Adas Polo - Persian Lentil Rice is perfect for a weeknight meal. Rice and lentils served with delicious beef and raisins make the perfect healthy meal!
I have some announcements. I know you will get excited too.
After almost two years of blogging and publishing one cookbook , I feel it's time to go back to my roots and publish more Persian recipes on Unicorns in the Kitchen. After all, this was the intention when I started my blog: to introduce everyone to Persian cuisine and show you all how easy and simple it can be to make Persian food.
Many believe Persian cuisine is very exotic and always requires obscure ingredients. I'm here to tell you that this is not the case. You can make many delicious Persian dishes using ingredients that you have in your pantry right now. Adas Polo - Persian lentil rice is one of those recipes that doesn't require any special ingredient.
Saffron, you ask? It will be great if you have some to mix with some of the rice. But if you don't have it, your Adas Polo is still going to be amazingly delicious!
Adas polo is one Persian recipe that is in the mixed rice dishes family. This is the second mixed rice dish I'm posting on the blog - the first one is Persian One Pot Tomato Rice - Dami Gojeh Farangi. Some mixed rice dishes can be made in one pot while others require the extra step of par cooking the rice and then steaming it with the filling (More about this in my cookbook).
More awesome Persian recipes for you:
- Kabab Tabei - Persian Pan Kebab
- Persian Sausage and Potato Skillet - Sosis Bandari
- Zereshk Polo Morgh - Persian Barberry Rice with Chicken
- Persian Meat Patties- Kotlet
- Sabzi Polo (Persian Herb Rice)
- Lubia Polo Persian Green Bean Rice
How to make Adas Polo
Adas polo requires the rice and lentil like Mujadara, to be par cooked and then layered and steamed with the beef filling. The beef filling is already cooked in a separate pan. In the end, you place a bowl of raisins and dates (I didn't have dates at the moment I made this) on the rice just to get them warm and moist and then you serve them all together, along with golden and crispy potato tahdig and yogurt and herbs on a platter.
Persian rice with lentil and chicken
You can make adas polo with chicken, too. To do so, cook some chicken breast and shred it. Saute onion in a pan over medium heat and add shredded chicken, turmeric, salt and pepper to the pan. Mix well and cook for some minutes. Serve with the lentil rice and raisins.
Persian cooking is all about sticking to the basics and then going with your instincts. In the end, it's you who should enjoy this delicious Adas Polo, and I'm sure you will love this recipe, as it has been in my family for generations <3
More Recipes with Lentil:
Tools and ingredients used to make Adas Polo - Persian Lentil Rice:
- Nonstick Pan: I love this one and I use it everyday. I prefer non stick so I can use less fat for cooking.
- Nonstick Pot: Another favorite of mine is this one. You need a good non stick pot to be able to make good tahdig.
- Spatula: Get a good spatula once and use it everyday! I like this one best.
- Dates: I love Medjool dates. These ones are so good and tasty.
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Adas Polo – Persian Lentil Rice
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 cup lentils
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 8 ounce ground beef
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 2 tablespoons bloomed saffron divided
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup Medjool dates pitted
For the rice
- 6 ⅓ cups water divided
- 2 cups basmati rice washed and drainedrice
- 6 cups of water plus ⅓ cup
- 1 ½ teaspoon 1½ teaspoons salt
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 2 potatoes sliced
- 2 tablespoons bloomed saffron
Instructions
To make the filling
- Cook the lentils in a pot of boiling water over medium heat for 20 minutes, until they are half cooked. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil. Sauté the onion until it’s golden. Add the ground beef and cook until it’s light brown. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and bloomed saffron. Stir until ground beef is cooked completely. Set aside.
- Wash the raisins and spread them on a kitchen towel. Dry them, then place them in a small heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
To make the rice
- Pour 6 cups of water in a large nonstick pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and salt, and boil about 10 minutes. Check one grain with your fingers by pressing it between your thumb and index finger; you should be able to break the grain but it should still be firm. Add the drained lentils to the pot and boil for 30 seconds.
- Place a colander in clean sink and drain the rice and lentils. Place the pot back on medium heat. Make sure the bottom of the pot is dry. Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the pot and place the potato slices in the bottom of the pot so they cover the bottom entirely.
- Scoop ⅓ of the rice into the pot and layer ⅓ of the beef mixture on top of the rice. Repeat with the remaining rice and filling. Carefully pour ⅓ cup of water around the edges of the pot. Wrap the lid in a clean towel and put it on the pot. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes, until the steam starts to escape from the bottom of the pot. Pour 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil on the rice. Place the bowl of raisins and the dates on top of the rice. Cover and steam for 10 minutes more.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of the lentil rice with 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron. Serve the lentil rice in a large platter, topped with dates, raisins, and the saffron lentil rice.
- Serve with herb platter or plain Greek yogurt on the side.
Video
Notes
- Use lean ground beef for this recipe, anything above 90% lean would work. You can also use ground chicken or turkey if you don't eat red meat.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days.
Edith
I'm confused by the last 2 steps. The instructions say: "Place the bowl of raisins and the dates on top of the rice. Cover and steam for 10 minutes more." Do you mean to place the _contents_ of the bowl on the rice?
"In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of the lentil rice with 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron. Serve the lentil rice in a large platter, topped with dates, raisins, and the saffron lentil rice." Does this mean you scoop out 1 cup of the finished rice and lentils? This recipe sounds a lot like the tahdig recipe I've been making and there we flip the pot over so the potatoes are on top - seems like scooping out the top layer would make that difficult?
Donna
Oh yum this sounds so good, and has ALL my kids favorite ingredients in there, so I know they will devour it! We used to have so many good Persian restaurants in Australia, but since moving to the States I have yet to find one. I guess I will have to start making my own 🙂
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Donna! I always make Persian food at home, homemade always tastes better 🙂
Sarah
Ooo Shadi! I bought "Persiana" about a year ago, and promptly forgot all about trying the recipes. I need to check out your book too-- everything looks amazing!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Sarah! Lots of Persian recipes are either vegetarian, or can be made vegetarian! So good!
Amanda
I love when you share Persian recipes, Shadi! (I also adore your cookbook.) The flavors in this dish sound fantastic, from the spices to the beef, and the sweet dates and raisins. Plus, the color of saffron is just so pretty. I can't wait to make this on a chilly fall night!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Amanda! I love sharing my family recipes! It's great for fall nights!
Neha Mathur
I love Persian Cuisine for it's array of beautiful flavours and colours. Thnx for featuring traditional recipes. This Saffron Rice looks so good, i want to grab a bit right away.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Neha! Persian cuisine is full of magic 🙂
Lisa | Garlic + Zest
This is the most unique combination of flavors and I have to say, I'm salivating just thinking about it. dates and raisins are great for adding those little pops of sweetness, but I'm really digging the saffron rice and lentils with the seasoned beef. This sounds like a really hearty meal -- and would be great on this cool fall day.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Lisa! I agree with you, the flavor combo is unique and so good together. The saffron rice is of course, the star!
Z.N.
I grew up on this dish and I am so happy to be able to recreate for my kids. Thanks for sharing!
unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com
This is one of our favorite dishes! So glad you cans hare this with your kids <3