Polo Recipes

RESHTEH POLO

Steps:

• For the rice and noodles: Sprinkle the saffron on the ice cubes and set aside to melt. This will be your bloomed saffron.
• Rinse the rice in a bowl a few times until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the vermicelli and saute until the noodles turn deep brown but do not burn, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Fill a 6-quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the rice. Simmer over medium heat until the rice is al dente (if you press a grain between your thumb and index finger, it should break but still be firm in the center), about 7 minutes. Add the vermicelli to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Drain the rice and vermicelli in a colander and rinse briefly with cold water. Reserve the pot.
• Peel the potato and cut it into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add the vegetable oil to the reserved pot and sprinkle with the turmeric. Arrange the potato slices over the bottom of the pot. Spoon a third of the rice and vermicelli mix over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Repeat with half of the remaining rice and vermicelli mix and another 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and pinch of salt. End with the remaining rice and cinnamon and another pinch of salt.
• Set the pot back medium heat. Poke 5 holes in the rice using the end of a wooden spoon. Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and cover the pot. Cook until the rice is tender and the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife with no resistance, 25 to 35 minutes.
• For the toppings: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Saute the raisins until plump and shiny, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in the same skillet. Add the onions and saute until golden and tender, about 10 minutes.
• When the rice mixture is ready, transfer 1/2 cup of it to a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the bloomed saffron and mix with a spoon. Spoon the remaining rice onto a platter and arrange the potatoes around it. Top with the saffron-flavored rice, onions and raisins.

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Whisk together.
• Place the chicken legs, juiced pieces of fruit and quartered onions in large plastic bags or a bowl. Pour the marinade over the top, tossing to combine. Cover with plastic wrap (if using bowl) or seal the bag up and marinate for at least 2 hours ... several hours is better. Toss a few times during the marinating process.
• Preheat a grill. Grill the chicken legs until cooked all the way through, turning occasionally so the chicken is cooked on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Separate the tortillas into 2 piles of 16, and then wrap each pile in foil and warm over the grill for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Serve the chicken legs with the warm tortillas, pico de gallo, refried beans and chipotle salsa.

KALAM POLO (PERSIAN CABBAGE AND RICE)

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over ground saffron; let sit for 30 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup for rice; save remaining brewed saffron for another use.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and turmeric. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
• Heat remaining oil in another pan over medium heat. Saute cabbage until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon and ginger. Stir mixture into ground beef mixture and continue to cook over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of water if mixture is dry.
• Rinse and drain rice; transfer to a pot. Add cold water, butter, and remaining salt. Bring mixture to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is half-cooked and water has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Add beef mixture to the rice and slowly mix to incorporate. Turn the heat to low. Add hot water and reserved 1/4 cup brewed saffron to the rice, cover the pot, and let cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

UYGHUR POLO (PILAF)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot. Set the stove temperature at 7/10 at highest.
• Cook the meat in the oil, stirring occasionally until evenly browned.
• Add the chopped onion to the pot, still stirring, and cook until it is translucent.
• Stir carrots into the pot. Note that it will initially look like there are too many carrots in the dish; however, once they begin to absorb some of the oil they will shrink down and mix well into the the recipe.
• Add salt according to your taste.
• Pour water into the pot.
• When the water boils, add the hot pepper and whole garlic bulb. Let them simmer in the mixture for five minutes, and then fish them back out and set them aside.
• Add cumin.
• Lower the stove temperature (to about 3/10) and allow the mixture to boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
• After the 15 to 20 minutes, raise the heat (once again, no higher than 7/10) and add rice to the pot. Spread the rice out on top of the water, but do not mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
• When water is no longer visible above the rice, then spoon the rice towards the center.
• Replace the garlic bulb and red pepper into the pot, and pour raisins on top of the rice.
• Place a lid on top of the pot and lower the heat to 3/10.
• Cook for 30 minutes. After that time, once again remove the hot pepper and the garlic, and stir the rest of the ingredients. This dish is often served with flatbread, yogurt, and salad with a vinegar dressing.

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• Place onion, olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, garlic, red peppers, sea salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken in a container or resealable plastic bag and pour marinade on top; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill chicken until no longer pink in the centers, 6 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

ALBALOO POLO

Steps:

• Cook rice in a large pot of salted water as you would pasta, boiling until just cooked through with some bite in center, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, then rinse with cool water; drain again. In a small bowl, steep saffron in hot water until liquid is bright orange, 5 minutes.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add one-third of cooked rice, spreading it to edges of pan in an even layer. Scatter half of preserves on top of rice, then poke 4 holes through rice with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Cut 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces; place on holes. Spoon half of remaining rice on top, followed by remaining preserves; poke 4 more holes and dot each with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces. Stir saffron mixture into remaining rice; add to pot as final layer. Wrap lid with a clean kitchen towel and cover pot. Reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt; serve.

POLO

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass.