Baghali Polo Recipes

BAHGALI POLO

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse rice and transfer to a large bowl. Pour enough water over the rice to cover by a few inches and soak for 1 hour; drain.
• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook lima beans in boiling water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and rice to the boiling water and cook until rice is partially softened, about 11 minutes; drain.
• Season lamb with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir lamb in melted butter until completely browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer lamb to a bowl. Cook and stir onion in skillet until translucent, about 7 minutes. Return lamb to skillet; add dill and cooked lima beans. Remove skillet from heat.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon hot water. Spoon about 1/3 the partially cooked rice into the saucepan. Layer about half the lamb mixture over the rice layer. Repeat layering 1/2 the remaining rice, the remaining lamb mixture, and finishing with the remaining rice. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons butter into cubes and arrange atop the top rice layer.
• Place a cover on the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the rice is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before serving with yogurt.

BAGHALI POLO

Steps:

• Combine the rice, salt, olive oil and 3 cups water in a medium pot with a lid over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, and let it bubble, uncovered, until the water evaporates. (When the water is all gone, the rice should be about half-cooked.) Turn the heat to low.
• Add the fresh or dried dill and the garlic powder, and stir with a fork. Spread the beans out over the top of the rice, cover the pot and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, add the butter, cover the pot and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the butter melts. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

BAGHALI POLO - PERSIAN RICE WITH LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, saute the onion and lima beans over medium heat for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine saffron water and yogurt. Add 1/2 cup of your basmati rice to this bowl and mix.
• In a large pot, add enough water to thinly cover the bottom. Add 3 tablespoons canola oil and give it a swirl so the water and oil mix.
• Layer the bottom of the pot with the rice and yogurt mixture.
• Add a handful of chopped dill to the pot then cover with a small layer of rice.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of advieh over the rice.
• Add a generous layer of lima beans.
• Add a generous layer of chopped dill.
• Gently mix the rice, fava beans, and dill.
• Continue layering until you are out of both rice and the vegetables. You should finish with a layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of advieh on top.
• With the end of a spatula, make holes around the perimeter of the pot, making sure you don't pass the yogurt-rice layer.
• Cover and on high for 10 minutes.
• Place a towel on top of the pot and cover tightly. Cook on medium-low for 1 hour.
• Halfway through the cooking process, drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter or oil over the rice. If you'd like, you can also add a pinch of saffron to the butter or oil too.

BAGHALA POLO -- IRANIAN RICE WITH LAMB, DILL AND LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• In a heavy 3-4 quart casserole, with a tightly fitting lid, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over a medium heat.
• Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes or until the slices are browned.
• You will need to stir them often.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan and onto a plate.
• Set aside.
• Working in batches, brown the lamb cubes in the remaining fat in the dish.
• As they brown, take them out of the dish and put them on the plate with the onions.
• Pour the 3 cups of water into the casserole and bring it to a boil, scraping to loosen any brown particles clinging to the dish.
• Return the lamb and onion to the dish, add the salt and reduce the heat to low.
• Cover tightly and simmer for about an hour or untilt he lamb is tender and doesn't show any resistance when pierced.
• Transfer the onions, lamb and all the cooking liquid to a large bowl.
• Set the casserole aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 5-6 quart saucepan.
• Pour in the rice in a slow, thin stream so the water does not stop boiling.
• Stir a couple times and boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the dill and lima beans and drain in a fine sieve.
• Ladle about half of the rice mixture into the smaller casserole and moisten it with 1/2 cup of the lamb cooking liquid.
• Then use a spatula or spoon to spread the rice mixture to the edges of the pan.
• Use a slotted spoon to return the lamb and onions to the casserole and smooth them over the rice.
• Spread the remaining rice mixture on top.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of the melted butter with 6 tablespoons of the lamb broth and pour it over the rice.
• Bring the casserole to a boil over high heat.
• Cover tightly and bake on a middle oven shelf for 30-40 minutes or until the beans are tender and rice has absorbed the liquid.
• To serve, spoon about a cup of the rice mixture into a small bowl.
• Add the dissolved saffron and stir until the rice is bright yellow.
• Spread about half the remaining rice on a heated platter and arrange the lamb over it.
• Cover the lamb with the rest of the plain rice and garnish with the saffron rice.
• Pour the remaining 6 tablespoons butter over the top.