ADAS POLO (lentil rice)
Simple, delicious Persian dish (paired with grilled chicken, stewed beef, lamb shank).
Ingredients:
3 cups white basmati long rice
1 onion (chop, fry onions separately in a skillet until golden)
1 1/2 cup lentils (wash yellow lentils, boil until cooked)
1 cup raisins, 10-12 large dates (cook with 1/4 cup water or white wine, one teaspoon coconut oil till cooked)
3 tbsp ‘spices’ (pinch of cardamom, turmeric, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, mixed in rice)
4 tbsp saffron (boil water, add saffron to brew. When dish is ready this is last step to add to cooked rice before adding cooked raisons, dates)
Salt (pink sea salt), fresh pepper
3 table spoon oil to boil rice, 3 tablespoons to cook rice after draining it once it’s boiled (coconut oil)
Boil ‘adas’ or lentils, set aside. Boil rice in 4 cups of water. When almost fully cooked add lentils, salt. Add spices to boiling rice and cooked lentils. Let rice keep cook on medium heat after fully cooked to make ‘tadik’, a delicious toasted crispy rice on bottom of pot.
Add fried onions, saffron, raisons, dates.
Make Tadik:
In a saucepan bring water with salt to boil. Add rice, boil 10 minutes. In a saucepan melt butter. Spoon rice over butter, cover pan. Cook rice over low heat till a crust forms on the bottom (30 minutes). Spoon loose rice to a platter. Remove, serve over rice.