Reshteh Polo
Rice layered with noodles, dates and raisins
Ingredients
Lamb
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
- 2 1/2 pounds lamb shanks
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Filling
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dates, pitted and sliced in 1/2
Noodles
- 150 gram Persian noodles (Reshteh), or Linguini.
Rice
- 8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt, for parboiling the rice and will be rinsed out
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for one hour and rinsed
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
Lamb
- In a large pot, saute the onion in olive oil on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add turmeric, stir and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the lamb shanks and saute for another couple of minutes.
- Add hot water, bring the mixture to a boil before reducing heat. Cover and cook on low heat for 60 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 30-60 minutes or until the lamb shank is completely cooked and fork-tender.
- Add saffron water, stir and remove from the heat.
Filling
- In a large frying pan, saute the onion with olive oil for about 15 minutes over medium heat until they have turned lightly golden.
- Add the cinnamon, turmeric and salt and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the raisins and dates and toss to mix. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Noodles
- Place the noodles single layered on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler for 30-60 seconds.
- The noodles should be blistered and turned golden in color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, break each piece into 1/3s and set aside.
Rice
- In a large covered pot, bring 8 cups of water and salt to a boil.
- Add the rinsed rice and boil on high heat uncovered for about 5 minutes, or until the rice has slightly softened. Add the noodles, stir and remove from the heat.
- Drain the rice and noodles in a colander, rinse and set aside.
- Spread four tablespoons of oil in a nonstick pot.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of the lightly cooked rice-noodle mixture with 2 tablespoons of saffron-water mixture, gently mix and spread evenly in the bottom of the pot. This will be the crispy rice referred to as Tahdig.
- * Alternatively, you can place a piece of lavash flat bread on the bottom of the pot for a bread Tahdig.
- Begin by layering a 1/3 of the partially cooked rice-noodle mixture and a 1/3 of onion mixture into the pot and repeat until all of the rice and onion mixture have been layered in the pot.
- Wrap the lid with a clean towel and place it on the pot. Allow the rice to steam over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes.
- Add the remaining saffron water to the rice and gently fluff using two forks.
Serving
- Gently remove the rice from the pot and place it on a large serving platter using a large spatula.
- Remove the Tahdig from the pan and place it on the serving platter.
- Place the lamb shank on a separate platter with some of the cooking liquid. Alternatively, you can also place the lamb shanks on the large serving platter with the rice.
- Serve with a side of fresh herbs and yogurt.
Notes
In addition to lamb shanks, you can also prepare this dish with roasted chicken or stewed beef or Persian petite meatballs (Ghel Gheli).
As always, sunny side up eggs with a touch of salt, pepper and sprinkle of turmeric can also accompany the rice to make it vegetarian friendly.
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