A Favorite Recipe For Persian New Year

Sabzi polo is one of the tastiest Persian rice dishes, and it is similar to a European style rice pilaf. This dish consists of rice and a huge variety of fresh herbs that are chopped and mixed throughout the rice. The phrase sabzi refers to herbs and vegetables, while the word polo refers to the style of the cooked rice. Sabzi polo is almost always served with white fish that is either pan fried or smoked. It is often eaten for the Persian New Year, since the fish and the fresh herbs symbolize life and rebirth. However, sabzi polo is delicious at any time of the year, and since it is so simple to cook, it makes an excellent side dish.

This easy recipe serves 6 people, and only takes a few minutes of active preparation. Most of the cooking time is merely waiting for the Persian rice cooker to finish. Though sabzi polo should be made with fresh herbs for maximum flavor, you can substitute ⅓ the amount of dried herbs if needed, since some items like fresh fenugreek may be tricky to find.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of fresh parsley

1 ½ cups of fresh cilantro

1 ½ cups of fresh dill

1 ½ cups of green onions

1 cup of fresh fenugreek

4 cloves of garlic

4 ½ cups of cold water

3 cups of basmati rice

2 teaspoons of salt

3 tablespoons of oil

3 tablespoons of butter

⅛ teaspoon of saffron (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Wash and drain all of the herbs in the sink. Make sure you remove the root ends from the green onions.

2. Finely chop all of the herbs, garlic cloves, and green onions, and place them into a bowl.

3. Rinse and drain the rice in a mesh strainer.

4. Put all of the ingredients except for the saffron into your Persian rice cooker.

5. Cover your automatic Persian rice cooker and plug it in.

6. Turn the Persian rice cooker on and began following the manufacturer’s timing instructions.

7. After five minutes of cooking, open the rice cooker and gently stir all of the ingredients together until they are combined. Use a wooden spoon to avoid scratching the nonstick interior.

8. Unplug and open your Pars rice cooker after the rice is finished cooking.

9. Dissolve the saffron into two tablespoons of hot water, and evenly pour it over the freshly cooked rice.

10. Put a round serving plate onto the top of the Pars rice cooker. While using pot holders, firmly hold both the plate and the pot. Turn the pot upside down and put the place on the counter.

11. Gently remove the pot to reveal your delicious sabzi polo.

Enjoy your hot dish!