Sabzi Polo Persian Herbed Rice Recipes

SABZI POLO (HERBED RICE WITH TAHDIG)

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water. Swirl vigorously with your fingers to release the starch, and change the water at least five times, until it runs clear. Once the water runs clear, let rice soak for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Set a very well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
• Once water comes to a boil, season it very heavily with either 6 tablespoons fine sea salt or a generous 1/2 cup kosher salt and the ground turmeric. (Don't worry about oversalting; the rice will spend only a few minutes in this water.) Drain rice, then add it to the pot and stir. Set a fine-mesh sieve or colander in the sink. Cook rice, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain into the sieve, then rinse with cold water to keep rice from cooking further. Drain rice well and place in a large bowl.
• Add leeks, dill and cilantro to rice. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Remove 1 heaping cup of the rice mixture to a small bowl and mix with yogurt.
• Rinse and dry the skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the oil. When butter melts, add rice-yogurt mixture and spread it out into a thin, even layer with a heatproof spatula.
• Pile remaining rice into the pan, mounding it gently toward the center. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, gently dig 6 holes into the rice down to the bottom of the pot, which will be barely sizzling. Dig 5 of the holes about 2 inches from the sides of the pan, and put one in the center. (The holes will allow steam to escape from the bottommost layer of rice and allow a crisp crust to form.) There should be enough oil in the pan that you can see it bubbling up the sides; add a little more oil along the edges of the rice if needed to see these bubbles.
• Continue cooking rice over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until evenly browned along the edges, rotating the pan a half turn after 4 minutes to ensure even browning. Wrap a lid with a kitchen towel and cover pan. Turn the heat as low as it will go and continue cooking another 45 minutes, rotating the pan a quarter turn every 10 to 12 minutes. The rice is done when it's cooked completely through.
• To unmold the rice, carefully run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edges of the pan to ensure that no part of the crust is sticking. Tip out any excess fat at the bottom of the pan into a bowl, gather your courage, and then carefully flip it onto a platter or cutting board. Serve immediately.

SABZI POLO WITH LETTUCE TAHDIG

Steps:

• Rinse the rice 3 to 5 times to remove any excess starch. Fill a 6-quart pot halfway with water and bring to boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the rice and boil until al dente (when you press a grain of rice between your thumb and index finger, it should break in half, but still be firm), about 8 minutes.
• Drain the rice using a colander and reserve the pot. Add the parsley, chives, dill, cilantro and cumin to the rice in the colander and gently stir using a large spoon, being careful not to break the grains.
• Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and arrange the romaine leaves over the bottom of the pot. Gently top with the rice mixture, keeping it loose and fluffy. Break up the heads of garlic into cloves, leaving the cloves unpeeled. Place the garlic cloves on the rice mixture, then poke 5 holes in the rice with the end of a wooden spoon so steam can escape (the holes should be about 1/2 inch above the lettuce). Wrap the pot lid in a clean kitchen towel and cover the pot.
• Raise the heat to medium-high. When steam starts to escape from the pot in about 5 to 10 minutes, drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1/3 cup water over the rice mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, until the rice is completely cooked and fluffy, 25 to 35 minutes.
• Transfer the pot to a trivet on the counter and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Take the garlic cloves out of the pot and set them aside. Invert a platter larger than the circumference of the pot over the top of the vessel. Holding the platter firmly against the pot, carefully and decisively flip the pot over and set the platter on the counter. Carefully lift the pot; the rice should now be on the platter with the lettuce facing up. You can also simply scoop out the rice from the pot onto a platter, then place the lettuce tahdig on the rice or on a separate platter. Each person can squeeze the flesh of the garlic cloves onto the rice on their plate, mix and enjoy.

SABZI POLO (AROMATIC HERB RICE)

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, apart from the butter, in a large non-stick saucepan with a lid. Add 800ml cold water and mix well until the herbs are evenly distributed. Season generously with salt and pepper, dot the butter all over the top, put the lid on, and cook for 25-30 mins over a low-medium heat (use a low heat on a gas cooker) until the rice on top is cooked. Fluff up with a fork and serve. It's a bonus if you get a 'tahdig' (Persian for rice crust), which you can serve in pieces on top of the rice.

SABZI POLO (GREEN HERB RICE)

Steps:

• Place rice in a medium bowl and cover with tepid water. Gently swish it around with your finger to activate the starches, then tip the bowl to drain water. Repeat this process until water runs clear, about 7 rinses. Cover rice with cold water, add 1 tablespoon salt, stir gently, and soak for 1 hour. Drain rice without rinsing.
• Crush saffron threads to a powder in a small mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl with 2 tablespoons boiling water. Stir, cover, and set saffron water aside.
• Fill a 5-quart nonstick pot with 12 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons salt and stir until dissolved. Add rice, stir once gently, and watch carefully as it cooks so water does not boil over. Taste water for salt and adjust accordingly. Cook rice until the first piece pops up to the surface. Set a timer for 4 minutes and cook, scooping off any foam from the surface, until the timer goes off. Test rice and continue to cook until tender on the outside but still firm to the bite on the inside, 6 to 8 minutes more.
• Drain rice in a colander and rinse quickly with lukewarm water and a spray faucet to rinse off extra starch. Taste rice and gently rinse again if too salty. Set aside to drain completely. Wash and dry the pot.
• Combine chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, and chives with dried dill in a medium bowl. Gently combine herb mixture with rice in the colander, taking care not to break the grains of rice.
• Place the clean pot over medium heat. Add oil, 1 tablespoon saffron water, and a pinch of salt; swirl the pot until the bottom and lower sides are coated with the oil mixture. Trim or tear lavash bread and cover the bottom of the pot to create the tahdig layer.
• Gently scatter rice-herb mixture over the tahdig in a pyramid shape, making sure lavash is completely covered. Place garlic stalks on top at the outer edges of the rice. Gently poke the handle of a wooden spoon into the rice a few times, being careful not to hit the tahdig; this will allow steam to escape while cooking. Cover and cook until you see steam escaping from the sides of the lid and tahdig starts to set, 10 to 13 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup boiling water with melted butter and remaining saffron water. Lay a kitchen towel out on a heatproof surface.
• Test the tahdig by quickly tapping the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. When the pot sizzles, remove it from the heat. Remove the lid and place it on the kitchen towel, being careful that none of the condensation drips into the pot. Wrap the towel around the lid and secure the ends at the top by the handle so they will not hang near the heat source. Drizzle the butter mixture over the rice and cover with the towel-wrapped lid.
• Place a heat diffuser on a burner over low or medium-low heat and return the pot to the stove. Cook until crispy, rotating the pot a few times, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and place on a damp kitchen towel; let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes so tahdig will release easily.
• Serve the rice on a platter, garnish with garlic stalks, and remove the tahdig whole or in pieces and serve on the side. Or, invert carefully but quickly (like a cake) onto a serving platter.