Yellow Coconut Rice

Before you start

• Rinse the rice in three changes of water until it runs clear, then leave it to drain in a sieve for 20 minutes. Do not soak it: coconut milk rice goes sticky if the grain is waterlogged.
• Measure the liquid exactly. Coconut milk is thicker than water, so the usual eyeballing does not work here.
• Have a tight lid ready. This rice is steamed, not boiled.

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan and fry the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and peppercorns for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add the sliced onion and cook until pale gold and soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Lift out a spoonful to scatter over later.Gold, not brown. Dark onion muddies the yellow.
3. Stir in the turmeric and fry 20 seconds, then add the raisins if using.
4. Tip in the drained rice and turn it in the fat for 2 minutes, until every grain is coated and glossy.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and water, add the salt and sugar, and bring to a boil.
6. As soon as it boils, drop the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly and cook 12 minutes without lifting the lid.Lifting the lid lets out the steam that is doing the cooking. Trust the clock.
7. Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes more.
8. Fork the grains apart gently from the edge inwards, scatter the reserved onion over and serve.Fork, never spoon. A spoon crushes coconut-milk rice into paste.

Storage

Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Reheat covered with a tablespoon of water over low heat or in a steamer; it dries out badly in a microwave.