This is a really nice, fragrant Indian-style rice that is made at work.
It starts with whole spices frying in a large pot in lots of oil - cinnamon sticks, both green and black cardamon seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and a few cloves - as well as finely sliced red onions and salt. After a couple of minutes' worth of sauteeing, the water is added (and simmered for a few minutes), followed by basmati rice (1:1 ratio), which has been rinsed and soaking in water. It gets cooked down until all water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Then the rice is fluffed onto a serving tray.