Matar Pulao (Rice with Peas)

Matar Pulao Haiku: "Smell was outstanding, subtle delightful flavor. But peas need more 'bite." I like green peas that pop both with color and texture, so I had to wait til the last few minutes of the rice cooking to add them (I'd previously thawed frozen ones so that the temperature wouldn't mess too much w/ the timing of the basmati, which was 18.5 min. for me, followed by 2 min. of off-heat rest w/ the lid still on.) And for the "it's bland!" whiners - basmati is a delicate rice, and this is meant to accompany a more robust main dish, not serve as the entree itself, so when you scoop it up w/ whatever else you've prepared (grilled chicken and asparagus for us), that light flavor is extraordinary, no additional seasoning needed! (Well, OK, maybe a little extra salt couldn't hurt, but shame-on-me, I like salt alot.)

Because I used ground spices, I prepared this in a slightly different way. I sauteed a small amount of each spice and the uncooked rice in oil. Then added the water and the frozen peas. The spice combination creates a wonderful aroma while cooking and an interesting mild flavor.