Zereshk Polo (Barberry Rice with Chicken) - Middle Eastern Recipe

Zereshk Polo (Barberry Rice with Chicken)

🌍 Middle Eastern, Iran Difficulty: ●●●○○

Zereshk polo is a dish of celebration in Iran, served at weddings and Nowruz (Persian New Year); the tart barberry is grown primarily in Birjand, South Khorasan.

Ingredients

• 400 g basmati rice (cooked as tahdig)
• 100 g dried barberries (zereshk), soaked in cold water 15 minutes
• 3 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp saffron dissolved in hot water
• 4 chicken pieces, roasted or braised with onion, saffron, and turmeric
• Salt

Method

1. Preparing — Prepare rice using tahdig method.
2. Draining — Drain barberries; sauté in butter for 2 minutes until plump.
3. Adding — Add sugar; stir until slightly caramelized. Add saffron water.
4. Step 4 — When rice is almost done, stir barberry mixture through top half of rice.
5. Serving — Serve rice mounded on platter; arrange barberry mixture on top of rice.
6. Arranging — Arrange chicken pieces around rice; drizzle with saffron butter.

Tags: basmati rice, dried barberries, butter or ghee, sugar, saffron dissolved in hot water · Source: Brittani's Almanac