Recipe from Nazli Parvizi
Adapted by Harvey Araton
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(167)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This dish is called jeweled rice because it is golden and glistening, laced with butter and spices and piled with gem-colored fruits. Some of the ingredients called for may require some effort to find, but you can make substitutions. If you cannot get dried barberries (imported from Iran), you will need dried cherries or goji berries or dried cranberries. You will also need some extra-fancy Basmati rice. One goal in making this dish is to achieve the crisp buttery layer on the bottom of the pot. The technique is not difficult, but it takes a little practice. After the rice is rinsed well, it is parboiled for about 5 minutes and drained. The half-cooked rice is layered into a well-buttered pot along with the chopped dried fruits. Over a moderate flame, it is allowed to brown gently before being splashed with a small amount of saffron-infused water. Then the lid goes on the pot and the heat is turned very low so the rice steams gently. With a little luck and experience, the crisp tah dig, or crust, is formed. —Harvey Araton
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 4cups high-quality basmati rice
- Salt
- black pepper
- Pinch of high-quality saffron threads
- Pinch of sugar
- 1tablespoon butter plus 4 ounces (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 to 4waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ -inch slices
- 1½cups barberries (see note)
- ½cup slivered almonds
- ½cup slivered pistachio nuts
- ½cup chopped candied orange zest
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
586 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 111 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 546 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Rinse basmati rice until water runs clear. Place in a bowl, cover with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step
2
Using a mortar and pestle, grind together saffron and sugar. Combine with a scant ⅓ cup boiling water, and set aside to steep. Bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Drain rice and add to pot; cook exactly 6 minutes, then drain into fine-meshed colander.
Step
3
Place a round Dutch oven or other wide pan with a lid over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and vegetable oil. When butter has melted, add potato slices in a single layer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread potatoes evenly with a layer of rice about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle 1 cup barberries in stages over rice. Continue to add rice in smaller and smaller layers, sprinkling barberries between each layer, to make a pyramid of rice with no berries on top.
Step
4
Using the handle of a round wooden spoon, poke 3 holes into top of rice until spoon touches potato layer. Combine melted butter with saffron mixture, and pour all over rice. Cover underside of pot lid with a large dry cotton kitchen towel. Place on pan, making sure no ends dangle near source of heat.
Step
5
Cook rice mixture over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Cook 40 to 45 minutes. To serve, spoon rice onto a heated serving platter. Top with rows of almonds, pistachios, candied orange zest and remaining ½ cup barberries. Arrange potatoes from bottom of pan in another dish, and serve alongside rice.
Tip
- Barberries are sold at Kalustyan’s, kalustyans.com, (800) 352-3451.
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Cooking Notes
Sean
A simpler variation by Mark Bittman skips some ingredients and steps but still turns out well as a side. Mr. Bittman's is https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016126-stuck-pot-rice-with-yogurt-a...
Leila
My mother and my husband both make this and it is excellent. Always much appreciated by guests. Tonight we made it with dried cherries and a few leftover cranberries in place of barberries, raisins in place of candied orange zest, and no potatoes. It was a great complement to the Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma recipe by Sam Sifton.
jocelyn
I usually like to use the original ingredients if at all possible. Got some dried barberries today. Note to cooks who can't find them: they taste almost identical to a dried UNSWEETENED cranberry. Just more like the size of a currant. Don't hesitate to substitute.
Martha
This is the recipe I use but without the potatoes as we like the crunchy rice on the bottom and sides. Found this Persian rice recipe in Cook's magazine a year ago and we love it. In fact, we love it so much I bought a 20 lb bag of basmati rice recently. Was thrilled to find it as the smaller bags are pricey.
Lola
I made this Shirin Polo exactly to recipe and I cannot recommend it enough. It is one of the most delicious things I've ever made and I'm a pretty OK cook. I had purchsed boxed Shirin Polo before and it was gross, so I was leery of making this, but it's incredible. Get barberries if you can - they are not identical in taste to cranberries as some assert here - I tasted both and there's a lighter, more nuanced flavor to the baberries which I find most suitable for persian recipes. so good!!
Lex
Can this be made vegan? Would margerine work?
Nadine
I wanna make this dish with roasted chicken but I'm skeptical about the candied orange zest. it seems like it would be too much of a mash up of flavors....esp with chicken. does anyone have any advice regarding this?
Marianne in the Catskills
Sub dried cherries + few leftover cranberries for barberries, raisins for candied orange zest, no potatoes (crunchy rice on bottom, sides) -- still good.Simpler variation by Mark Bittman skips some ingreds & steps but still makes good side. Mr. Bittman's is https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016126-stuck-pot-rice-with-yogurt-a...
jocelyn
I usually like to use the original ingredients if at all possible. Got some dried barberries today. Note to cooks who can't find them: they taste almost identical to a dried UNSWEETENED cranberry. Just more like the size of a currant. Don't hesitate to substitute.
diane
this is the one my Persian boyfriend made for me in 1976. What a revelation Persian food is!
Sean
A simpler variation by Mark Bittman skips some ingredients and steps but still turns out well as a side. Mr. Bittman's is https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016126-stuck-pot-rice-with-yogurt-a...
yummm
Really great- followed recipe except toppings - used diced orange plus zest of orange, almonds, cashews, and diced dried Turkish apricots Also used dried blueberries and cherries in place of bilberries Also very slight increase in butter
Martha
This is the recipe I use but without the potatoes as we like the crunchy rice on the bottom and sides. Found this Persian rice recipe in Cook's magazine a year ago and we love it. In fact, we love it so much I bought a 20 lb bag of basmati rice recently. Was thrilled to find it as the smaller bags are pricey.
Leila
My mother and my husband both make this and it is excellent. Always much appreciated by guests. Tonight we made it with dried cherries and a few leftover cranberries in place of barberries, raisins in place of candied orange zest, and no potatoes. It was a great complement to the Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma recipe by Sam Sifton.
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