I dispensed with the pot version of cooking the rice below and put all the spices into the rice cooker with the appropriate amount of water. It came out perfectly!

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 10 whole cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 4 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons black or yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup cashews, roasted unsalted (chopped)
• 1 pound shark steak, 1" thick cut into 1" cubes
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground black
• 1/3 cup cilantro (fresh), chopped
• 4 lemon wedges for serving

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a medium saucepan with the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, without removing the lid, for 10 minutes.
2. In a small frying pan, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring, until they begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the cashews; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds longer. Gently stir the cashew mixture into the rice with a fork.
3. Heat a grill pan or large heavy frying pan over moderately high heat. Thread the shark onto four small skewers; rub with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the lemon juice, and garlic. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook the kabobs, turning, until just done, about 8 minutes. Add the cilantro to the rice and mound on plates. Top with the shark kabobs and serve with the lemon wedges.