Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions

I have been tweeting about this dish so much and people have been asking for it so here it is. Isa Chandra Moskowitz gave me permission to post this, it’s from the Veganomicon. Buy it. I included the recipe correction from The Post Punk Kitchen forums

3 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup long grain basmati rice (brown or white), rinsed
1 cup red lentils (I have been using green cus I can never seem to find the red ones when I need them)
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
generous pinch of ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 400°

In a large, deep baking pan, toss the onion rings with the olive oil to coat. Be sure to separate the rings and spread them out in the pan. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often. The idea is to get most of the onion rings deep brown, crisp and even burned on the edges. The deeper they roast, the sweeter they’ll taste. When done, remove from the oven and set aside.

Bring four cups of water to a boil in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the rice . cinnamon stick, ground cumin, ground cloves, and allspice. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Uncover and add the lentils, stir gently only a few times (too much stirring can break the rice grains); cover, bring to a boil again, lower the heat to low, and cook for an additional 45 minutes, until the liquid is completely absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside the covered pot for 10 minutes.

Use a fork to gently fluff the lentils and rice. Remove the cinnamon stick. Gently fold the caramelized onions into the lentils and rice, making sure to drizzle on any remaining olive oil from the roasting pan. Stir thoroughly. Serve warm or at room temperature.