Adas Polo

Ingredients

• 14⅛ ozricerinsed several times until the water runs clear
• 7 ozlentilspicked over, pre-cooked
• 1oniondiced or thinly sliced, fried until golden brown
• 6⅓ ozraisinsor currants; rinsed
• 9⅔ ozground beefbrowned with the onion
• ½ tspsaffronground, bloomed in hot water or over ice cubes
• 6 tbspoilfor frying and for the bottom of the pot
• 2 tspturmericfor the meat or lentils
• 1 tspblack pepperground, for the meat
• saltgenerously for the rice water, otherwise to taste
• 4 tbspbutterdotted over the rice and for sautéing raisins and dates (optional)
• 4 ozdatespitted, seared in butter or chopped (optional)
• ½ tspcinnamonground, for the meat (optional)
• 6 clovesgarlicdiced, fried with the onion (optional)
• 1potatopeeled, sliced about 1 cm thick, as tahdig on the pot bottom (optional)

Method

1. Wash the basmati rice in a bowl, changing the water several times, until it runs clear, then leave it to drain. Dissolve the ground saffron in a little hot water, or scatter it over a few ice cubes and let them melt slowly.
2. Pick over the green lentils, then simmer them in plenty of water for about 15–20 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Drain.
3. Fry the onion slowly in a little oil until golden brown; add the diced garlic too, if you like. Add the ground beef, cook it until browned and crumbly, and season with turmeric, salt and black pepper, plus a little cinnamon if you wish. Keep warm.
4. Rinse the raisins and, if you are using butter, toss them briefly in a knob of it until glossy. Pitted dates can be seared in butter the same way.
5. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it generously. Add the rice and parboil it until the grains are soft on the outside but still firm at the center. Drain in a sieve and rinse briefly.
6. Cover the bottom of a pot with oil; for a potato tahdig, lay the potato slices, just under 1 cm thick, snugly side by side across the base. Then layer the rice loosely with the lentils and half of the raisins.
7. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a few holes down to the bottom of the rice. Drizzle the saffron water over the top, along with a little oil or butter.
8. Wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel and set it firmly on the pot. Start the rice over medium heat, then lower the heat and steam for 25–45 minutes in total, until the grains are tender and fluffy.
9. Take the pot off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, spoon it onto a platter and top it with the ground beef, along with the remaining raisins and, if you like, the dates.

Tips and variations

If you have time, soak the rice and lentils for about 12 hours beforehand. Instead of cooking them separately, the lentils can also go into the pot with the rice toward the end and be drained together. For a vegetarian Adas Polo, leave out the meat and use only fried onions and currants; currants, barberries or chopped dates can all stand in for the raisins. The ground beef can also be layered into the rice rather than served on top. To serve, loosen the crisp crust from the bottom of the pot and set it in pieces alongside the rice.