Spiced Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

Ingredients

• 4 cups brown rice cooked
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 2  bay leaves dried
• 1 tablespoon ginger fresh minced
• 10 oz spinach frozen thawed finely chopped cut in half; or use spinach (not baby)
• 2  garlic clove minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1 tsp kosher salt 
• 1 cup lentils red rinsed drained well
• 0.5  serrano chiles minced
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric 
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• pot

Directions

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan.
2. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and very soft with crisp edges, about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer half to a bowl and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, put lentils in a saucepan with 3 cups water and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, uncovered, and skim foam. Simmer just until tender, 5 to 10 minutes (they'll fall apart a little).
5. Remove bay leaves and set lentils aside--don't drain.
6. Stir chile, ginger, coriander, turmeric, and 1 tsp. salt into pan of onions and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
7. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir onion-spinach mixture into pot of lentils and wipe frying pan clean.
8. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in pan over medium heat.
9. Add cumin and garlic and cook, stirring, until seeds are sizzling, about 1 minute; stir into lentils. Season with salt. Top lentils with reserved onion and serve over rice.