Place the lentils along with the bay leaf in a saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, reduce the heat and cook covered for 15~20 minutes or until tender. Drain any water that's left in the pan and discard the bay leaf.
Meanwhile, cook rice -- place rice in a saucepan along with 2 cups of boiling water, cloves and salt. Cook, covered for 15~18 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Discard the cloves.
Melt ghee/ butter in a large saute pan, add the onions and cook till soft. Next add the spring veggies, if using, and cook till crisp tender.
Add curry powder, red chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils and rice and gently mix to combine all the ingredients.
Stir in cilantro or parsley and serve hot with the hard boiled eggs, if using.