• 340g green or brown lentils
• 270g basmati or jasmine rice
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 800ml water
• fried onions for garnishing
• (optional) 4 medium onions, sliced, fried

Put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.

Heat a oil in a pot and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Fry the seeds for a minute or two, until they become fragnant. Add rice, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pot with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Serve with fried onions.