Lentils & Rice with Caramelized Onions

This hardly counts as a World Vegetarian recipe because we have been making it consistently for close to ten years. It's kind of a McClure recipe at this point. It is so, so good, though, that I couldn't have a week of Madhur Jaffrey without including it. And even so, every time I make this, I doubt the recipe - how can rice and lentils and onions genuinely be as delicious as I remember? BUT IT IS.

The key is the caramelized onions, cooked for a long long time over low heat until they get all sweet and crispy and perfect. Look how the onions go from raw and boring to caramelized perfection:

And the final product, served with a side of kale. Yum.