Yellow rice

The recipe below is for a beautiful, fragrant rice that’s a little more celebratory than a standard white rice. The spices and herbs are all optional but buy the best basmati rice you can find, as the quality of the grains make a big difference to the length and aroma of the cooked rice.

35 MINUTES + SOAKING | SERVES 2 3 AS A SIDE | EASY | V GF

basmati rice 200g

ghee or butter 1 tbsp

cinnamon 1 stick

green cardamom pods 2 cloves 3

pandan leaf 71/2cm piece, or dried pandan leaves 3

ground turmeric ¼ tsp

crispy fried shallots, fried curry leaves, sultanas or roasted cashews to garnish

1 Wash the rice under cold running water until the water runs almost clear. Tip into a medium pan, cover with fresh water and soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain well.

2 Heat a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the ghee or butter, followed by the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice, pandan leaf, turmeric and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir gently, being careful not to break the rice grains.

3 Add 350ml of cold water and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the water reaches the level of the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes without removing the lid.

4 Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Garnish with fried shallots or curry leaves, sultanas or roasted cashews, and serve.

PER SERVING (3) 274 kcals | fat 6.3G saturates 3.2G | carbs 47.9G | sugars 0.1G fibre 1.2G | protein 5.7G | salt 0.8G