Wash and Soak 1 cup of rice into hot water for 15 minutes. Drain water and keep it aside.
In a pan, add water and bring it to a boil. Add soaked rice, salt, lemon juice, oil, and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Cook rice on high flame for 4-5 minutes.
Sieve water from cooked rice and allow it to dry.
Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves, star anise, black pepper, and cumin seeds. Sauté for a minute.
Add onion and sauté till it becomes translucent.
Then add green chili slits, ginger paste, and chopped garlic and sauté for a minute.
Lower the flame, kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, and biryani/pulao masala. mix well.
Then add grated tomatoes and salt. mix well and cook till oil is separate from gravy.
Now add green peas and sugar. mix well with the masala.
Then add hot water and mix well.
Cover and cook green peas for 5-7 minutes on low flame or till green peas become soft.
Now add cooked rice, mint leaves, and some coriander leaves. mix well.
Add 1 tbsp ghee. Cover and cook pulao on low flame for 5-7 minutes, so masala flavor absorbs into rice.
Serve spicy matar pulao with raita and papad.