Pelow Shirin Festive Persian Rice Dish Recipes

POLOW (PERSIAN RICE WITH PISTACHIOS AND DILL)

Steps:

• Using lid of pot as guide, trace circle on parchment paper and cut out. Set aside.
• In large bowl, rinse rice in several changes of cold water until water runs clear. Drain well.
• In pot over moderately high heat, combine 4 quarts cold water, rice, and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to moderate and boil, uncovered, 5 minutes. Drain well.
• In small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup warm water and saffron until dissolved.
• Transfer 1 cup cooked rice to medium bowl and stir in yogurt and 1 tablespoon saffron water (reserve remaining saffron water).
• In cleaned pot over moderately low heat, melt butter. Add rice-yogurt mixture, smoothing into flat layer. Top with 1/2 of remaining rice. Sprinkle with 1/2 of dill and pistachios and top with 1/2 of remaining rice, mounding loosely. Sprinkle with remaining dill and pistachios and top with remaining rice, mounding loosely into pyramid. Using round handle of wooden spoon, make 5 or 6 holes in rice to bottom of pot and pour in remaining saffron water.
• Cover rice with prepared parchment paper round then with lid and steam, undisturbed, until tender and crust forms on bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Spoon loose rice onto platter without disturbing bottom crust. Dip bottom of pan into large bowl of cold water 30 seconds to loosen crust. Using spatula or wooden spoon, lift crust and transfer atop rice.

PELOW SHIRIN - FESTIVE PERSIAN RICE DISH

Steps:

• For candied orange peel:.
• Coarsely grate orange peels and put in a small saucepan.
• Cover with 1 liter water and bring to a boil, then drain and repeat this process (to reduce the bitterness).
• Cover peels with the sugar and add 1 L water.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring.
• After 15 minutes, taste it. It should be very sweet syrup. If it's not, add sugar. If it's too thick, add some water.
• Simmer until rind looks translucent around the edges and is swimming in sugary syrup.
• For roasted chicken:.
• Put whole chicken into an oven roasting dish and drown in the orange concentrate and pats of margarine.
• Cover and roast in 375°F oven until cooked (approx 1 1/2 hours).
• When it is done, let it cool slightly in the covered pot until you can safely peel off the skin and cut into bit-sized pieces.
• Drown the pieces in the chicken's sauce until it is time to serve.
• For carrot mixture:.
• Heat 50g margarine and oil in frying pan and sauté the carrots for 5 minutes.
• Add the cinnamon, then add any of the optional dried fruits or nuts and cover and simmer a few minutes longer, until everything has softened.
• Add the candied orange peel with its syrup.
• For rice:.
• Rinse rice until no longer starchy (water should be clear, not milky).
• Boil rice with 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt, then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not remove the lid, rather leave the rice to cook in the steam for 1/2 hour.
• Putting it all together:.
• Drain carrot-orange mixture, keeping syrup to be drizzled on according to taste.
• Add the carrots and chicken pieces to the rice and serve.

PERSIAN RICE WITH FAVA BEANS AND DILL (BAQALA POLOW)

Steps:

• Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat 5 times until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain, using a fine-mesh colander, and set aside.
• If using fresh fava beans in the pod, shell and remove second skins. If using frozen favas with second skins removed, place in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup (60ml) oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the cinnamon stick, leek, and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leek is wilted. Add the rice, salt, pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and rose water, and stir-fry for another 1 minute.
• Add the water, tip in the skinned fava beans and bring back to a boil, stirring gently twice with a wooden spoon, to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover firmly with a lid to prevent any steam from escaping. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
• Add the dill and fluff using 2 forks. Drizzle the remaining oil and the saffron-infused rose water over the rice. Cover again, reduce heat to low, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, still covered, for 5 minutes.
• Serve with fried eggs and Yogurt and Persian Shallot Dip or alongside roasted lamb or fish.