Hi Mike,
Your solution got me to thinking, and this morning I made a habanero-infused basmati rice. Before cooking I sautéed the rice in a little unsalted butter and threw a few pieces of habnero into the mix. I then boiled the cooking liquid (water and a light vegetable stock) with some habanero seeds and crushed garlic added to it. When the rice was nice and fragrent, I picked out the pieces of the habanero, added the boiling stock to the rice through a strainer, and cooked the rice as usual. That resulted in the rice having a nice, "warm" background to which other spices and herbs can be added towards the end of cooking or when the rice is removed and plated. So, thanks for the inspiration :lips:
BTW, I had a small bowl of the fresh cooked rice sprinkled with a mixture of fresh ground cardamom, corriander, and Szechuan peppers.
Shel