Reshteh polo

Method

1. 1 Soak the rice in salt water for 3 hours, then boil it for 6 minutes and rinse with cold water.
2. 2 Toast the reshteh noodles in a dry pan for 3 minutes until they turn brown and have a toasted aroma.
3. 3 Toasting the noodles before boiling is a unique step for this dish; if not toasted, the noodles will be bland and mushy.
4. 4 Boil the roasted noodles for 4 minutes, then rinse with cold water and drain.
5. 5 Sauté onions with turmeric, then stir-fry raisins and jujubes with cinnamon for 4 minutes.
6. 6 Layer the rice, noodles, and dried fruit mixture alternately and simmer over the lowest heat for 45 minutes.

With an appliance

• Oven 1 hr 40 min

  Replace step 6: layer rice, noodles, and dried fruit in a covered pot, place on the bottom rack of the oven at 165 degrees for 35 minutes; reduce by about 10 minutes. The even heat will cook the rice and noodles evenly without needing to constantly monitor the heat, and the bottom will be less likely to burn. The separate steps for roasting and boiling the noodles remain the same.