Vegetable Biryani for my “Rickshaw Girl”

Ingredients

• 3 cups basmati rice
• 6 cups water
• 10 cardamom pods ((lightly cracked))
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/3 cup ghee
• 1 onion ((sliced thinly))
• 9 baby potatoes
• 1 head cauliflower ((cut into florets))
• 6 carrot ((peeled and cut in large chunks))
• salt
• 1 onion (, minced)
• 1 tsp ginger root ((freshly grated))
• 2 tsp garlic ((freshly grated))
• 1-3 green chili peppers (, sliced lengthwise)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tomato ((diced))
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tsp rose water
• 1/4 cup ghee (, melted (optional))
• handful slivered almonds
• handful fresh cilantro ((torn))