Rice with Lentils
Adass Polo
(By Mrs. Soheila Amiri)
(3-6 servings)
Ingredients:
3 cups (8 Oz) of white long grain rice.
4 table spoons of cooking oil.
1 cup (8 Oz) of lentils.
1 loaf of pita (or other flat middle eastern type) bread.
4 oz of water.
salt
Directions:
For best results, soak the rice for a few hours in hot water and salt before cooking. Soak the lentils in a separate water (no salt) container a short while before cooking.
In a medium size pot, half-way filled with water, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice (and the water it was soaking in), and let it cook for a few minutes until it starts boiling. Add the lentils. Occasionally pick a few of the rice grains with a spoon and chew on them to see if they have softened.
When the rice is half-crunchy half-soft, take it out and drain it in a kitchen stringer. Run the tab water on it to wash out some of the excess salt.
Pour the oil in the pot, add 4 oz of water, separate the two halves of the pita bread and lay them in the bottom of the pot, add a bit of extra oil if necessary, then pile up the rice losely in the shape of a heap. With the back of a spoon, make five holes, one in the center and four around it so that the rice can breath in the cooking process.
Spread a little water on top and close the lid. Let it cook for a few minutes on high heat. When steam starts to rise, change the setting to medium heat and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes. Then turn the heat to medium-low, sprinkle some cooking oil to prevent drying, and let it cook for about another 10-15 minutes before serving.
HINTS:
If you have a choice, use any of the Basmati brands of rice (AftAb, Pari, Gilda, Feel-Neshan, etc.) you can buy from middle eastern or Indian stores. But be careful not to overboil these types. They get pretty sticky if you over cook them. If all else fails, use Mahatma brand (American from supermarket). They take longer to soften, and there is less chance of coming out sticky.
When putting bread in the bottom of the pot for purpose of forming bottom crust (tah deeg), it is best to use a teflon coated or any other non stick pot for this purpose. In most cases, after cooking the rice in such pots, you can put a large round plate over the pot, flip it over and get the rice and the crust to come out in one piece.
Source: persia.org
Other Links:
Parthian Chicken
Easy Meals in Less Than 30 Minutes
Healthy Breakfast Smoothies for Kids
How to Bake Fish in Parchment Paper
How to Make Chinese Chicken in a Slow Cooker
