Ada’s Polo with minced meat, lentils and raisins

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Step 2

Rinse the rice and pour into the boiling pot. Cook just until tender but still has a slight bite to it. Drain it.

Step 3

Boil the lentils in a smaller pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and rinse.

Step 4

Boil the orange peel and drain. Repeat this 3 times to remove the bitterness and re-hydrate them. You can also put them in the microwave for 1 minute, 3 times with fresh water then drain.

Step 5

Fry onions and garlic in a bit of butter and oil till golden, then add ground beef. Continue to cook until the beef is done.

Step 6

Stir in the spices and 1 teaspoon of the saffron water.

Step 7

Add the cooked lentils, orange peel and 1/2 cup of the raisins to the beef mixture.

Step 8

In the same pot you cooked your rice (because who wants to wash more dishes?) decide how you want to prepare the bottom of your pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil to the pot and then ...

Step 9

Option 1. Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom.

Step 10

Option 2. Place a layer of pita bread on the bottom.

Step 11

Option 3. Take 2 tablespoons plain yogurt and mix it with 2 spatulas full of rice and a few drops of saffron water and layer this on the bottom of the pot.

Step 12

Place 2 heaping spatulas of rice on top of your selection from above. Add a layer of the beef and lentil mixture. Build a pyramid by alternating layers of the rice and meat mixtures, finishing with a layer of rice. Cover and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes.

Step 13

Take the remaining saffron water and some melted butter (2 tablespoons) and pour it over your pyramid. Place a clean dish towel on your pot and then cover with the lid. Cook for another 50 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before uncovering to allow the crust (tah dig) to come free.

Step 14

In the meantime, take another 1/2 cup of raisins and fry in 1 tablespoon butter just until they start to puff up. Remove the rice from the pot onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the fried raisins. Remove the tah dig from the pot and hide it - it's the best part and everyone will want some. Serve with plain yogurt.