Pepper Rice During my visit to to Malabar, India’s premier spice growing district, I had occasion to visit several spice growers including Jacob Matthew. Jacob was kind enough to invite me for lunch and threw together a side dish of this pepper rice using the spices he grows on his farm. (The picture shows him holding some freshly picked pepper.) His is a small operation which he supplements by also running a bed and breakfast (see http://ecoclub.com/thepimenta/lodge.html for more info--it’s a lovely way to see the Indian back country.) Needless to say, the rice is delicious.  ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup cashews ½ cup raisins ½ cup sliced red onion or shallots 2 teaspoons coarsely crushed peppercorns ¼ teaspoon mace blades ¼ teaspoon star anise 5 cardamom pods ½ dozen curry leaves 4 cups cooked basmati rice 1. Heat oil in large pan or wok, fry the cashews until golden, remove, fry the raisins until puffed, remove, add the onion and pepper and fry onion until golden. Add remaining spices and cook until fragrant. Stir in the rice. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or longer before serving. serves 4 http://ecoclub.com/thepimenta/lodge.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0