Adas Polow ~ Persian Lentil Rice
Adas Polow, a delicious rice layered with lentils, is one of my favorite polow. It didn’t necessarily used to be when I was younger, however, since I was a pesco-vegetarian for a couple of years, it was one of the polow that I could make when I craved Persian food or order at the restaurant. This is polow is definitely a winner when it comes to vegetarians and vegans! Not only is it delicious, but it is also very simple to make.
Some people like to place the dates within the layers of rice. However, I like my mom’s method much better where she places the dates on top of the rice as it steams. Once the rice is ready she then arranges the dates around rice.
Ingredients
3 cups rice
1 onion
1 1/2 cup lentils
1 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tbsp Advieh
4 tbsp brewed saffron
12 dates
salt & pepper
oil
Cook lentils in salted water until just tender.
Small dice onion and saute in oil until just golden. Add raisins and give it a stir.
Season lightly with salt and add cinnamon. Mix well.
Once the lentils are ready add them to the onion and raisins. Mix well together.
Par-boil rice according to Cooking Rice for Polow post.
To a non-stick pot add 2 tbsp of canola oil, 2 tbsp of brewed saffron and just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Give the ingredients a stir and add a few spatulas of rice. Add 1/3 of lentil and raisins mixture and top with 1 to 2 teaspoons of advieh. Repeat layering rice and lentil/raisin mixture. Finish off with a layer of white rice. With the back of a spatula create a few holes in the rice.
Cover the pot and cook on high for 10 minutes.
Arrange the dates on top of the rice. Mix together 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 2 tablespoons of brewed saffron and 1/4 cup of water. Pour the mixture over rice. Place the lid of the pot in a towel and place back on the pot and cook on low for 1 hour.
And in the end you will have a delicious rice!
February 7, 2011
You have no idea how happy I was to see ‘adas polow’ pop up in google reader!! It’s my all time favorite Persian rice, and I haven’t yet managed to snag the recipe from my parents. Thank you!!!
February 7, 2011
I love your blog. every recipe makes me want to take a day off and cook. Thank you so much!
February 8, 2011
Janea, wooohooo!!! Now you have it and make it on your own!!
February 8, 2011
Gaile, now that’s one of the most awesomest compliments ever!!! Thank you!!
February 8, 2011
Looks amazing! Love Persian food.
February 12, 2011
Just made this tonight. Thank you for the recipe!
February 12, 2011
Tanya, awesome!!
March 10, 2011
Cooked this last night for my boyfriend I hope he enjoys it since he won’t try it till tonight thx Recipe!
August 17, 2011
Sanam, can I make this recipe in a Persian rice cooker with success? I’m LOVIN’ my new rice cooker.
August 18, 2011
Emily, yes, you can. 🙂
July 10, 2012
My wife is from Iran and I love this piece of Persian food! She is away abroad and I wanted to make this on my own and thanks to this page I could make it myself. Thank you a million!
July 16, 2012
I am looking for the recipee of a stew called Gorma sabz??? i do not know how to spell it correctly.
I went to college with an iranian friend who cooked persian food and i loved it!
my favorite dish was Gorma sabz, ??? If you can figure out what i’m talking about, please let me know.
i also would like to learn how to cook rice and make a “pancake” from the burned rice…Again, do you know what i mean?
July 27, 2012
Marie, here are the recipes that you are asking about: http://mypersiankitchen.com/ghormeh-sabzi-persian-herb-stew/
Persian rice: http://mypersiankitchen.com/persian-rice-cooking-method/
August 13, 2012
My hubs is persian and his mom (who is from Iran) makes the most amazing food. He said he was craving this yesterday, so I looked up the recipe in New Food of Life, but wasn’t sure what kind of lentils to use. I searched for the recipe and I am so glad you have shared it! Your recipes are so much more simple! But I still don’t know what kind of lentils to use. Any suggestions?
August 14, 2012
Kelly, I use regular brown lentils.
February 23, 2013
hi,iam from iran,i love this food.
March 15, 2013
Could you advise me on how to adapt this for the crock pot? I’m going to a Persian Spring celebration tomorrow evening and I want to take this dish. I’m feeling I could cook everything as suggested and layer in the crock pot. The tricky part is how long to cook in the crock pot? I go to a lot of gatherings where we share food and use the crock pot all the time. I would love your recommendations on using the crock pot for your dishes. Thanks so much!
Also, an alternative to using a mortar for the brewed saffron? I just don’t want to purchase more equipment then find a place to store it. I have limited space and too much already!!! thanks Blessed be…
March 18, 2013
Amrita, I have never made rice in a crockpot. I’d have to experiment a few times before even coming close to giving advice on how to do it.
April 26, 2013
Oh my kitchen smells so delicious right now, merci! My mom used to add chunks of stewed beef (for those non-vegetarians), but I’m not sure at which point. I have used your website 9083408 times since moving away; I am almost ready to take on ghormet sabzi…
August 27, 2013
If I use a rice maker, do I parboil the rice?
August 28, 2013
Sandra, if you use a rice make you don’t need to parboil the rice. However, you’d have to mix the rice and the ingredients once the water has absorbed, otherwise everything will stay on top of the rice.
October 2, 2013
Daset dard nakone for sharing these amazing recipes!!!! I just made adas polo and my house smells amazing…
Thank you again!!!
February 24, 2015
My husbands aunt makes this with short ribs and it was delicious. She left us before I had a chance to get the recipe from her, should I cook them separately and add them to the rice after the first cooking when the rice is steamed? Your recipes are easy to follow and taste delicious which makes me and my husband happy since I am a Brit, not Persian 🙂
February 26, 2015
Madeleine, yes, you have to cook the meat first then add it to the rice for the steaming stage.