Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee and add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Fry it for a minute. Then add onions along with ginger garlic paste and green chillies.Saute them nicely until golden brown.
Once the onions becomes golden brown and the raw smell of ginger garlic paste leaves, add tomatoes along with coriander leaves. Fry them until the raw smell of tomatoes leaves. Once the tomatoes turns soft, add red chilli powder,turmeric powder,garam masala and salt.Mix them together and fry them for a minute.
Now add the chopped vegetable pieces( if using) and mix them. Fry it well for two minutes in medium flame. Once everything mixed well, add soaked basmati rice and mix it well with the gravy.
Add required water and bring it to a boil. Then close the lid of the pressure cooker and pressure cook it in low flame for 2 whistles. Once the pressure released from the cooker, fluff the rice with spoon and top it with ghee if needed.