Lintile and rice (Adas-polo) (4 Servings) - vegetarian dish

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (8 Oz) of white long grain rice.
• 4 table spoons of cooking oil.
• 1 cup (8 Oz) of lentils.
• 1 loaf of pita (or other flat middle eastern type) bread.
• 4 oz of water.
• salt

Preparation:

For best results, soak the rice for a few hours in hot water and salt before cooking. Soak the lentils in a separate water (no salt) container a short while before cooking.

In a medium size pot, half-way filled with water, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice (and the water it was soaking in), and let it cook for a few minutes until it starts boiling. Add the lentils. Occasionally pick a few of the rice grains with a spoon and chew on them to see if they have softened.

When the rice is half-crunchy half-soft, take it out and drain it in a kitchen stringer. Run the tab water on it to wash out some of the excess salt.

Pour the oil in the pot, add 4 oz of water, separate the two halves of the pita bread and lay them in the bottom of the pot, add a bit of extra oil if necessary, then pile up the rice losely in the shape of a heap. With the back of a spoon, make five holes, one in the center and four around it so that the rice can breath in the cooking process.

Spread a little water on top and close the lid. Let it cook for a few minutes on high heat. When steam starts to rise, change the setting to medium heat and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes. Then turn the heat to medium-low, sprinkle some cooking oil to prevent drying, and let it cook for about another 10-15 minutes before serving.

courtesy of: Soheila Amiri