Try searching for dhal recipes (the Indian name for lentils). A quick google search for "dhal ginger" brings up pages of recipes.
For a thick lentil and rice dish, I'd be tempted to make the two parts separately. Make the dhal, which can be fairly soupy, and then add in cooked rice and let it set, which will give you something much thicker.
When I cook lentils, I usually start by sauteeing diced onions until golden, adding in diced or crushed/grated ginger and garlic for the last few minutes. Then the spices, to cook them well, then the lentils and water. Then at some point I might stir in something like chopped tomatoes, or cilantro, or other seasonings.
In Indian cooking asafoetida is often used for lentils. It's very pungent smelling (a strong, oniony scent), but mellows when cooking, and is supposed to be good for preventing flatulence.