Place the lentils in a colander and wash them. Drain and transfer to a pot, adding plenty of water. Let come to a boil, then reduce the temperature and let lentils simmer for 15 minutes. 

Wash the rice well and drain in a sieve. 

Peel and slice the onion finely using a mandoline. Place on a plate and dust with 2 tbsps of flour, salt and pepper. 

Heat a big pan on medium high heat. Crush the cardamom pods with the back of a knife an place in the pan along with cumin seeds. Toast without fat until fragrant for about a minute. Add 2 tbsp coconut oil, the drained rice, laurel leaf and ground spices as well as 3/4 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of sugar or maple syrup.

Let everything fry for about 1 minute, then add 350 ml of water and the pre-cooked lentils. Let come to a boil, reduce the heat, place the lid on top and let simmer for 13 to 15 minutes. If you notice that the water evaporated too quickly, add a splash. 

In the meantime, add enough oil to a deep pot or pan that it stands about 2 cm deep. Heat until it reaches 350 F. Fry the onions in 2 batches until nicely browned and crispy. Transfer to a kitchen towel-lined plate and let cool down. 

Take the lid off the rice and quickly place a clean kitchen towel on top and put the lid back on. Let the pilaf rest off the heat for another 10 minutes. 

Fluff up the rice with a fork and add half of the fried onions. Serve with more fried onions on top and a dollop of non-dairy sour cream or coconut yogurt.