Wash the basmati rice by stirring it around in a bowl of cold water, and then rinsing it in a strainer. Repeat a few times until water doesn't turn cloudy any longer. Rinse by running cold water over it. Drain the cleaned rice, then soak it for 10 minutes in warm water. Drain it again and let it dry for 15 minutes or so just before cooking.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir-fry the nuts until golden brown. Remove nuts with a slotted spoon and set them aside on some paper towels.

Raise the heat to moderate and toss in the cumin seeds, green chilies, and ginger. Stir-fry until the cumin seeds turn brown. Pour in the uncooked rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Pour in water, fresh peas, turmeric, garam masala, raisins, salt, and herbs. Raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil, then immediately reduce the heat to very low, cover with a tight-fitting lid. Gently simmer for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy. If you are using frozen peas, defrost them now by running hot water over them in a strainer. When the rice has cooked for about 15 minutes remove the lid and quickly sprinkle the defrosted peas on top. Replace the lid and let cook for the remaining 5-10 minutes, or until the rice is ready as described above.

Turn the heat off and let the rice sit covered, for 5 minutes to allow the fragile grains to firm up. Just before serving remove the cover and pour in the fried nuts and fluff up the hot rice with a fork.