1/2 to 1 cup of brown rice is normally enough for most of us, depending on activity level, size, age, etc.
Other engredients: 1 cup currents or any raisin really (I like plump golden ones mixed with currents or brown raisins), 1 large onion, 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, ground cinnamon, small pinch of ground zaffron (if you want to go fancy)
1) Rinse 2 cups of brown rice and 1-1/2 cups of brown lentils
2) Bring salted water to boil (water to brown rice ratio is 2:1, salt to rice 2 tbsp:2cups). Add rice and lentils to the boiling water. Turn down heat to medium hi. Stir a few times.
3) For Katte’: When water is reduced to about an inch above the surface (about 30 minutes), add 1/4-1/2 cup oil (based on how much you want to lose before the iranian.com Festival on 4/25), wrap the lid with cloth tightly (if you like crispy tahdigh, use 1-2 cup oil) and lower heat to med low
For damn-shodeh: after about 25 mins on high heat, taste the rice to be hard in the middle (al dente), strain the rice, rinse (for complete drainage of all nutrients!), bring back to the oiled bottom pot (1/2 cup oil for tahdeeg, I leave it to your determination). Wrap cloth on the lid and on med low heat, cook another 20 mins (but taste before you serve it to your loved one).
4) While your rice is cooking: saute the cut/sliced onions in a small to medium pan, oiled pan (oil 2 tablespoons) on med, stirring frequently. When the onion is golden (piyaaz daagh), lower the heat and add your raisins
5) Some people like the onion raisin mix (with dates), sprinkled with cinnamon, on their rice served on each plate (next to their chicken or koofteh ghelghelee/tiney meat balls). And some like it mixed in the pot. Some even like it vegetarian.
Added touches: Mix pinch of zafron in 1/2 oz boiled water. Mix some of the rice with zafronned rice and decorate plate(s) with it. For extra brownie points, you can decorate your honey’s plate with extra pitted dates and raisins in piyaaz daagh.
If you really love each other, tiny meat balls are in order: ground beef, grateded raw onion, salt, pepper, cinnamon mix well and turn into little balls and cook on med. Move the meat balls often so they don’t stick or burn.
If you love each other but don’t have time: when you start boiling water for rice, you can preheat you oven 450, sprinkle chicken pieces with salt pepper and oil (if skinned), lower heat to 375 (depening on your oven), cook until rice is ready. If you don’t know how to cook chicken, then leave your comment below and I’ll tell you. Nooshe Jaan
