Add the boiling water, stir once and bring back to the boil, then place a lid on the pan and turn the heat down to very low (I use the lowest heat if cooking on gas, or setting 5 (of 10) for induction). Cook for 20 minutes.
600 ml (2 1/2 cups) boiling water
Once cooked, turn the heat off. Leave the lid for a few minutes, then remove the lid, fluff the rice using a fork and serve. You can discard the cardamom and bay leaves.
Video
Notes
Cardamom pod tip Sew the cardamom pods together using a small length of un-dyed thread. This makes it SO much easier to find them and fish them out at the end (I always have a needles threaded with a little cotton stored in my cardamom jar).Can I make it ahead?Yes! Cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish or tray (so it will cool quickly) cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Don't leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it's important to:
Refrigerate it as quickly as possible
Don't store for more than 24 hours in the fridge, and
Thoroughly reheat it.
You can reheat the rice in the microwave until piping hot.Can I freeze it?Yes - as per the instructions above - don't leave cooked rice out at room temperature, as bacteria can grow on cooked rice quickly.
Spread the rice out it out in a large dish or tray to quickly cool, then transfer to a covered container.
Freeze it as soon as it reaches room temperature.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight
Thoroughly reheat it in the microwave.
Nutritional information is per serving (this recipe serves 4).