Heat two tablespoons of oil in the pan or instant pot or pressure cooker. On a low flame, add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, and the Urad dal (split black gram). Sauté till the urad dal turns golden brown.
2 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon urad dal (split black gram), 1 no cinnamon stick , 1 no green cardamom pod, 2-3 nos cloves
Then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it crackle.
½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 8-10 nos curry leaves
Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until the onions are softened. Let them turn translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and the chopped green chilies. Sauté until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 no medium-sized onion, 2 nos green chilies
Add the chopped tomatoes and half of the chopped coriander leaves. Cover it with a lid and let the tomatoes cook.
3 nos big tomatoes, 1/4 cup coriander leaves
Now, add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and Sambar powder / Bisi Bele powder / Curry powder. Stir and saute for a minute.
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon sambar powder / bisi bele powder / curry powder
Add the soaked rice and gently mix very well without breaking the rice grains. Sauté for a minute.
1 cup raw rice
Add two cups of warm/hot water to the mixture. Mix very well. Season with salt and before covering it with a lid add a teaspoon of ghee.
2 cups hot water, salt as needed, 1 teaspoon ghee
If cooking in a pan let it cook for 20 mins and then check if it is dry. Add 1/4th cup of water if the rice looks dry. If cooking in a pressure cooker or instant pot, check the tips above for details.
Garnish with the remaining chopped coriander leaves and serve it with raita or pappadums.