Wash and soak rice and whole brown lentils for at least an hour.
In a pan, heat some oil and add cumin seeds and bay leaf.
After the dry spices fry a bit, add in sliced onions, and fry until lightly golden.
Add in the chopped tomato, chili, and vegan yogurt, and stir.
Now add in all the spices, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt.
Mix all the spices and add soaked lentils and rice.
Add in water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to the lowest heat setting to simmer, cover and seal the pot first with a piece of parchment paper to fit the circumference of the pot, then place the pot cover to seal. Be careful that the edges of the paper are not hanging over the edge of the pot.
Cook lentil rice for about 50 minutes or until the rice is tender.