Persian · 1 hr · serves 4

Adas Polo (Lentil Rice)

Kept by The Bhook kitchen

Ingredients

• 300 g basmati rice
• 150 g brown lentils
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 50 g raisins
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear, then soak it in fresh water for 20 min.
2. Rinse the lentils, then cook them in a saucepan with water and a pinch of salt for about 20 min, until just tender. Drain.
3. Slice the onion. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and fry the onion on medium until light brown and soft.
4. Add turmeric and cinnamon to the onion and let it fry for 1 min, until fragrant.
5. Add raisins to the pan and stir just until they puff up, then remove from heat.
6. In a pot, bring fresh water to boil, add the soaked rice and cook until the grains feel soft outside but still firm at the core (about 6-8 min). Drain.
7. Layer rice, lentils, and onion mixture in the pot. Cover with a clean tea towel under the lid. Steam on low for 30 min. When done, the rice will be fluffy and the bottom will smell toasty.

The rice needs to stay separate, not sticky; don’t skip the soaking and rinsing.