Persian Lentil Rice with Meat (Adas Polo)

Serves 4
Rice Preparation
2 cups brown basmati rice
1 ½ cups lentils
1 teaspoon salt

Wash rice several times to remove all excess starch. Add rice to a large sauce pan and fill water about 1 inch above the rice. Add salt. Let rice soak for about 2 hours. Once rice has soaked place on stove and bring to a boil. Cook until rice is al dente or until rice is still a little hard in the middle (about 18-20 mins). Strain the rice and set aside.

Meat Mixture
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dates, seedless

Add oil to pan on medium heat. Add the ground beef and while cooking break the meat apart using a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until the beef no longer shows pink. Add onions and saute until golden brown. Add turmeric, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Add raisins and dates. Continue cooking a few more minutes until well mixed and dates have softened. Remove from heat and set aside for assembly.

Assmebly
½ tablespoon water
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon saffron
1 cup boiling water

Add the water and oil to the bottom of a pot. Separately in a bowl add the saffron and mix in the boiling water to dissolve the saffron. Start by adding a layer of the rice to the pot. Drizzle some of the saffron water on top of the rice layer. Then add a layer of the meat mixture. Continue this process until all ingredients have been used. Using a the non-spoon end of a wooden spoon poke a few holes in the rice mixture and wrap a towel around the lid and place the lid on the pot. Put the heat on low and allow rice mixture to cook for an additional 30-35 mins.