Persian inspired ‘Tofu & Lentil’ Rice '(Adace Polo)
This is a delicious plant-based Persian staple recipe that it quick and easy to make and highly nutritious.
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
•2 cups of white basmati rice, washed until water runs clear
•1 cup cooked brown lentils (cook in 2 cups water with 2 bay leaves until al-dente, approx 20 minutes), drain and leave to one side. You can also buy this pre-cooked in a tin for ease.
•2 tbsp olive/sunflower oil
•1 tsp sea salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
Method
Wash the rice really well until the water runs clear
In a saucepan add the rice with 8 cups of water, 1 tsp of sea-salt and 1 tsp sunflower oil and bring to boil, leaving it to boil for 10 minutes before draining
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, add the lentils with 2 cups of water, 4 bay leaves and bring to boil before simmering for 20 minutes, until lentils are al-dente. Drain. remove the leaves and leave to one side.
Take another large non-stick saucepan and add a little oil (2 tbsp) to the bottom, a sprinkling of sea salt, a pinch of saffron along with 2 tbsp of hot water and swirl the ingredients around for a couple of minutes before adding a thin layer of rice.
In Persian cooking, we like a ‘crispy bottom’ which is called ‘tadic’ to our rice dishes and to reduce the amount of rice that gets used up, you can use 1 medium potato, peel and wash and thinly slice and cover the bottom of the saucepan. Leave the potatoes in the oil mix on medium/high heat for 2-3 minutes before adding the rice and lentils.
Now start to layer the rice and lentils evenly.
Once all the mixture is in the sauce pan turn the heat up for 5 minutes, add 1 tbsp of oil around the top of the dish and a sprinkling of salt.
Cover the pan, turn heat down and cook for 25 minutes.
Turn the heat up for the last 5 minutes so you can make the bottom layer (rice or potatoes) crispy.
Once the rice is ready, find a large round serving dish and put onto of the saucepan using oven gloves. Gently turn over the rice pot onto the serving dish so the rice and the crisp bottom will come out whole.
Serve with sautéed tofu and if you like the ‘sweet and savoury’ combo, add 1/2 cup of mixed vine dried fruits (raisins, sultanas, cranberries etc) in with a pinch of saffron, 1 tbsp of water, 4 dates (stone removed) and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Want to get your hands on my latest Cookbook: Middle-Eastern Nutritious Cooking ~ Plant-based which includes many of your best loved Persian dishes?
