Rice from Afghanistan

Found on ricegourmet.com. I don't know how authentic this recipe is to the rice served in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the directions were incomplete and ingredients were missing from the list. I made do with what I had to work with here.

• Ready In: 33 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  cup  long grain basmati rice
• 2  tablespoons  oil (I used olive oil)
• 1  medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 inch cinnamon stick (1 cm)
• 1  bay leaf, rubbed (I use fresh bay leaves that I keep on hand in the freezer)
• 3  whole cloves
• 1  pinch mace (small pinch)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1  tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Soak the rice for 15 minutes. Wash well and drain. (I try to remember to soak and drain the rice first thing in the morning.).
2. Heat the oil in a skillet or pot on medium and fry the onions until brown; about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves and mace, and sauté a few minutes or until the spices start to smell fragrant. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the sugar; let the sugar caramelize about few minutes.
4. Add the rice and sautè for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping up any rice that sticks to the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste.
5. Stir in 2 cups boiling water; bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 18 minutes or until the rice is perfectly cooked and the water has completely absorbed.
6. Transfer rice to a serving platter.
7. Remove the whole cloves before serving or at least warn the diners.