mashan's adas polow (lentil rice) with cinnamon dates
it seems lately more and more of our friends and family are becoming vegetarians, while we also find ourselves often gravitating towards a plant based diet. in thinking of new meat free options, i remembered one of my childhood favorites, an original crowd pleaser, “adas polow", which literally translates to lentil-rice. this traditional rice dish is typically served along with a juicy braised saffron chicken or lamb on the side, but can deliver a super satisfying, well-rounded meal all by itself. my paternal grandmother, mashan, used to prepare the dish with sweet buttery dates and raisins layered throughout the rice, and when i close my eyes, i think i can still smell the oh so appetizing sweet fragrance drifting through her house as the rice steamed in preparation for our friday lunches. at the time, my cousins and i took these weekly family gatherings (and imposed quiet time for the adult's siesta afterwards) for granted (as kids often do)-but oh, how i long for those amazing lazy friday afternoon lunches surrounded by the warmth of family now! my version of adas polow includes the dates, which add a delicious sweetness, but not the raisins (if you opt to add raisins quickly sauté them in butter before layering in the rice). typically the dish calls for ordinary green lentils, but i've taken to using a combination of small green and black beluga lentils, not only because they provide more contrast, but also because i like their texture better. persian style basmati rice is usually boiled briefly (parboiled), then drained and steamed for about an hour in the shape of a pyramid with the addition of oil -there is always a question (and disagreement) as to how long exactly you should boil the rice prior to draining it. it's not an exact science, and it's almost instinctive, but if i had to put a number on it, i'd say it takes about 7 minutes (6-10). even though the process can seem a bit daunting, it's simpler than it looks if you have all your ingredients lined up and ready to go, and gets much easier with a little bit of practice…promise!
ingredients (2-4 servings):
2 cups long-grain basmati rice
1/2 cup small black lentils
1/2 cup small green lentils (or 1 cup green lentils only)
coarse kosher salt
1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
2-3 tbs oil (I use avocado oil)
2-3 tbs (or so) butter
soft fresh dates (about 12-15), pitted
1 tsp ground saffron-(see details below)
1 tsp whole toasted cumin
2 tsp persian rose petals or buds (gole-sorkh)-see details below for advieh (persian rice spice mixture)
1. cook the lentils in salted (1/2 tsp) water for about 20-25 minutes-make sure they are tender but still whole and not mushy. drain, rinse, and set aside.
2. boil about 8 cups of water with 2 tbs kosher salt in a deep non stick pot that has a lid. clean and wash the rice about 4-5 times until the water runs clear, then add it to the boiling water.
now the tricky part-keep a close eye on the rice while it boils briskly (on high) for about 6-10 minutes, and gently stir a few times (not too much). when the rice looks like it has softened a bit (at about 7 minutes), add the cooked lentils to the boiling rice and give it a good careful stir or two in order to distribute the lentils evenly through the rice (you want an even rice/lentil ratio throughout), then drain the mixture in a large fine mesh colander. rinse with a bit of warm running water, then allow the water to drain out completely.
3. in the same pot heat the oil (you can use clarified butter, or a mixture of oil & butter) with 2-3 tbsp water, and a small touch of ground saffron (1/4 tsp). start with a few spatulas of rice & lentil mixture at the bottom of the pot over the oil, followed by a sprinkling of cinnamon, cumin, and rose petals (or advieh-see details below). keep layering this way creating a pyramid or little "hill"...until you have finished your ingredients. sprinkle the remaining saffron on top of the pyramid. You may want yo sprinkle a touch of salt as well throughout. see item #6 regarding the addition of sautéed dates.
4. pour 1/2 cup water and the remaining oil (or clarified butter or dot with small slices of butter) carefully over the top of your pyramid (i use a slotted spatula to evenly distribute). place a clean dish towel (or you can use paper towels) on top of the pot and cover firmly with the lid.
5. cook on medium high for about 10 minutes *(don't move away from the pot or you'll forget-set a timer if you have to)*, then reduce the heat to medium/low and cook for 50-60 minutes more without lifting the lid (lets the steam escape).
6. melt about 1 tbs butter in a small pan and sauté your dates (on both sides) with a nice sprinkling of cinnamon for about 7-10 minutes on low heat (lately i’ve been incorporating the dates into the rice before steaming rather than when serving- so layer them along with your spices, at stage #3, avoiding the very bottom layer).
7. when serving the rice let the pot rest for 2-3 few minutes, then remove the very top saffron rice and set aside. serve the rest in you platter, top with the saffron infused rice you had set aside. add the fried dates if you haven’t already before the steaming, (and braised saffron chicken or lamb with the juices). detach and serve the crust (tah-deeg) from the bottom of the pan with a spatula (wooden)-this is usually the most popular part of the dish. if you want extra flavor (and calories), pour a little more clarifed butter on top of it all. ALTERNATELY, you can put a large plate on top of your pot and flip it over carefully-as pictured above, and end up with all the delicious tad (crispy rice) on top-a beautiful presentation…this works only if your pot is non stick and in good shape. #digin 🤗
ADVIEH: everything for the spice mixture pictured should be available at your persian or middle eastern market ( look for rose buds).
SAFFRON: i grind my saffron in a small electric spice grinder (dedicated to saffron) with 1/2 of a small sugar cube-then store it in an airtight container.
This recipe was originally posted in 2012 and has been updated.
