Indian restaurant-style basmati rice

I messed around with a bunch of different online recipes and ended up with this. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice • 1/4 cup vegetable oil • 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds • 3 inch piece of cinnamon stick • 3 cloves • 3 cardamom pods • 1 bay leaf • 1 small–medium onion, peeled and sliced • 2 1/2 cups water • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoons pepper • 1/4 tsp turmeric 

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse the rice several times, then soak in enough water to cover for 30 minutes. 2. Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. 3. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. 4. Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the onion to the pot. 5. Saute the onion until a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. 6. Drain the water from the rice, then stir rice into the pot. 7. Cook and stir the rice for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. 8. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, bay leaf, and water to the pot, and bring to a boil. (Or put it all in a rice cooker and turn it on, in which case ignore the next step.) 9. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. 10. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving. 11. Remove the pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf before serving. 

bon appetit