Place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil, and cook for 12 - 15 minutes, until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain and set aside.

Peel the onions and slice 1 and a half of the onions thinly, set the other half aside. Heat the sunflower oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan placed over high heat. Carefully add the sliced onion and reduce the heat to medium high. Sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onion take on a nice golden brown colour and most of it turns crispy (adjust the temperature if the onion is browning too quickly). Transfer the onion to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt.

Meanwhile, dice the remaining half of onion.

Place a large heavy saucepan, or pot, over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast for about 1 minute. Add the olive oil and diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, coriander, rice, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and then add the cooked lentils and the water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid, and quickly cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and add half of the crispy onions, stirring gently.

Serve the rice with the remaining crispy onions and yogurt.