Adas Polo (Rice with Lentil)

I have received a package of materials for Persian food recently. Now I can cook whatever I want. Today my lunch was a food which I hated all my life until the day that my mother cooked it for me to take it to a picnic. We went to Shemshak, north east of Tehran. It was snow everywhere and cold. We hardly managed to keep the gas burner lighted up in that heavy wind. Finally, the food was warm and we ate it heartily. I would say more than delicious. Today, I had my lunch with closed eyes remembering that day. I'm a good cook, a true substitute of mum.

PS: What gives taste to the food?