Cheats Quick Persian Rice Polow Recipes

ADAS POLOW (PERSIAN RICE AND LENTILS)

Steps:

• Place the rice in a bowl, and cover with water. Soak the rice for about 3 hours, and drain off the water. Bring the rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is partially cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain the liquid from the rice, and set the rice aside.
• Bring 2 more cups of water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan, and stir in the lentils. Bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and fry the onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set the onions aside. Dissolve the saffron in 1/3 cup of hot water, and set aside.
• In a large nonstick pot with deep sides, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering, and spoon in half the rice to cover the bottom of the pot. Top the rice with the lentils, and cover the lentils with the remaining rice. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is completely tender and there is a golden brown, crusty layer of rice on the bottom of the pot, about 20 minutes. Pour the saffron water over the rice and lentils, cover, and allow to cook until absorbed, about 10 more minutes.
• To serve, spoon the polow into a serving dish, and peel off and place pieces of the crusty rice layer on top of the polow. Decorate the polow with dates, raisins, and fried onions.

PERSIAN RICE WITH FAVA BEANS AND DILL (BAQALA POLOW)

Steps:

• Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat 5 times until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain, using a fine-mesh colander, and set aside.
• If using fresh fava beans in the pod, shell and remove second skins. If using frozen favas with second skins removed, place in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup (60ml) oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the cinnamon stick, leek, and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leek is wilted. Add the rice, salt, pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and rose water, and stir-fry for another 1 minute.
• Add the water, tip in the skinned fava beans and bring back to a boil, stirring gently twice with a wooden spoon, to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover firmly with a lid to prevent any steam from escaping. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
• Add the dill and fluff using 2 forks. Drizzle the remaining oil and the saffron-infused rose water over the rice. Cover again, reduce heat to low, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, still covered, for 5 minutes.
• Serve with fried eggs and Yogurt and Persian Shallot Dip or alongside roasted lamb or fish.

CHEAT'S QUICK PERSIAN RICE (POLOW)

Steps:

• Put the Basmati Rice in a bowl and rinse it very well under running water, taking care to be gentle when stirring the rice so you don't break the rice grains. Rinse until most of the starch has been washed, and the water is almost clear and no longer cloudy.
• Cover the rinsed rice with water (approx. 2 inches/4 cm above rice level), and let it soak for 30 minutes before cooking.
• After 30 minutes, strain the soaked rice (in a collinder or seive) from all the the water.
• Gently heat 1 tablesoon of Oil in a heavy-based (preferrably non-stick), wide cooking pot. Make sure the oil covers the whole base of the pot.
• Add the strained rice to pot, then the 3 cups of Water, remaining Oil, Salt, and stir gently for a few seconds, taking care not to break the rice grains (just enough for the salt to mix in the water).
• Bring to a gentle boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to a medium/low, allowing contents to simmer gently. Cover the pot with a tight lid (alternatively, use a clean dry teatowel wrapped around the lid to ensure no air/steam escapes the pot. You can also use baking foil instead of the teatowel to keep the pot contents air-tight).
• Once the rice has been simmering gently for 10 minutes, and you can almost hear the rice at the bottom of the pot making crisp sounds, turn the heat down to a low heat, and let it steam gently for a further 20 minutes - this will ensure the rice gets crispy at the bottom (Tahdig) but doesn't burn.
• (Optional) If using Cinnamon sticks to make the rice fragrant, at Step. 7 open the lid of the pot & stick the Cinnamon sticks into the rice, perpendicularly, making sure the sticks are completely submerged in the rice . Cover the pot once again tighly & allow to steam - as in Step 7 - gently for 20 minutes before serving.