Sabzi polo is a traditional Persian rice dish served with fish during New Year celebrations. It includes green herbs and is made with long-grain rice, which is soaked, parboiled, and steamed with herbs and spices. The dish is cooked for 30 minutes and served with a crunchy layer of rice on the side.
Sabzi polo is a traditional Persian rice dish that is often served with fish, especially during New Year celebrations. Most recipes include bright green herbs that give polo sabzi its distinctive color. In Persian, the word sabzi refers to vegetables and herbs, while polo is the Persian term for pilaf-like rice dishes. Traditional sabzi polo recipes tend to have highly detailed and elaborate procedures, while modern adaptations take a more hands-on and quick approach to preparing this popular Iranian cuisine.
A long-grain rice variety such as basmati is preferred for making sabzi polo, as short-grain varieties tend to be too sticky. Even when using a long grain rice, it is essential to remove as much starch as possible to get rid of the stickiness. Traditionally, after washing the rice three times, it is soaked in salted water for up to five hours. While the rice is soaking, the other ingredients are assembled and mixed. Traditional sabzi polo recipes commonly include chopped chives or the green part of green onions, dill, coriander, and fenugreek.
After the rice has finished soaking in salted water, it is parboiled in a pot with turmeric, which imparts a golden color. The water is brought to a boil and the rice is added gently a little at a time to prevent lumps from forming and minimize breakage of individual grains. Keeping the water boiling, the rice is stirred to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The heat is then reduced to medium and the rice is cooked for several more minutes. The rice is ready for the next step when a grain placed between the teeth shows some softness in the middle without being cooked.
After parboiling, the rice is drained and then steamed in a pot with water and oil together with the previously assembled herbs and spices. About a third of the rice is placed in an even layer at the bottom of the pot and about half of the herbs and spices are placed on top of it. Another third of the rice is then placed in a second layer and the rest of the herbs and spices are placed on top of that layer. The last third of the rice is then layered evenly on top and water or broth is added. Using a wooden spoon handle, four or five holes are poked through the rice and herbs.
The pot is tightly covered and the polo sabzi is cooked over medium-high heat for about three minutes. The heat is then turned down and simmered for about 30 minutes. It is then stirred gently with a fork to blend the rice with the herbs and spices. The crunchy layer of rice found at the bottom of the pot is usually served on the side in a separate dish.
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