Adas Polo, Persian Lentil and Date Rice
Adas polo is a Persian rice built for a full table, brown basmati layered with lentils, dates, and raisins and scented with cinnamon and saffron. The fruit is the point: it makes the dish sweet-savory in a way that needs no sugar and no meat to feel like an occasion. Persian rice is cooked in two stages, parboiled and then steamed under a cloth, which is what gives each grain its separateness and builds the crisp tahdig at the bottom of the pot. Onions cooked slowly in water until they are deep and sweet stand in for the usual fried topping. Brown basmati asks for a little more water and time than white, and rewards it with more to chew on. Serve it as part of a spread rather than a plain side.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Brown basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 3/4 cup Brown lentils
- 4 wholes Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup Raisins
- 2 wholes Yellow onions, slivered
- 1/2 tsp cassia cinnamon, ground
- 1 pinch Saffron, ground and bloomed in 3 tbsp hot water
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
Method
- Simmer the lentils in plenty of water until just tender but still whole, about 20 minutes, then drain. Cooking them separately keeps them from turning to mush in the rice, which cooks on a different clock.
- Parboil the rinsed rice in a large pot of boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, until the grains bend but keep a firm core, then drain. Brown basmati needs a little longer than white; this two-stage method is what gives Persian rice its separate, unsticky grains.
- Cook the slivered onions in a wide nonstick pot with 4 tbsp water over low heat, stirring now and then, until deep gold and sweet, about 15 minutes. Slow-cooked in water, they replace the fried onion topping and add the sweetness sugar otherwise would.
- Set aside half the onions. To the pot, layer in the rice, lentils, dates, raisins, cinnamon, and pepper, mounding it toward the center. Pour the saffron water over the top.
- Cover the lid with a clean towel, set it on tight, and steam over the lowest heat 25 minutes. The towel traps the steam so the grains finish fluffy and a crisp golden crust, the tahdig, forms on the bottom.
- Fold it together gently and top with the reserved onions. Serve as the centerpiece of a spread rather than a plain side.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 320 calories, 11 g protein, 9 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
