Heat the ghee or cooking oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Peel and thinly slice the onion and fry in the oil until it is soft. Now add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and cumin seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garam masala, coriander, chili powder and black pepper. Stir in well. Remove from the heat and put to one side.

Wash the rice well and pick it over to remove any foreign bodies. Scrub the carrots and cut them into strips about 2 inches long by 1/4 inch thick. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut into individual florets. Drain the rice and add to the spices, increasing the heat once again. Then add the carrots and cauliflower florets, stirring well to ensure the spice mixture is well dispersed with the vegetables. Pour in the vegetable stock and salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the frozen peas and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until the rice is cooked through. The idea is that this dish is cooked sufficiently for the rice to be al dente, leaving the vegetables fairly crisp.

Per serving: 405 Calories; 22g Fat (48% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 25mg Cholesterol; 1231mg Sodium