In the expansive realm of Persian culinary delights, Zereshk Polo ba Morgh shines brightly. This dish, often reserved for special occasions and gatherings, brings together the tantalizing tartness of barberries with the savory goodness of chicken, all set atop a bed of perfectly steamed saffron-infused rice.
Contents
Preparation
Zereshk polo with chicken is undoubtedly the most common persian dish in dinner party or family gathering. The secret of preparing a delicious and mouthwatering zereshk polow is lots of sauteed onion and saffron.
There are two methods for cooking chicken for zereshk polo morgh recipe. You can first cook chicken in water with onions and spices and then fry it. But in another method that is used here, the chicken is first fried in a little bit of oil and then cooked with sauteed onion and other ingredients that make it’s sauce.
Notes and Tips to Make Zereshk Polow
- Crush and soak saffron to release its flavor. Crush A pinch of saffron threads in a mortar and pestle. Soak the saffron threads in hot water for about 5 to 20 minutes.
- The sauce for this recipe should be thick. If the sauce is too thin, remove the chicken from pot and boil to reduce until thick.
- Barberry should be saute over gentle heat because excessive heat can make barberries dry.
- To make your lunch or dinner dish more beautiful, after topping it with barberries, pour a tablespoon of pistachio slices. Its green color, along with the redness of the barberry, will give a beautiful look to the zereshk polow.
- You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs to make zereshk polow morgh.
Serves 4
Preparation: 30 minutes, plus soaking
Cooking: approximately 1¼ hours
Ingredients
- 4 chicken pieces (thighs or chicken breasts)
- 4 cups of rice
- 1 cup barberry (zereshk)
- 2 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 onion
- 4 teaspoon bloomed saffron
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
What To Serve With Zereshk Polo
The best drink with zereshk polow is a mug of dough or rose water syrup that I suggest to you. Serve zereshk polo with a salad of fresh herbs so that the salads fiber can make you feel satiated. You can serve this delicious dish with salad shirazi, torshi(persian pickles) and youghurt.
What To Serve With Zereshk Polo
The best drink with zereshk polow is a mug of dough or rose water syrup that I suggest to you. Serve zereshk polo with a salad of fresh herbs so that the salads fiber can make you feel satiated. You can serve this delicious dish with salad shirazi, torshi(persian pickles) and youghurt.
Source: New Persian Cooking: A Fresh Approach to the Classic Cuisine of Iran by Jila Dana-Haeri
