Herbed Rice With Julienne Potatoes

Ingredients

1 c basmati rice
2 potatoes
1/2 tb ginger
2 ts green chilies
1/4 c coconut
2 tb parsley
4 tb ghee
1 1/2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 ts cumin seeds
1/2 c peas
1 ts salt
3/4 ts turmeric
1 ts lemon juice
2 1/4 c water
1 ts sugar

Instructions

Wash the potatoes & cut them evenly into julienne strips. Combine the ginger root, chilies, coconut, parsley in a bowl. Add a little water or soy milk, mix well. Drop in potato strips. Set aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot, drop in the whole cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf. Fry till the cumin seeds turn brown. Add the marinated potatoes & stir fry till they are lightly browned. Add the rice, salt, turmeric, lemon juice, water & sugar. Stir & quickly bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to very low & cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes. 5 minutes before the end, add the peas. Remove lid, turn off heat & add 1 tb ghee. Let rice sit for 5 minutes. Fluff & garnish each portion with lemon wedges. Adapted from Yamuna Devi, "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking"