Lentil Soup/Tlokheh

Ingredients

2 Cups split red/orange lentils
½ cup uncooked white rice or ½ cup fried vermicelli noodles (if you use vermicelli add when there is 10 minutes left of simmering.)
8 Cups water (you can use chicken or vegetable broth but if you do omit salt below)
1/8 teaspoon egg yellow powder (optional as this added for color only, you can  substitute with turmeric)
¼ teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon curry
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 medium onion diced fine
2 Tablespoons oil
1 lemon cut into wedges


Add lentils, rice, water, spices and yellow powder to a pot and bring to a boil. When it boils, turn burner to low
and simmer for 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the 30 minutes of simmering are up, heat oil in a pan
and add diced onions. Fry the onions until they start to caramelize and turn brown on the edges. If you are using the vermicelli noodles fry them with the onions.
When simmering is complete, stir the onions into the soup. Turn burner off and stir to breakdown the lentils.
If the consistency of the soup is thicker than you like, you can add more water and heat until boiling.

Squeeze lemon to taste over the soup when it is served in bowls.

If you refrigerate and serve the soup later, you may need to add more water when heating to thin out the soup.