Mesopotamian Rice Salad with Green Lentils, Dates, & Raisins

Name: Mesopotamian Rice Salad with Green Lentils, Dates, & Raisins
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Servings: 4
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, butter, or ghee; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, butter, or ghee; 6 cups water; 2½ teaspoons salt; ½ cup raisins; 1 cup medjool dates (about 6), pitted and sliced; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, butter, or ghee; 1 cup dried brown lentils; 2 cups basmati rice; ¼ teaspoon chili paste or cayenne (optional); ¼ teaspoon chili paste or cayenne (optional); 2 teaspoons ground cumin; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 4 cups shredded greens, arugula or romaine lettuce; ½ cup olive oil; 4 cups shredded greens, arugula or romaine lettuce; 4 cups shredded greens, arugula or romaine lettuce; 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped into ¼-inch cubes; 1 cup chopped fresh scallions; 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped; ½ cup fresh lime juice; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons salt

Preparation info

Servings:
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 10

Appears in

Silk Road Cooking

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2000

About

I have combined long-grain Basmati rice—popular throughout Iran and the Fertile Crescent—lentils, dates and raisins to create a salad with truly wonderful flavors.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice
6 cups water
2½ teaspoons

Asia
Turkey
Iran
Side dish
Mediterranean
Southeast Asia
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

Pick over and wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with lukewarm water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat five times until the rice is completely clean.
Combine the rice with 3 cups water,