SABZI POLOW
IRAN
In Iran, people buy their sabzi ready-mixed, even ready-chopped from the market. Unfortunately, there isn’t such a thing in the West, but do not despair because you can easily make your own sabzi by mixing equal quantities of flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, dill, chives or leeks, scallions, and even spinach if you want. In some regions like in Gilan, the sabzi contains local wild herbs. You can add sorrel if you want, or even wild chicory. Or you can buy dried sabzi from Iranian stores and use half the weight indicated below, in the same way. Sabzi polow is a must for the celebrations of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, and is usually served with Iranian Herb Omelet and fried fish.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2½ cups (500 g) basmati rice
Good pinch of saffron threads
12 ounces (350 g) sabzi (mixed fresh herbs), finely chopped
½ teaspoon powdered dried fenugreek
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt
⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
1. Soak, parboil, and rinse the rice as directed in steps 2 and 3 of Plain Iranian Rice.
2. Put the saffron to soak in 2 tablespoons water.
3. Mix the sabzi with the dried fenugreek and garlic and season with a little salt in a small pot.
4. Put the vegetable oil and half the saffron water in a large pot and place over medium heat. When the oil starts sizzling, spread a good layer of rice over the bottom, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Spread half the sabzi mixture over the rice and cover with half the remaining rice. Spread the remaining sabzi mixture and cover with the rest of the rice, building the mixture in the shape of a pyramid. Make a hole in the center and pour in the melted butter and the remaining saffron water. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel, cover the pot tightly, and leave over medium heat for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and let the rice and herbs steam for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bottom becomes very crisp and golden brown. You may not succeed on the first try, as it takes some practice to figure out how low a setting you need to cook the rice that long.
5. When the rice is ready, take off the heat and immediately place the bottom of the pot on a very cold surface or in iced water to loosen the crust (tah-dig as it is known in Persian). Transfer the rice to a serving platter, taking care not to disturb the tah-dig.