Pilav Love - w/ oyster fungus & dates

500 gram oyster fungus

800 grams Basmati rice

600 dl veg stock

Handful dates or raisins

3 cm ginger

6 garlic cloves

2 big onions

Veg oil (rapeseed f.e.)

Green peas & carrots (frozen F.e)

Optional: butter/ghee

Spices

1 Tsp cardamom powder or 5 cardamom pods (mix black/green)

2 tsp Garam Massala

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

1 cinnamon stick

5 cloves

2 bay leaves

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp Black pepper corn

2 cubes Veg stock/ or salt

1 anis star

Rinse the basmati rice and Soak it in water, leave for 30- 1hr min.

Cut your onion, garlic, ginger and gather the spices.

Vegetable stock & fungus: In the meantime, grap a small pot for the vegetable stock and place it in the stove. Add oil, and once heated add a bit of onion & garlic & ginger (not everything!). Then, add the fungus and start frying it. Leave for 5 min until well cooked and remove half of the fungus in a separate bowl. Add 800ml water and the vegetable stock.

The pilav pan: place a big cooking pan on the stove, light the fire and add your the bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, fennel and cumin seeds. Let them roast until fragrant, but do not let them burn. Then add plenty of oil, and onions. Once brown, add garlic and ginger and the dates. Leave for 5 min on low fire until caramelized. Then! Plenty of oil, to make sure that the spices will not burn > Add the rest of spices and stir to release the aroma of the spices (garam & to the mixture).

Now quick: Remove water from the rice and add the rice to the cooking pot. Stir mixture.

Add water to the pot, until the rice starts to swim / dip your index finger in and add water till the first finger joint:). Bring to boil.

Lower the heat, place the lit on top & let simmer for approx. 10-15 minutes. Until the water is boiled out.

Remove from fire and let it rest for 15 min.