whole onion thin.
4) In a large pot saute the 1/2 the onion, cardamom, and cinnamon in some oil or butter until well browned. Do not let it burn.
5) Drain the rice and add it to the onions/spice mixture.
6) Saute the rice until all the water has evaporated.
7) For each cup of rice, pour in 1-1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.
8) Turn the heat down, stir thoroughly and cover the pot
9) Meanwhile, saute the other 1/2 onion and cashews, with a little butter or oil, in a small frying pan. Cook until well brown. Keep aside. This will be used as your garnish.
10) The rice should be ready when all the water has evaporated. Test for doneness.
11) When ready to serve, remove whole spices and put in a large serving dish. Garnish with the sauteed onion/cashew mixture. In addition you may also garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.