Adas Polow (Persian Rice and Lentils)

I may have an addiction to rice. Once you find that perfect airy and fluffy basmati rice, there is no going back. And then once you master the perfectly crispy tahdig, well..it’s all over! You will be spoiled as the humble grain transforms into a masterpiece. Adas polow is a gorgeous Persian rice dish that is studded with lentils, tart barberries and crispy potato tahdig.

Adas polow is a traditional Persian rice dish with layers of textures and flavors that does take a bit of time to make. The colors are vibrant and the bottom has a crispy potato tahdig, which means “crispy bottom”. If you cannot find barberies, which are quite tart, you can substitute dried currants or even dried cranberries.

Rice to Use for Persian Rice

I highly recommend finding India Gate White Basmati Rice. We buy it by the 10 pound bag and it is well worth it! The grains are long and light and always makes perfect rice every time.

How to Make Adas Polow

For this dish, step by step photos are in order…hope this helps you to create this gorgeous rice dish for your holiday!

1) Pour rice into a large bowl and fill with water and rinse until water runs clear, then soak for 1 hour.

2) In a small pot, add lentils and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook lentils for about 10-15 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3) In another pot, add rinsed rice and 4 cups of water and boil rice until it’s soft on the outside but firm in the middle, about 10 minutes. Don’t cook rice fully since. Rinse rice and set aside.

4) In the same pot, drizzle olive oil and saute chopped onion until caramelized. Add barberries pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and toss to combine. Remove and set aside.

5) Wipe out the pot (or use a pan) and drizzle with olive oil to coat the bottom and bring to medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and stir in the oil and lay potatoes in an even layer.

6) Mix lentils and rice together and add that on top of potatoes.

7) Add the barberry and onion mixture and figs and lay on top of rice.

8) Drizzle saffron water over the top of everything and poke holes with the back of a large wooden spoon. This will help the steam to escape and the bottom to get crispy.

9) Next, cover the lid with a clean towel and close lid on pan. Cook on high for about 10 minutes so the potato gets crispy then decrease heat to low for 20 minutes so the rice is fully cooked.

10) When done, remove lid and serve rice with potato tahdig on the side.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Adas Polow (Persian Rice and Lentils)

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time1 hr 40 mins

Course: Main, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Persian

Keyword: adas polow, adas polow recipe, Persian rice with lentils

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 417kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Cost: $10

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 3/4 cup green lentils
• 5 1/2 cups water divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion chopped finely
• 1 Yukon gold potato peeled, sliced thin and soaked in water
• 1 cup barberries or dried currants or dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon turmeric divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup dried figs chopped (about 6-7 figs)
• Small pinch of saffron soaked in warm water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Pour rice into a large bowl and fill with water. Rinse several times until the water runs clear, about 6-7 times and then soak the rice for 1 hour.
• In a small pot, add lentils and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook lentils for about 10-15 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In another pot, add rinsed rice and 4 cups of water. Boil rice until it is half way cooked and soft on the outside but still firm in the middle, about 10 minutes. You don't want to cook the rice fully because it will continue to cook later. When done, drain and rinse and set aside.
• In the same pot you cooked the rice that is now empty, drizzle olive oil and saute chopped onion until caramelized. Then add barberries (or dried cranberries) salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss to combine and remove mixture to a bowl and set aside.
• Wipe out the pot for any residual onion and drizzle with olive oil to coat the bottom and bring to medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and stir in the oil and lay potatoes in an even layer.
• Mix lentils and rice together and add that on top of potatoes.
• Then add the barberry-onion mixture and dried figs and lay on top of rice.
• Drizzle saffron water over the top of everything and poke holes with the back of a large wooden spoon or chopstick. This will help the steam to escape and the bottom to get crispy.
• Next, cover the lid with a clean towel and close lid on pot. Cook on high for about 10 minutes so the potato gets crispy then decrease heat to low for 20 minutes so the rice is fully cooked. The potato should be crispy and rice flurry and cooked through.
• When done, remove lid and serve rice with potato tahdig on the side.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Turmeric and Spice

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg

This post was originally published in December, 2014 and updated June, 2021 with nutritional information.