Spices are amazing in their ability to shift and change according to which ones you use together, and in what quantities, as well as which spice or spices you wish to be the dominant ones in the mix.

The spices of the Cape have given the Cape of Good Hope its familiar scents and tastes for centuries. Put them together and you’re tasting the region and its complex, often difficult history; but you’re also tasting its spirit and pluck.

Spiced rice dishes such as begrafnisrys are flavoured chiefly with turmeric, sometimes saffron, often with a few other spices; but the yellow spice is dominant. I wanted to take the notion of Cape spiced rice and give it a flavour and scent that makes you think of the spices we love if the Cape is or has been home to us.

There had to be cumin and fennel, and what is a Cape spice mix without borrie (turmeric). I added a little allspice and white pepper, and threw in a few cardamom pods, some cassia bark, a solitary star anise and a few cloves. All of these you will find in varying degrees in many dishes of the old Cape. I also included caraway seeds in a nod to some of the spices more popular at the Cape in earlier times.

You can of course vary them, altering the quantities to your own taste, to make it your own version of a Cape spice mix.

(Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish)

Ingredients

500 g jasmine or basmati rice

1 heaped tsp cumin seeds

1 heaped tsp fennel seeds

1 scant tsp caraway seeds

1 scant tsp ground turmeric (borrie)

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp white pepper

2 pinches of smoked sea salt

1 star anise

2 slim pieces of cassia bark

3 cloves

Method

Toast the cumin, fennel and caraway seeds in a dry pan on a moderate heat for 2 or 3 minutes, shaking the pan several times. Don’t let them burn.

Off the heat, stir in the ground turmeric, allspice, white pepper and salt. Add the star anise, cardamom pods, cloves and cassia.

When cooking rice (my own way with rice follows), stir it (in whatever quantity you like) into the wet rice before boiling.

I make rice this way: it works regardless of quantities of rice and water, as long as the finger knuckle rule is applied. You need a heavy pot large enough to hold the rice once cooked; and it needs a tight-fitting lid.

Pour the rice into the pot. Rinse the rice four times in a pot in plenty of cold water, rubbing the rice through your fingers every time. Drain each time.

Place the pot on an even surface and pour in cold water to come just above the surface. Place an index finger upright on the surface of the rice so that it touches the top of the rice. Continue pouring water slowly until it reaches the first knuckle of your finger.

If using spices, this is when to stir in the spice mix.

Cut a square of aluminium foil just a little bigger than the perimeter of the top of the pot.

Place the pot on the hob on a high heat, uncovered, until it boils.

As soon as it boils, turn the heat off and place the foil on top, tucking it in so no steam can escape. Place the lid on top of the foil tightly.

Leave it to steam for 30 minutes, off the heat; it’s ready to eat. If using later, rather than immediately, you can put the rice in a steamer over boiling water and steam it until hot and fluffy. DM/TGIFood

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed in a bowl by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.