The Story
It is one of the most well-known Iranian dishes, and almost every Iranian has tried it at some point in their life. For me, it is especially meaningful because of my grandmother's recipe. In Iran, the weekend falls on Thursdays and Fridays, and for many years my family and I would gather at my grandparents' house with my aunts and cousins for lunch. I loved my grandma's Zereshk Polo so much! It was always such a joyful moment when we realized that was what we were having. Its scent and flavor felt as though I could taste my grandmother's love for her children and grandchildren, and her happiness seemed to flow through the dish. The name is made out of two Persian words; Zereshk- زرشک : Barberry and Polo - پلو: Cooked rice. After I moved abroad, Zereshk Polo is what keeps her memories alive and makes me feel at home whenever I prepare it.
The Recipe
- Barberries - Chicken (I prefer breast, but any other parts work as well)
- Onions
- Garlic
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Turmeric
- Sugar
- Saffron
- Tomato paste
- Rice
- Water.
- Prepare the pieces of chicken, slice the onions into rings, and prepare 3 to 4 garlic cloves. Place a large pan on the stove and heat it with some butter. When the pan is hot enough, place the chicken pieces in it. Let them fry in the butter until you see a golden color on both sides of the pieces. Be careful not to burn them :D. Add turmeric, salt, and pepper to the chicken. Next, add the sliced onions and garlic cloves to the pan. Lastly, add the tomato paste. Let everything cook together for a few minutes, then add water. The goal is to cook the chicken thoroughly so it becomes tender inside. Let it cook for 30 minutes to an hour; the chicken should become very soft.
- While the chicken is cooking, it's time to prepare the rice. Basmati rice or jasmine rice both work well for this recipe. Wash the rice and put it in a pot, then fill the pot with water. The water should cover the rice up to about one knuckle deep :D. Add salt and a little oil, and let it cook until it reaches the boiling point. When most of the water has evaporated, cover the pot's lid with a piece of cloth and place it over the pot. Reduce the stove heat and let the rice steam.
- In the meantime, prepare the saffron. Add saffron powder to a small bowl, place a piece of ice on it, and after the ice melts a little, add some boiling water to the mixture. At a later stage of cooking the chicken, add a few spoons of this mixture to the pot.
- Next, prepare the barberries. After washing and cleaning them, put them in a separate pan. Add some oil and a few spoons of saffron water and heat them gently. They are very delicate, so be careful not to burn them. A few minutes after heating them, add a few large spoons of sugar. The sugar makes them a bit juicy and sweet. When they become shiny red, it's time to remove them from the stove.
- Finally, when the chicken is ready and soft, serve it on your plates. Add the barberries on top of the rice, and if you have some saffron water left, decorate the rice with it.
- Now everything is ready to enjoy. Noush-e Joon!
