Epiphany Rice

I made this to go with my lamb masala. I was trying to re-invent a rice I had had at an Indian restaurant several years ago. Due to my lack of familiarity with my Mom's stove (you have to turn the heat down to 2 1/2 BUT NOT TWO) it turned out mushy, but it was yummy enough I think my invented recipe is sound. I will write it out for 1 1/2 rice, but ratios hold.

You will cook 1/3 of the rice and the other 2/3 separately, but at the same time. The smaller portion will be colored yellow, the larger will be white, but will be cooked with whole spices. You can color the yellow rice with turmeric or with saffron. If you are using saffron, the first step is to:

-- Put a pinch of saffron in a bit of water.

-- Start the ghee for the 1 c first; it will take a bit longer since you have to heat spices in oil first. When this ghee is hot, set the heat on the ghee in another skillet for the yellow rice.

-- Put in the hot ghee: 1 cinnamon stick, a cardamom pod (if you have it; we didn't), cloves (however many you think, but count them so you can remove them all-- I used 8), and be fairly generous with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute these for a bit.

-- Add your 1/2 c rice to the small skillet with the ghee without spices and 1 c rice to the bigger skillet with spices. Saute the rices for a few minutes.

-- Add water and salt to the skillets. 1 3/4 c water for the smaller amount USING THE SAFFRON WATER as part of it, or adding turmeric if not using saffron; and 3 1/2 c water for the larger skillet. Add 1/2 t salt to the smaller and 1 t rice to the larger.

Cover, turn the heat down to "low" but NOT TOO LOW (2 is fine on my stove but not on my Mom's), and wait 30 minutes. Then fluff and mix the two rices together.