INGREDIENTS:

3 cups (600 g) basmati rice

14 oz (400 g) can of chickpeas, drained

6 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter

3 green cardamon pods

2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 white onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear, then place in a bowl of cold water to soak for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, soak the chickpeas in a separate bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.

2. Drain the chickpeas and dry on paper towels.

3. Heat the ghee or butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all the spices to a plate, leaving as much ghee in the pot as possible. Add the drained chickpeas to the pot and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the plate with the spices.
4. Add the onions to the pot and fry, stirring, until brown and caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the plate.
5. Boil a kettle of water. Drain the rice and briefly spread on paper towels to remove any excess liquid—do not squeeze the grains, or they will break. Add the rice to the ghee in the pot, followed by 5 cups 91.2 liters) of boiling water from the kettle, the caramelized onions, the fried whole spices, chickpeas, and salt. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat until the rice has absorbed most of the water.
6. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and  leave the rice undisturbed for 5 minutes.
7. Gently loosen the rice, turning it with a fork, and serve warm.