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Mar 16

Morgh Polo (Chicken Rice)

By Persian Recipes Polo (Rice) No Comments »

This dish is practically the same as Zeresk Polo ba Morgh (Barberry Rice with Chicken). When I first decided to make it I kept asking myself what is different about this dish compared to Zereshk Polo…but then I realized the main difference is that the chicken is steamed with the rice in Morgh Polo. Though some do this when making Zereshk Polo, its more common to prepare the chicken separately when cooking Zereshk Polo. In other words chicken is the garnish to Zereshk Polo.

Morgh Polo

Either way, whichever name you decide to call the dishes the recipe is below

Ingredients:
500 grams Chicken –you can lesson the amount of chicken if you wish
1 small onion - finely chopped up
100 grams barberries (zereshk)
3-4 cups rice
1-2 teaspoon zireh (cumin)
1 teaspoon liquid saffron
oil
2-3 tablespoons sugar
salt/pepper
turmeric

Directions:

Rinse the rice and soak it (add salt to the water) for at least 1-2 hours prior to preparing the Morgh Polo.

Begin by preparing your chicken. Cut the chicken into smaller pieces. In a pan you want to fry the onions in oil until they begin turning a golden color. Once the onions are turning a golden color add the chicken pieces. Fry the chicken and add salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add about 1 cup of water to the chicken and cover the pan with a lid and allow the chicken to cook for 30- 40 minutes on medium heat.

Once the chicken is prepared set the chicken pieces aside. If you want to keep a bit of the chicken stock to pour onto the rice you may do so at this time.

In a large pot bring water to a boil. When the water is boiling add the rice to the pot and allow it to cook until the water comes to a boil again (stove top should be on high temperature). Drain the rice and add a little water and oil to the pot and return it to the stove. Pour half the rice into the pot and then add the chicken pieces and cumin, and cover the chicken/cumin with the remaining rice. Should you like you can add a bit of the chicken stock to the rice at this time. Place a cloth or towel on the lid of the pot and cover the pot. Once the steam begins escaping from the pot you want to turn the temperature down to low and allow the Morgh Polo to cook at least an additional 40 minutes.

Clean the zereshk (barberries) and soak for a bit in water then rinse. Approximately 10- 15 minutes before serving the Morgh Polo you want to begin cooking the zereshk. In a pan pour a little bit of oil and add the rinsed zereshk to the pan. Fry the barberries a bit and add a desired amount of sugar to them. Add a little bit of saffron as well. Once the barberries are cooked set them aside and prepare the Morgh Polo.

In a serving platter you want to use a large spoon to place half the Morgh Polo on the platter. Then mix another half of the remaining Morgh Polo with most of the zereshk (leave a small amount of the zereshk). Pour the mixed zereshk and Morgh Polo over the rice in the serving platter. Finally, add a bit of liquid saffron to remaining amount of Morgh Polo and mix with the remaining zereshk. Add this to the top of the Morgh Polo in the serving platter (you can decorate it on top of the rice).

Serve with torshi, mast-o khiar, mast-o moosir, plain mast (yogurt), sabzi jat, or any other type of desired garnish.

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Tagged with: Chicken • Cumin • Saffron • Zereshk • Zireh

Feb 24

Dami-e Baghala

By Persian Recipes Polo (Rice) No Comments »

I think as far as dami dishes go Dami-e Baghala is one of my favorites. I don’t know if its because of the turmeric flavor the rice gets, or the fact that the rice gets so soft. I typically buy frozen or dry lima beans to make dishes that need baghali in them, but you can buy fresh baghali if you feel like it.

Dami-e Baghali

Ingredients (4-6 people):
3 cups rice
1 small/medium onion –finely chopped up
1 - 1.5 teaspoon turmeric (zardchoobeh)
250 - 300 grams dry or frozen lima beans –I buy baby lima beans
salt
1/4 - 1/2 oil
water
50-70 grams raisins (optional)

Directions:
Heat up about oil in a large pot and add the onions to fry. Stove top burner should be on medium temperature. Fry the onions until they become a golden color then add the turmeric and stir. Add 2 to 3 cups of water then wash the lima beans (if necessary) then add to the pot once the water. After adding the baghali to the pot add some salt and then cover the pot with a lid and allow the beans to cook for awhile.

After about 20 minutes wash the rice and then add to the pot along with 3 - 3.5 cups of water. Stir all the contents together and take the burner down to a medium-low temperature. Allow the contents to cook and the water to evaporate. If you wish to add raisins, wash the raisins, then add then to the center of the rice (open the center of the rice and add the raisins). After most of the water is evaporated put a towel over the lid and put it over the pot and allow the rice to prepare and “dam bekeshe” for approximately 1 hour.

Note: The more water you add the stickier the rice will be as well. So if you want the rice to be a bit stickier you may want to add more water.

Yogurt is my garnish of choice with Dami-e Baghala…and sunny side up eggs go well with the dish. If you really want some meat you can possibly make some chicken or meat to add for garnish.

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Tagged with: Lima Beans • Rice

Feb 09

Gheymeh Polo

By Persian Recipes Polo (Rice) No Comments »

I typically make Khoresht-e Gheymeh with stew meat, but when I decided to make Gheymeh Polo I actually used ground beef instead of stew meat. You can use stew meat or ground beef for the khoresht; its tasty either way!

Gheymeh Polo

Ingredients (4 -6 people):
1 lb ground beef
1 small or medium onion - finely chopped
1 cup yellow split peas (lapeh)
turmeric
1 teaspoon ground limoo amani (dry lemon powder)
salt and pepper
lemon juice
3 1/2 cups rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
oil
saffron (optional)

Directions:
Rinse the rice a few times and then soak it in water for a few hours (add some salt to the rice as well).

Heat up the oil in a pot and then add the onions. Once the onions begin turning a golden color add the ground beef and stir. After the meat begins cooking add salt, pepper, and turmeric to the meat. Add the yellow split peas to the pot and fry them a bit with the meat. Note: You can fry the yellow split peas for a bit in a different frying pan. Add the tomato paste to the khoresht and stir with the rest of the contents. Add 2 - 3 cups of water to the pot. Add the limoo amani, lemon juice, and saffron (if you want) to the khoresht and cover the pot with the lid and allow the Khoresht-e Gheymeh to cook.

When the Gheymeh is ready, in a separate pot boil water. When the water is boiled add the rice to the pot and allow it to come to a boil again. When the rice comes to a boil (approximately 3-5 minutes) and before it overflows pour the rice into a strainer and allow the water to drain out. Add 1/4 of a cup water into the pot and place back on the stove top (still on high heat). Add some oil and allow the oil to heat up as well. Pour 1/3 of the rice back into the pot and then pour half the gheymeh on the rice, then pout another 1/3 of the rice into the pot and add the rest of the gheymeh onto the rice. Finally, pour the remaining rice over the rest of the contents in the pot. Place a towel over the lid of the pot and place the lid on top of the pot. Once steam begins escaping the from the pot turn the stove top heat down to a low temperature and allow the rice to cook for at least 40 minutes. When you are ready to serve the rice you will want to mix the contents together (use a large spoon or spatula to slowly mix the rice and khoresht) and then pour onto a serving platter or individual plates.

When it comes to serving the Gheymeh Polo you can choose to heat some butter and pour it over the rice. You can also choose to have Gheymeh polo with yogurt. If you like you can make some fries to serve with the rice, or even buy shoe string chips