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Vegan Reshteh Polo

Vegan Reshteh Polo

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Author: Mana | The Iranian Vegan

Ingredients

For the reshteh polo (noodle rice):

  • 3 cups basmati rice - preferably soaked overnight
  • 80 g brown reshteh noodles - broken into 1 cm pieces
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup pitted dates - optional
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 large white onion - finely sliced
  • 1 small pinch of saffron threads - or 1/6 tsp saffron powder
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • Lavash bread - optional
  • For the ‘meat’balls
  • 1 cup quinoa - cooked and cooled
  • 1 can of black beans / 1 cup cooked black beans
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 large white onion
  • 2 tsp all-purpose seasoning - usually has paprika, onion, garlic, celery, chili powder - I used the brand Dunn’s river
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • Wash and drain the rice.
  • Boil 6 cups of water with 2 tbsp salt. When boiling add in the rice and boil for 6-8 minutes until half-cooked. The rice should still be slightly firm in the middle (like pasta is al-dente). About 4 minutes in, add the broken reshteh noodles and boil them together. 
  • After 6-8 minutes, wash immediately with cold running water to stop the cooking process. 
  • Add 3 tbsp oil to the bottom of a large pot. For a bread tahdig, line with lavash bread, covering the bottom of the pot.
  • Add in a quarter of the half-cooked rice and noodle mixture, sprinkle with a few dashes of cinnamon (about ½ tsp), and mix gently with a fork. Repeat the process until the rice is used up.
  • Create a mound shape with rice by dragging up the sides, and poke 5 holes into the mound with the back of a spoon. With a slotted spoon, pour over 3-4 tbsp of vegetable oil.
  • Leave it on medium heat for 10 minutes, allowing the steam to begin to rise. Then turn it to the lowest setting, put on the lid wrapped in a dishcloth (to collect steam droplets), and leave to steam for another 35 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, let’s make the meatballs. To make the meatballs, add in all the ingredients: the cooled and cooked quinoa, cooked black beans, oats, onion, and spices into a food processor. Adjust the salt to your taste.
  • Take small amounts of the mixture and roll them into meatball shapes. If they are too sticky, apply a bit of oil to your hands when rolling. Or, add a little bit of cornstarch to the mixture, 1 tbsp at a time.
  • Around 10 minutes before you would like to serve, fry the ‘meat’balls in 2-3 tbsp of oil on medium heat until nicely browned on all sides, and set aside on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
  • At the same time, caramelize the sliced onion with 3 tbsp oil on low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
  • Heat the dates and raisins in a pan with a little water or oil for 2-3 minutes.
  • When the rice is ready, dissolve the ground saffron with 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Add in the butter, and 2 spatulas of cooked rice. Mix evenly and use this saffron rice for garnish. 
  • Assemble the rice and 'meat'balls', along with the raisins, dates, and caramelized onions. Enjoy with tart vegan yogurt and nush-e-jan!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!