coconut rice

Ingredients:
•1 cup rice
•1 cup chopped coconut pieces or  coconut milk
•1 cups Water
•2 green chili slit
•Fistful of chopped carrots
•Fistful of frozen or fresh green peas
•Few cashews
•Few tbsps. Grated coconut
•2 tbsps. Ghee or butter
•Salt as needed
Spices:
•1 bay leaf
•4 cardamoms
•6 cloves
•2 inch cinnamon stick
•Few pepper corn
•½ tsp  jeera
Instructions:
1.Wash and soak rice for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
2.Keep aside one to 2 tbsp. Of scraped coconut. Blend chopped coconut pieces with 1 cup water. Filter to extract the coconut milk and Mix with the rest of the water. i.e. ¾ cup water. Store bought milk can also be used.
3.Heat a pot or pan with ghee, add spices and fry till they turn fragrant. Add slit green chili, chopped vegetables and fry to remove the raw smells. One to two minutes would be enough
4.Add the coconut milk along with the water (if you haven’t mixed with ¾ cup water) and add salt
5.When the coconut milk begins to boil, add rice and stir
6.Cook till the rice is fully cooked. Cover and cook on a medium flame. Little water can be sprinkled if rice is still not cooked well.
7.Add ghee to a small pan, fry the grated coconut till it turns slightly brown. Add cashews and fry
8.Garnish with roasted coconut and cashews.