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1
Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones or foreign objects.
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2
Put in a bowl, add water to cover by 1 inch, and soak for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours.
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3
Drain the lentils and set aside.
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4
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.
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5
Add half the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent and golden on the edges, about 4 minutes.
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6
Add the lentils, rice, curry powder, 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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7
Add 3 cups water, increase the heat to high, and bring the liquid to a boil.
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8
Then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cover the pot.
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9
Cook until the rice and lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
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10
At this point, its okay if theres still a tiny bit of bite to the lentils; they will continue to absorb water.
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11
Remove from the heat and let rest with the lid on for 10 to 15 minutes.
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12
While the rice mixture is cooking, caramelize the remaining onions: heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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13
When hot, add the remaining onions and a pinch of salt.
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14
Cook, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as you go, until the onions are soft and almost at the brink of burning, 9 to 11 minutes (lower the heat if the browning seems to be progressing more rapidly than the softening).
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15
Set aside.
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16
To serve, fluff the rice mixture with a fork and transfer to a serving platter.
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17
Top with the caramelized onions.
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18
Serve hot or at room temperature.
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19
You can make this up to 2 days ahead.
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20
If desired, reheat in a covered, shallow ovenproof dish in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes.
