Warm a wide skillet with a lid or a heavy bottomed 3 quart pot over medium high heat. Add the rice to the hot pan and toast the grains, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn golden and become fragrant, about 4 minutes. Immediately stir in the water, lentils, better than bullion, herbs and spices.

Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Let the pilaf simmer for 35 minutes. During the cooking you may need to reduce the heat again to prevent the liquid from boiling over. Allow the pilaf to rest for 10 minutes after cooking. The rice should be fluffy and the lentils tender with a bit of chew. Garnish with crispy onions and fresh herbs.

While the pilaf is simmering: Prepare a plate with two layers of paper towels and set to one side. In a heavy bottom skillet, heat a ½ inch of cooking oil over medium high heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking. After 3 minutes of heating, test the temperature by picking up an onion slice with a pair of tongs and dipping the end into the oil. The oil should begin to sizzle rapidly around the onion. If it doesn't sizzle wait another minute and retest. If the oil begins to smoke reduce the heat and allow the oil to cool before testing.

When the temperature is just right, place half of the onion slices in the oil leaving lots of room for them to cook without crowding against each other. Stir gently as needed, they should turn brown and crispy in about two minutes. Remove the crispy onions from the oil and place on the paper towel lined plate. Add oil to the skillet and adjust the temperature as needed before crisping the second half of the onions.