Green Lentils and Rice Recipe

Ingredients:
Patna Rice - 1 3/4 cups
Green Lentils - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
Fresh Root Ginger - 1 inch piece, shredded
Fresh Green Chillies - 4, chopped
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch piece
Green Cardamom Pods - 4
Turmeric - 1 tsp, ground
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Salt - as required

Method:
1. Wash the rice and lentils, then soak them in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes.
2. Gently heat the ghee in a large, heavy pan with a tight fitting cover and fry the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, turmeric and salt to taste until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Drain the rice and lentils and add them to the spices in the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the water and bring the mixture to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.
5. Take the pan off the heat and leave to rest with the lid on for 5 minutes.
6. Just before serving, gently toss the rice and lentils with a spatula, taking care not to break the grains.