Aromatic Rice

Please bear with me as I petition for a slot in the Sodastream promotion. I work with a variety of companies to test products and for me that's a fun and inexpensive way to try new foods. This campaign is the first one I have been really interested in that involves an appliance. These are highly competative campaigns and I usually sit back and let everyone else fight over them while I enjoy my sample of breakfast cereal or cleaning product. However, I have big plans for the Sodastream and I wasn't kidding when I say I have wanted one for ages.
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program. Tonight, we are making fried tofu with almond sauce. This is the first time we have attempted fried tofu and we have high hopes for it. Lately my husband has been complaining about having rice with dinner. When we were gluten free, rice was served several times a week. Right now we're having pasta several times a week and I want rice. To comprimise, I'm returning to a rice dish that I used to make often. It's an Indian version of rice that gives the dish a slightly sweet, spicy flavor. The rice is cooked with spices so it's still just rice but with flavor. The spices do not add any difficulty to the dish and you can make it just like any rice. The instructions have you soak the rice before hand. This is traditional to the dish but not something I often do since I rarely think about making rice until it's time to cook. Soaking does make a less starchy rice that keeps the grains from sticking.

Aromatic Rice
1 ½ cups dry rice (basmati is the best choice)
2” cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
2 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
Wash rice with cold water until it runs clear, cover with water and soak for 30 min. Drain with sieve. Put into thick-sided pot with 2 cups water. Add spices, stir and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to very low heat, cover and cook 25 min. Remove from heat, let sit 5 min, fluff with fork and remove spice. Serve as normally would.