Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1 large piece cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed
6 black peppercorns
6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 cloves
1 small onion, roughly chopped
large handful raw cashew nuts, whole
200 g / 7 oz fresh wild mushrooms (girolles, morels, ceps, oyster mushrooms, etc, wiped clean with damp kitchen towel, and cleaned of any grit)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt, to taste
300 g / 10½ oz basmati rice, washed well and soaked (soak the rice while you chop the mushrooms)
390 ml / 13¾ fl oz water
1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan. Add the whole spices, cook for 20 seconds then add the onion and cashew nuts. Be careful as they may splatter a bit. Fry for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are soft and browning at the edges.

Add the mushrooms, garlic and salt and sauté over a high heat for 4-5 minutes. Drain the rice that's been soaking and add to the pan along with the 390 ml / 13¾ fl oz water, bring to the boil then cover and lower the heat to very low and cook for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, check a grain of rice to see if it is tender. If not, leave for another minute. Take off the heat, remove the lid and allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Gently stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and stir gently with a fork.