Curried Rice and Lentils

Mom sent me this recipe when I didn't know what to make for dinner and called it "Hindi um jedderah".

ingredients
1 T butter
1 C brown basmati rice
4 1/4 C water
1 C brown or French green lentils
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cinnamon stick
4 1/8"-thick slices of fresh ginger
1-2 t red curry paste or 1 T curry powder
1/2 t salt
4 scallions trimmed and sliced

method
Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350F (180C or 160C forced air).
Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof Dutch oven or medium saucepan. Add rice and cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes. If using curry powder, add it now and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add water. Stir in lentils, garlic, cinnamon stick, ginger, curry paste (if using) and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve curry paste.
Cover the Dutch oven tightly with a lid or foil or transfer to an 8x8 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake until the rice and lentils are tender and all the water is absorbed, about 50-55 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Remove cinnamon stick and ginger slices. Garnish with scallions.

notes
This is delicious with yogurt. I like to mix grated cucumber, lemon juice, sumac and mint into the yogurt to make a kind of cucumber-yogurt salad to go with it. YUM!