Curried rice & lentils

I had planned to make rice as a side dish for supper tonight, so to kill two birds with one stone, I decided to make a larger quantity of rice that I would use to add into a curry type dish. This meal is vegetarian/parve, so it could be used for Tisha B'Av, a week where Jews do not eat meat. So here's what you'll need:



1 1/2 cups uncooked kosher parboiled rice 
3 cups water
1 large onion, diced
2 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 pint mushrooms, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup red lentils
1 knob ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 onion powder
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

For the rice, heat a pot and add 1 tbsp oil, then add the rice, stir it till it's coated in the oil, then pour in the 3 cups of water, add salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil, stir, then cover and reduce the heat to a minimum and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, till all the water has evaporated.
In a large pan or skillet, heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil, then add the diced onion, sweat for a few minutes, add the zucchinis and mushrooms and saute for 8 to 9 minutes till they start to brown and the water has come out of the mushrooms. Now add in the ginger, the sweet potatoes and lentils, sprinkle in all the spices, salt and pepper, soy and honey, add water to almost cover the veggies, bring to a boil, stir, lower the heat and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, then uncover, taste to make sure ever everything is well seasoned, and keep cooking till everything is tender and the water has almost completely evaporated.
Finally, add in the rice and mix till all the has been incorporated evenly, serve and enjoy!