You can toast the rice on low to medium heat for 5 minutes, instead of soaking it and it's perfect too.
IF you don't want to bite into a chunk of cardamom or any spice, you could make a bouquet garni. Wrap all spices in a thin cloth and add to the oil. You can remove it once the rice is cooked.
The rice is a bit tricky to be perfect while cooking in a Pressure Cooker. So make sure to add water accordingly.
If you soak for more than 30 minutes, you are going to get mushier pulao.
If you find that your pulao is a bit mushy or the grains are not separate after cooking, put in in a flat serving bowl, let cool completely, it will separate and be perfect.