Bhuga Chawal

Before you start

• Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak it 20 minutes and drain thoroughly. Drained rice fries; wet rice steams and breaks.
• Slice the onions on a mandoline or as thinly as you can by hand — thick slices will still be raw-tasting when the thin ones have burnt.
• Have the water hot. Adding cold water to the browned onions stalls the pot and the grains cook unevenly.

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the sliced onion over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Keep going 18-20 minutes. The onions will go translucent, then straw, then a deep mahogany brown and sticky-sweet.This is the dish. There is no shortcut — high heat gives you black edges and a raw centre.
3. Push the onions aside, add the cumin, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns and let them sizzle 20 seconds.
4. Add the drained rice and turn it gently through the onions and oil for 2 minutes, until every grain is glossy and faintly brown.Fold with a flat spoon, do not stir hard — soaked basmati snaps easily at this stage.
5. Pour in the hot water, add the salt and bring to a hard boil.
6. As soon as the water level drops to the surface of the rice, about 5 minutes, cover tightly and drop the heat to its lowest setting.
7. Cook undisturbed 12 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and let it stand, still covered, 10 minutes.The standing time is not optional — it is when the last of the steam finishes the grains.
8. Fluff with a fork from the edges inward and serve with sindhi kadhi ladled over.

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat with 2 tbsp water in a covered pan on low, or in a steamer for 8 minutes; the onions keep it from drying out as fast as plain rice.