Persian Rice
From our cookbook collection
Ingredients:
- 1 medium onion
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 lb minced beef or lamb
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- salt to taste
- 1 cup + 5 liters of water
- 1 ½ cup of lentils
- 2 cups of basmati rice
For raisin topping:
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 ½ cup raisins
- cardamom or rose powder to taste
Ayran, or Yogurt Sauce
- yogurt
- salt to taste
- water
- rose powder
Directions:
- Dice onion and add to 3 tablespoons of hot oil in a pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
- Add beef or lamb and cook until the meat slightly browns.
- Add garlic, turmeric powder, paprika, cumin seeds, 1 cup of water and salt to taste.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until water evaporates. Then set aside.
- Cover lentils in water and cook on a low flame for 20-30 minutes. Then, set aside.
- Bring 5 liters of water to a boil. Salt well and add rice.
- Cook rice only until it is soft from the outside and firm on the inside. Then drain the water.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons of oil, then the cooked rice. Begin to layer the lentils on top.
- Cover and cook on medium-high flame for 10 minutes.
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the top.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and simmer for 20 minutes.
- While it simmers, prepare raisins and yogurt sauce:
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add 1 diced medium onion. Then, add raisins and cook for 5 minutes.
- Finish with rose or cardamom powder to taste.
- For Ayran, put yogurt and salt into a blender and mix for 2-3 minutes, slowly adding water to thin the sauce out. Add salt and rose powder to taste and blend until combined.
- When the rice and lentils are done, plate with cooked meat and raisins and serve with Ayran on the side.