PREPARATION MASH POLO

PREPARATION SAFFRON ESSENCE

1. Grind saffron threads in a mortar and pour 25 ml of boiling water over it. Cover with a lid and leave to steam until needed.

PREPARATION MUNG BEANS

1. Wash mung beans in a sieve and soak them with enough water overnight. The next day, strain the water and rinse well.

2. Place the mung beans in a pot with enough water to cover them. Once the water boils, keep skimming off the foam with a skimmer.

3. Boil mung beans al dente for about 10 – 15 minutes and drain in a colander. Set aside.

PREPARATION RICE

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, once the water boils add the rice and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes al dente.

2. Drain the rice in a colander and rinse with cold water.

3. Mix rice, dill, and mung beans carefully to avoid breaking the rice grains.

PREPARATION TAH DIG

1. In a non-stick pot, add some ghee and 2 tablespoons of saffron essence (you will need the rest later) and once the ghee is hot, add the lavash bread to the bottom of the pot.

2. Arrange the rice and mung bean mixture in a cone shape.

3. Wrap the lid of the pot with a cloth and steam the rice at medium temperature for about 45-60 minutes.

PREPARATION MEATBALLS

1. In the meantime, chop the onion finely and mix it into minced meat with the spices.

2. Shape small balls, I got 26 balls.

3. Fry the meatballs in fat, remove from the pan, and set aside. Leave the pan with the fat, we need it to fry the raisins.

PREPARATION TOPPING

1. Fry the raisins in the fat of the minced meat and sprinkle with cinnamon. Set aside.

2. Peel, halve, and slice the onions.

3. Boil some water with a teaspoon of salt and cook the onions for about 4 – 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of saffron essence to the onions until they turn yellow.

4. Drain the onions in a sieve, place them on a kitchen towel, and pat them dry.

5. Heat a pot with plenty of oil and fry the onions at medium temperature for about 20 – 30 minutes.

6. Rinse walnuts in a sieve and let stand with hot water for 10 minutes. Drain in a sieve and pat dry well.

7. Roast in a pan without oil.

SERVING SUGGESTION

1. Remove about 2 large ladles of dill-mung bean rice from the pot and gently mix in the remaining saffron essence until the rice is yellow.

2. In a dish, spread some of the dill mung bean rice and apply alternating saffron dill mung bean rice, meatballs, fried onions, raisins, and walnuts, see photos.

3. Remove lavash tahdig from the pot and cut it into triangles and spread it on top of the rice.