ADDAS POLOW
IRAN
It was on one of my last trips to Iran that I met Feridoonjan (adding jan at the end of someone’s name forms the diminutive, like saying dear Feridoon), a splendid-looking man with a fabulous long gray mustache, which he curls over his cheeks. Feridoon is also a splendid cook and the first time I met him, at my friend Ali Farboud’s mother’s place, he had just finished cooking a lentil polow, which Ali’s mother immediately invited us to taste. It was exquisite. Feridoon did not garnish his lentil polow with dates as I am doing here, but I love the sweet-savory note the dates give to each bite, while the caramelized onions provide a nice crunch. Serve on its own or with roast lamb or chicken.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2½ cups (500 g) basmati rice
Good pinch of saffron threads
¾ cup (150 g) brown lentils, soaked for 1 hour in cold water
⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil, plus more for frying
⅔ cup (100 g) pitted dates, halved lengthwise
1 large onion (7 ounces/200 g), halved and cut into thin wedges
Heaping ⅓ cup (50 g) golden raisins, soaked for 1 hour in cold water
Sea salt
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
1. Soak, parboil, and rinse the rice as directed in steps 2 and 3 of Plain Iranian Rice.
2. Put the saffron to soak in 2 tablespoons water.
3. Drain the lentils and put them in a pot. Cover well with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let bubble gently for 10 minutes, or until the lentils are just barely tender. They continue to cook with the rice and any slight bite they may still have will soften (and you don’t want them to go mushy).
4. Heat a little vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the dates and sauté until they start glistening.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in another skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn or it will taste bitter. Transfer to a sieve and shake a few times to get rid of any excess oil. The onions should be crisp.
6. Put the ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil and half the saffron water in a large clean pot and place over medium heat. When the oil starts sizzling, spread a good layer of rice over the bottom, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Spread half the lentils and golden raisins over the rice, season with salt to taste, and cover with half the remaining rice. Spread the remaining lentils and golden raisins, season with salt to taste, and cover with the rest of the rice. The layered rice should be in the shape of a pyramid. Make a hole in the middle of the pyramid and pour in the melted butter and remaining saffron water. Gently put the dates over one side of the rice. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel and place over the pot. Reduce the heat to very low and let steam for 50 minutes to 1 hour until a nice crust (or tah-dig as it is known in Persian) forms on the bottom—you may not succeed on the first try, as it takes some practice to figure out how low a setting you need to cook the rice that long without burning it, but you will soon get the hang of it.
7. When the rice is ready, place the bottom of the pan on a very cold surface or in iced water to loosen the tah-dig. Remove the dates to a small plate. Transfer the rice to a serving platter, taking care not to disturb the tah-dig. Remove the tah-dig and arrange around the rice. Scatter the dates over the rice, then the crispy onions and serve hot.