1. Tie ginger, black jeera, dal, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a piece of muslin and put into the water.
2. Boil the water till the water turns red and is reduced to half its original quantity, remove from fire and discard the spice bag after squeezing it nicely.
3. Blanch and slice the nuts. Coarsely pound cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon, clean, wash and fry the rice for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Now add all the nuts, raisins, sugar, khoya, curds and coarsely pounded spices in rice and mix well.
5. Also mix in half of the ghee and fry the rice to a golden colour stirring all the time.
6. Remove from fire and place rice and bay leaves in layers in a vessel.
7. Start and finish with a layer of rice, then pour the water on top.
8. Cover tightly and cook over a slow fire till the rice is done.
9. Mix in the essence and colour and remove from fire. Cover with foil before serving.

Serves:4 to 6