Soak the Basmati rice for about 20 mins and then cook it as per directions. Fluff it with a fork and let it cool down.

In a wide pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Fry for a minute until fragrant.

Now add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 mins until the onions are light brown I color.

Add the paneer pieces and the cashew nuts and fry for 5 minutes until light color appears on the paneer pieces.

Now add the pureed tomatoes, peas and the rest of the masala powders along with salt. Cook until, all the moisture has disappeared from the tomatoes and the oil separates from the masala.

Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir gently to coat. Take care not to mix too hard otherwise the rice might become mushy. Cook for 5 more minutes until the rice heats up evenly and serve hot with raita!