Pim posted today requesting a recipe for Polow, the Persian-style rice that should be served with the Khoresht below.
You should know that my rice RARELY turns out... especially the "tah-deeg" or "bottom-of-the-pot" crust. C is always making fun of me, and I do hope to perfect it SOMEDAY... Hope you have better luck than me! This recipe feeds 2.
1 cup basmati rice
3 tbsp canola oil (you can use any veg oil)
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 tsp saffron threads
- Wash the rice in two changes of water, then let it soak in well-salted water for a couple of hours.
- Bring 3-4 cups water to a boil in a large pot, and season with a teaspoon salt.
- Add the washed rice, and and let it cook until the grains are softened and you can see the ridges (maybe 15 minutes) - you can bite into the rice, and it should feel "al dente". DO NOT OVERCOOK.
- Drain the rice, and give it a gentle rinse w/warm water.
- Put a few tbsps of oil in the bottom of the pan, just enough to cover. Add the yogurt, and mix gently. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the rice back into the pot, sort of "mounding" it towards the center of the pot.
- Drizzle another tbsp of oil (or butter, if you prefer) over top of the rice. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a few holes in the rice.
- Wrap the lid of the pot with a dishcloth, and cover the pot.
- Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes*.
- Meanwhile, grind the saffron threads to a powder, and add a tablespoon of hot water.
- When rice is done, take a quarter cup or so out of the pot, and mix in the saffron water. Serve the rice on a platter, with this scented, colored rice spread on top.
- Serve alongside any khoresht or kabobs.
*I've been TOLD that for good tah-deeg, you need to increase the heat either right at the beginning or towards the end of the cooking. When you hear sizzling, turn it down. But like I said before, I've never managed to get it right. So try it at your own peril. Once you've perfected the method, you can add flatbread (like lavash) or thinly sliced potatoes to the bottom of the pan. The potato tah-deeg is particularly good with Gheymeh Bademjan.
