Adas Polo, Persian Rice, and Lentils

Adas Polo is in the heart of every Iranian.  Different flavors in this dish make it extraordinary. First, the aroma of Persian rice wakes up your appetite. Then one spoon of it brings you the sweetness of raisins, the crunchiness of walnuts, and the tenderness of lentils. 

The fantastic point about Adas Polo, this delicious Persian dish is the flexibility of its recipe. You can feel free to remove some of the ingredients and add more of your desired ones. 

Although Adas Polo is usually made with meat, omitting the meat would not damage the taste. Therefore, vegetarians and vegans can make this food and make sure that their bodies receive enough protein for the day. 

Without further ado, let’s see what we need to have to make a delicious Adas Polo.

What Do You Need to Make Adas Polo?

Rice: 

The delightful, beloved white rice is the first thing to make your food 100 percent Iranian and utterly delicious. There is a variety of rice which you can choose from. However, the type that we are looking for is medium to long-grain white rice. To purchase rice, the ideal thing to do would be to visit Persian groceries and buy Persian rice, especially the north’s rice. But using Basmati rice will satisfy you with similar results.

Lentils:

 To make Adas Polo, we look for brown or green lentils that can keep their shape during cooking time and are incredibly delicious and beneficial for the body. Folic acid is one of the main useful attributes of lentils, which helps your body make red blood cells. Also, they can replace meat perfectly since they are rich in protein.

Meat (optional):

 Using ground lamb in your Adas Polo will give it a luxurious look.

Lamb meat is very tender and soft compared to beef, and Iranians prefer it to other types as well. The fact that lamb is full of iron and vitamin B makes it easy for the body to function well. Also, these nutrients can be absorbed better, compared to vegan sources of iron and vitamin B, so they are easy to use.

Raisins (optional):

Iranians use raisins in Adas Polo to moderate the taste and make it more nutritious. Also, they believe that rice and lentils with raisins will provide a good balance of food for your body to maintain health.

Onion: 

Fried onion or as Iranians call it, “Piyaz Dagh” is what we need for our Adas Polo. We need to be generous in using fried onion in Adas Polo to make sure the result is phenomenal. Onion is a natural antibacterial that aligns with lots of vitamin C to prevent your body from getting sick. Also, since onion is rich in antioxidants, it helps with heart diseases. Therefore, do not forget to put onions in your diet.

Before getting into the recipe, we need to go over the ingredients and their measures to see how to start. 

How to Make Adas Polo?

Step One: Cooking rice and lentils

You need to cook the lentils for about 30 minutes. In a separate pot boil the soaked rice for about 7 to 10 minutes. When the rice seeds are Al Dente, look more transparent, and some of them come to the surface, you can drain them.

Step Two: Steaming rice

Then, wash the foam formed on the pot put it back on the heat, add oil, put the rice and lentils layer by layer, and put the lid back on. It takes about 30 minutes to have the base of Adas Polo.

Step Three: Onion and raisin mixture

First, peel and chop the onions and fry them until they look golden brown. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon to your fried onion. If you are using ground lamb, it is time to cook it with onion. Use a fork to separate the meat into little pieces and stir it well until cooked all the way. Add raisins, dates, and walnuts to the mixture.

Step Four: Decoration and serving

 Brew saffron with half a cup of boiling water, and add 3 tablespoons of lentil rice to it to make it golden. Decorate your Adas Polo with saffron rice, fried onion, and raisin mixture on top of it. Enjoy your delicious Adas Polo.

Is Adas Polo Vegetarian/ Vegan?

Definitely Yes. Since Adas Polo is a complete meal without adding any meat, you just need to ignore the meat and add more walnuts and dates, follow the recipe to see the spectacular result. After making Adas Polo and seeing how easy yet delicious it is, you would definitely add it to your diet.

For more recipes like this try our Top Persian Dishes page.