Sabzi Polo (Herbed Rice)
Recipe by Tannaz Sassooni
Note from Tannaz: Spring has sprung. The traditional meal of this lovely day is sabzi polo mahi -- rice with four herbs, served with fish (recipe follows). The green flavors of the herbs blend with the light perfume of basmati rice for an aromatic and seriously comforting dish. And its cheery green colors are perfect to ring in the season.
Suggestion: make a kuku sabzi (herb frittata) to enjoy on a Nowruz brunch while you leave your sabzi polo rice to soak. While on your picnic, pick some flowers and beautiful greenery for your table. When you come inside from your vernal celebration, start your rice.
Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
2 cups chopped herbs, a mix of parsley, dill, green onions. (and chives if you have)
½ onion, chopped finely
pinch of ground Diaspora Co. Kashmiri saffron
2 tbsp salt
¼ tsp Diaspora Co. Pragati turmeric
2-3 tsp olive oil + 4 tbsp oil
Instructions:
1.Washing and soaking the rice (1-5 hours ahead of time): Place rice in a small bowl. Cover with water, about one inch higher than the surface of the rice. Stir by clawing through with fingers. Drain carefully – use your hand to block rice grains from washing away with water, and take care to prevent the rice from toppling over and spilling out of the bowl as you drain it. Repeat this process 2 more times. Cover rice with water, 1 ‘finger’ (about 1/2 inch) higher than its surface. Add salt; stir to combine. Let sit for 1 - 5 hours. More than this and the salt will harden the rice too much.
2. Prepare the piaz dagh (fried onions): Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently until it has a beautiful golden color (to quote Violet, "golden is tasty, brown is bitter"), about 8 minutes. Savor the smell of your kitchen.
3.Parboil the rice: After soaking has completed, do the initial boil of rice: Bring 5 cups of water to a boil, covered, in a medium non-stick pot over high heat. Carefully add rice, with its water. Gently stir through with a spatula, making sure to scrape up the grains at the bottom of the pan. Watch pot until it comes back to the boil. For polo, add turmeric now, and stir to combine – this will give it an even pale yellow color. Lower to medium. Leave on heat for 3-10 minutes. When your parboil is done, (check out Tannaz's tips to know when it's ready). remove from heat and drain into a large colander. Rinse and dry the pot.
4. Assemble and steam: Add oil and 2-3 tsp water to above pot (Note: if you are not immediately cooking rice, only add about half of the water, then pour the rest over top immediately before cooking, to prevent the rice from getting mushy). Shake pot to incorporate water and oil. Into the colander of rice, add about 1/3 of herbs. Season salt and pepper. Within the colander, gently mix about 1/3 of rice into herbs. Use a fork to mix the herbs, not a spatula, to take care to break as few grains as possible. With a wide spatula, pour herbed rice into the pot, in an even layer. Drizzle with 1/3 of the piaz dagh (fried onions), including oil.
5. Repeat this process twice. As you add subsequent layers, shape rice in pot into the form of a mountain: as little of the rice as possible should touch the sides of the pot. Using the handle of a fork, make about 5 'chutes' or vented holes from top to bottom of the mound of rice: one in the center, and 4 around the periphery. Poke the fork handle through the rice to the bottom of the pot, then move it gently and slightly from side to side to open the chute to about 1-inch diameter.
6.Place pot over medium-high heat, covered. Place a cloth rag or towel tautly over the pot, then cover. Fold the ends over the lid, so that they are not near the fire. This will absorb any steam that develops and prevent it from re-incorporating into the rice.
7.Place the pot over medium-high heat, covered. When it starts sizzling and sputtering, around 8 minutes, lower the heat to low, and allow it to cook for 1 hour.(You can cook it at very low heat for longer, to create a thicker tahdig – just beware that if it burns, it’s very sad.) Prepare your fish while your rice is cooking, and check the rice after 20 minutes using Tannaz's tips below.
8. To serve, use a large spatula or thin saucer to scoop rice into a serving platter. Either break tahdig into chunks and serve atop rice or carefully invert the entire tahdig into a large round platter.
Tannaz's Tahdig Tips
How do you know when parboil is done?
To test when the rice is ready to be drained, put one grain under the tooth. It should not be hard in the middle – not raw, but not soft/cooked either. Individual grains should look elongated. It's best not to overcook the rice at this stage. If it's undercooked, you can make up for it in the steaming stage. But if it's overdone, there's no help for mushy rice.
How do you know if it's time to lower the heat?
check for steam on the underside of the lid of the pot
listen for sizzling and sputtering
as mamanini did: wet your finger and stick it on the side of the pot – if it sizzles, it’s ready
Checking your rice:
Too dry? Add oil.
Too hard? Add water.
Not enough salt? Add more.