Mar 23
This Persian recipe is apparently served the night before Norouz in many households. However, this was the first time I had ever heard of anything other than Sabzi Polo ba Mahi being served around Norouz. Either way I made Reshteh Polo and must say I liked it! And the good news is you can adjust some of the ingredients to your liking.
Rreshteh Polo
Ingredients (2-4 servings):
3 cups rice
100-120 grams Reshteh Poloee –this is Reshteh that has been roasted. You can buy raw Reshteh and roast it yourself, or buy the ready package. Both are found in Persian Grocery Stores…sometimes in international stores. Note: Reshteh resembles Vermicelli
saffron
oil
stew meat, chicken, or fish — I used .5 lb stew meat for this specific recipe
dates (khorma) –Optional
raisins –Optional
1 small onion
turmeric
salt/pepper
Directions:
Rinse and wash your rice then soak it in water (add salt as well). If you plan on using dates wash the dates and take out the seeds from the centers. If you plan on using raisins wash them too.
Cut up the onion. Cut up your meat if its not already cut into pieces. Add some oil in a pot (set temperature of burner to medium) and fry the onions until they begin turning a golden color. Add the meat and stir. After a few minutes add salt, pepper, and turmeric to the meat and stir the contents. Add about 1 cup of water to the meat and cover the pot with a lid and allow the meat to cook for 35-45 minutes on medium heat.
Once the meat is ready set the meat aside and strain a bit of the stock. Add a small amount of saffron to the stock and oil if needed then set aside. Then break up the Reshteh Poloee into smaller pieces (not too small and not too long).
Fill up a large pot halfway with water and place it on the stove (high heat). Once the water comes to a boil add the rice and salt water to the pot. Allow the rice to begin coming to a boil and then add the reshteh into the pot. You want to allow the reshteh to soften a bit. Once the contents in the pot begin coming to a boil again you want to use a strainer to empty the rice and reshteh. Add some oil and water to the pot and place it back on the burner (the heat is still on high).
Note: some people don’t place the pot back on the burner until they have returned the contents to the pot. If that is the case you will place the lid on the pot and allow steam to gather before placing a towel or cloth (damee) on the lid of the pot and allowing the polo to steam.
Add half the Reshteh Polo to the pot and then add the meat, raisins (optional), and dates (optional). Afterwards add the remaining Reshteh Polo on top of the meat and other contents. Pour the stock over the Reshteh Polo. Cover the lid of the pot with a cloth or towel and place on the pot. Once steam begins escaping from the sides of the lid take the temperature down to low and allow the Reshteh Polo to cook an additional 40 min. - 1 hour.
When you are ready to serve mix some saffron with hot water and add some of the Reshteh Polo to it. Once you have all the Reshteh Polo in a serving platter you can add the saffron rice on top of the dish.
Garnish with mast, torshi, or sabzi.
Tagged with: Dates • Raisins • Reshteh • Rice • Saffron
Sep 13
This is a traditional Afghan recipe that anyone who likes raisins and carrots is sure to enjoy.
Quabili Pallow (Polo)
Ingredients:
3 cups rice
Lamb meat (or other meat)
1 medium onion - chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
salt / pepper
Brown food coloring (unless you are using brown rice)
oil
Directions:
Soak the rice and set aside (add some salt to the water).
Cut up the meat if needed. Saute the chopped onions in oil until they begin to slightly turn a golden color. Add the meat, salt/pepper, and some turmeric powder (optional). Add a cup of water and cover and allow it to cook. When the meat is ready make sure you keep the broth because it will be used later.
Wash the shredded carrot and saute in oil until it is tender. Wash the raisins and saute them in oil as well until tender. Set both aside.
Boil water to cook the rice, and once the rice is ready drain the water. Add some food coloring to the saved broth. Add oil to the bottom of your pot along with a bit of water and pour half the rice into the pot. Pour some of the broth over the rice and mix, then add the meat. Add the remaining rice and the rest of the broth over the rice, mix then place the carrots and raisins over the rice. Cover the pot and allow the rice steam (dam bekeshad).
Tagged with: Carrot • Lamb • Raisins • Rice
Sep 03
I usually make a simple Adas Polo (without the meat and raisins). But I guess when you have guests you want to make the dish more fulfilling!
Adas Polo ba Keshmesh
Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
4 cups rice
1 cup (or less) raisins
3 chicken breasts (or meat if you prefer)
saffron
1 onion
salt/pepper
turmeric
oil
Directions:
To begin I rinse my rice and then set it aside with some water and salt added to it.
Chop up the onion and in a frying pan or pot add some oil and saute the chopped onion. Chop up the chicken pieces and add to the onions and stir. Add salt, pepper, and turmeric powder stir them in. Add a little bit of water and cover the pot and allow it to cook on medium (or a lower temperature) for at least 30-45 minutes. When done allow the pieces to cool down and put them aside. Strain the chicken broth and keep it to add to the rice later.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil your lentils for at least 10 minutes then drain the water. Bring water to a boil in a larger pot and add rice (after emptying the salt water). I added half of the lentils to the rice while it was boiling, then drained the rice in a strainer and added some water back into the pot (half a cup or less) and added oil to that as well and placed it back on the stove. Then I added some of the rice, a layer with the rest of the lentils, raisins, and finally the chicken pieces. Once all that was added I poured the remaining rice over that.
I added oil and some liquefied saffron to the chicken broth and poured it over the rice. I covered the lid of the pot with a kitchen towel and placed it over the pot. The stove top is first set to high and then once steam starts to leave the pot I took the temperature down to low. I let the pot stay on the stove for approximately 1 hour (or longer if you want to have a crispier tadigh (crispy rice)).
Tagged with: Chicken • Lentils • Raisins • Rice • Saffron
