Zereshk Polo ba Morgh
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For Blooming Saffron (Making Saffron Water)
- 30 threads saffron - around ⅛ teaspoon crushed saffron
- 6 tablespoons warm water
Spice Mix for Chicken
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika - or cayenne, if you like some heat
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cooking Chicken (Morgh)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 pounds (1361 g) chicken leg quarters - 4 bone-in leg quarter pieces. Can be skin on or off. (Note A)
- 1.5 cups (250 g) onion - thinly sliced, red or yellow onion. Cup measurement was done after slicing. Around 1.5 medium onions.
- 4 cloves garlic - minced or finely chopped, around 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste - (Note B)
- 2.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons saffron water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly squeezed, or use lime juice
Spice Mix for Barberry Rice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
For Cooking Barberry Rice (Zereshk Polo)
- ¼ cup ghee - or butter
- 3 cups (600 g) rice - Sella (parboiled) Basmati is the best choice. (Note C)
- 4.5 cups water - for cooking rice
- 1 tablespoon rose water - (Note D)
For Barberry Rice Topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup zereshk (dried barberries) - (Note E)
- 4 tablespoons saffron water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons pistachios - sliced or slivered. Optional. (Note F)
- 1 cup cooked rice - this is not an additional quantity of rice. Just a portion of the cooked rice you'll prepare for this dish
Instructions
Preparation Before Cooking
- Bloom the saffron (making saffron water): Grind the saffron threads in a mortar and pestle. Or crush them in a small bowl using the back of a spoon. Add warm water to the crushed saffron and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. This saffron water will be used in both the chicken and the barberry rice topping.
- Wash and soak the uncooked rice: Place the rice in a bowl, fill it with water, swirl gently with your hands, and drain using a sieve/strainer. Repeat until the water runs clear (around 3 times). Soak the rice in room temperature water for 30 minutes (plain Basmati rice) or 2 hours (Basmati Sella or long-grain parboiled rice).
- Make the spice mix for chicken: Mix the ingredients listed under "spice mix for chicken". Set it aside.
- Make the spice mix for barberry rice: Mix the ingredients listed under "spice mix for barberry rice". Set it aside.
- Soak the barberries: Wash the barberries in a strainer and let them sit in ½ cup of room temperature water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat oil in a wide pan on medium heat.
- Add chicken leg quarters and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until browned. Remove the chicken from the pan.
- In the same pan, cook the sliced onion on medium heat, until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the prepared chicken spice mix and cook for 1 minute to roast the spices.
- Mix in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Pour in water and bring to a boil.
- Return the chicken to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- If the sauce is too watery after simmering, increase the heat briefly to reduce it.
- Finish by adding the saffron water and lemon juice, then turn off the heat.
Cooking the Rice
- Add ghee, water, rose water, and the prepared spice mix for barberry rice to a large pot.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then add the drained rice and gently mix.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook on high heat until 70% of the water evaporates (6-9 minutes). If foam and bubbles start to spill out of the pot, remove the lid for a few seconds and then put it back.
- To know you are ready for the next step, take the lid off and look for a thin layer of water bubbling over the surface. If the surface of the rice looks more dried out, add ¼ cup of boiling water.
- Then, give the rice a very gentle mix again and put the lid back on. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Set a timer for 15 minutes and let the rice steam.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat but do not remove the pot from the cooktop. Let the rice rest with the lid on for another 15 minutes. Do not be tempted to open the lid during steaming and resting time.
- Once the resting time is up, remove the lid, and gently fluff the rice using a fork.
- This is a shortcut method for cooking rice and doesn't involve making tahdig, the traditional crispy rice layer on the bottom of the pan. If you want to make tahdig, please refer to Note G below.
For Preparing the Barberry Rice Topping
- Heat olive oil in a pan over low heat.
- Add zereshk (barberries) to the pan and stir continuously on low heat for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn them.
- Add sugar and saffron water to the pan and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.
- Scoop out roughly 1 cup of cooked rice from the rice pot and add it to the pan with the barberries. Be gentle with the rice as you scoop it out and measure it, to avoid breaking or mushing it.
- Add slivered pistachios too (optional).
- Mix everything together gently, and you will see the rice turning yellow from the saffron water. Continue until all the rice in the pan has turned yellow.
Assembly and Serving
- Transfer the cooked white rice from the pot to a large serving dish.
- Top the white rice with the golden-yellow barberry rice topping you prepared.
- Place the chicken leg quarters on the corners of this serving dish or serve them on a separate plate.
- Do not pour the chicken sauce on top of the chicken or rice. Serve it separately in a bowl so everyone can adjust the sauciness of their dish. Enjoy!
- For ideas on Persian sides to pair with this dish, refer to this section above which has some nice serving ideas.
Notes
Note A: Chicken: Use bone-in and skinless chicken pieces such as leg quarters, thighs, or drumsticks for a traditional approach. Boneless chicken breasts are also fine, but keep the cuts slightly larger. Ensure the chicken is thawed and pat it dry to avoid oil splatter while searing.
Note B: Tomato Paste: Some brands of tomato paste may have a high salt content. If you are uncertain, reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe by half and adjust the seasoning at the end of the cooking process.
Note C: Rice: If you can, use Basmati Sella rice. Sella rice is firmer than regular Basmati/white rice and less likely to become mushy if overcooked. If you can't find Basmati Sella, any white rice labeled as "parboiled long grain rice" will work. You can also use regular Basmati, but take care not to overcook or you may end up with mushy rice.
Note D: Rose water: Rose water can usually be found in Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Persian, and Indian grocery shops or in the international aisle of your local supermarket.
Note E: Zereshk (Barberries): Dried barberries are commonly found in Iranian and Middle Eastern stores. If unavailable, you may substitute with dried cranberries or currants, though the taste will not be the same.
Note F: Pistachios: Slivered pistachios can be found in Middle Eastern stores. Preparing them at home by soaking, peeling, and slicing whole dried pistachios can be time-consuming. If slivered pistachios are not available, you can skip them or use chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts as substitutes.
Note G: Instructions for Making Rice with Tahdig:
To make tahdig, start by rinsing and soaking rice as instructed above. Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the soaked and drained rice, and let the pot come to a boil again. Cook the rice for 7-8 minutes in boiling water, then drain in a strainer or colander. Rinse the rice under cold water to stop the cooking process.
In an empty pot (preferably non-stick), heat ¼ cup of ghee on medium-low heat. Spread a layer of the semi-cooked rice on the bottom of the pot and gently press it down to form an even layer. Add the remaining rice into the pot in a pyramid shape. Also, add ¼ cup of boiling water. Then, make 3-4 holes in the rice (gently) with a chopstick or the handle of a spoon, to allow steam to escape.
Cover the pot with a piece of kitchen paper towel, and then place the lid tightly on top of the towel. Turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 40-50 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time or the rice will cook unevenly.
After cooking, turn off the heat and let the pot rest for 5 minutes. Spoon out the rice onto a serving plate. Use a spatula to gently remove the crispy tahdig from the bottom of the pot and place it on a separate plate. Serve the rice alongside the tahdig.