Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add a little water if things begin to stick.
Add the rice, lentils and curry powder. Stir well, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the water, coconut milk (or plant milk) and sea salt, and stir well. Heat everything to almost boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Add the kale/spinach (and parsley, if using - see notes), and mix everything together well, so that the greens are blended into with the hot rice and lentils and are beginning to wilt. Cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, the rice is cooked, and the kale/spinach is tender.
Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. The rice will absorb a little more liquid off the heat. Season with more sea salt, to taste, if needed.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
• If you want to avoid saturated fat, you can replace the light coconut milk with plant milk. But if you do occasionally include light coconut milk in your diet, it adds a nice flavor to this dish.• Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to add the kale/spinach about ¼ at a time. It will reduce in volume quickly as you stir it into the hot rice and lentils. Or, you can reduce the volume of kale/spinach before adding it to the pot by blanching it for a couple of minutes 1) in boiling water on the stove or 2) with about ¼ cup of water in a covered bowl in the microwave. Drain any remaining liquid before adding to the rice and lentils.