Shirin Polow, Persian Sweet Rice
I first had this Persian rice dish at the Orchard
Market and Cafe in Towson Maryland about 14 years ago and I've had it many times
since. They describe their Shirin Polo this way; "a colorful presentation
of bone-in poached chicken in an orange-mango-saffron sauce. Basmati rice with
carrots, currants, raisins, and nuts." So, naturally when I was looking to
recreate this sweet rice dish at home I wanted a very similar recipe.
I have to give a nod to several different sources for this recipe. First is worldwidegourmet.com for the recipe (which I used almost verbatim except for a change or two), second is Najmieh Batmanglij, third is Nesta Ramazini. Batmanglij and Ramazini are both Persian cookbook authors whose techniques I incorporated in the preparation of the recipe, the preparation of the rice, and for the cooking the dish.
This
is a time consuming dish to prepare from start to finish, but I was very pleased
with the overall results.
Shirin
Polo
Serves
4-6
Ingredients
Skin
from one orange (preferably
organic), cut into thin strips
1/2 cup butter
3 carrots, cut into thin
sticks
1 cup whole blanched almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon saffron
threads
1/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 6-8 pieces
5
cups water
Salt & pepper
2 cups uncooked rice
Preparation
Peel the orange skin in long strips, do not include the pith. Slice into thin strips. Place the orange zest in a small saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, rinse under cold water and drain.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the saffron in a mortal and pestle. Crush together into an orange powder. Dissolve the saffron powder in a glass with 2 tablespoons very hot water.
Add the orange zest, almonds, sugar and saffron to the carrots. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Add the pistachios and cook 5 minutes longer.
Meanwhile:
Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Remove onions and drain on paper towel. Add chicken to the same pan and brown on both sides. Remove the chicken and pour off the fat and return the chicken to the pan.
Season the chicken with salt; arrange the onions on top; pour the water over and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender. Remove the chicken and onions to a dish. Save 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
Let chicken cool.
While the chicken is cooking, cook the rice according to the traditional Iranian method - see below.
Add a small amount of oil and hot water to 1/3 of rice, then spread the rice evenly over the bottom of a heavy pot.
As you add the remaining ingredients pile them into a pyramid shape to allow the rice to expand.
Layer 1/2 chicken pieces over the bottom layer of rice, then layer 1/2 of the orange carrot mix. Add another layer of 1/3 rice, then layer rest of chicken and orange carrot mix. Cover with remaining rice. Pour the reserved chicken juice over the rice. Place a kitchen towel over the top of pot to prevent steam from escaping. Place pot in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.
Serve
hot.
To prepare rice:
Rinse the rice 4-6 times, swirling rice with fingers until the water becomes clear. Then soak rice in fresh warm water for 3-4 hours. Drain.
Place
6-8 cups of water in a large pot and bring to boil. Add the rice slowly, stirring
so you don't break the boil. Boil rice briskly for 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
Rinse the rice under cold water and drain well.
Persian/Iranian
Recipes
Cheese
and Walnut Dip
Lamb
with Persian Rhubarb Sauce
Orange
& Saffron Butter Cookies
Persian
Carrots (glazed carrots)
Persian
Chicken Kebabs with Saffron
Persian
Green Beans & Rice (lubia polo)
Persian
Love Cake
Persian
Sweet Rice, Shirin Polo
Sumac
Chicken with Bread Salad
Tasty & Easy Green Bean Recipes
Armenian
Green Beans with Ground Meat and Tomatoes
Blanched
Green Beans
Fried Green Beans
Ginger
Garlic Green Beans
Greek Green Beans
Greek Potatoes and Green Beans
Green
Beans a'la Waterman's
Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Almondine (with a hint of lemon)
Green Beans Almondine (with an Asian flair)
Green Beans Almondine (with mushrooms)
Green
Bean Casserole (Campbell's)
Green Bean Casserole
(Cook's Illustrated)
Green Beans in Sour Cream
& Tomato Sauce
Green Bean
Salad, Dill, Parsley & Savory
Green
Bean Salad, Feta & Pecans
Green Bean Salad,
Provençal
Green
Bean Salad, Soy Glazed Almonds, Cilantro
Green
Beans with Coconut
Green Beans with Ginger
Butter
Green Beans with Onion Paste (Madhur
Jaffrey)
Green Beans with Shallots
Italian Green Beans (St. Anna Beans)
Oven
Roasted Green Beans
Pears with Green Beans
& Bacon
Persian Green Beans
& Rice
Sautéed
Green Beans with Hazelnut Crumbs
Sesame &
Portobello Green Beans
Sicilian Green Bean & Fennel Salad (Cooking Light)
Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork & Chilies
Sweet & Sour Green Beans
France is the birthplace of modern canning. During the Revolutionary War the government of France needed a way to make food available for it's troops out in the field. They offered a money reward to the first person who could come up with a way to do this. In 1809 a French confectioner developed a vacuum sealing method using glass jars. Thus canning was born.
Greek Potatoes and Green Beans
Another winning recipe from www.all-creatures.org. Keeping in the Greek tradition the green beans are cooked with tomatoe and potatoes. According to my Greek friend Karen this is the way her mother would present this dish, but she says that she would consider adding some garlic and oregano to jazz it up a bit.
Greek Green Beans
I found this yummy and easy recipe for Greek green beans on a vegetarian cooking site www.all-creatures.org. As mentioned on our home page, green bean have a world-wide appeal and every culture has adapted them with their own unique taste. Greek's prefer their green beans simmered until the beans are soft. They add onions, tomatoes, garlic and oregano.
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