Persian cooking: recipes · Polo & dami: rice dishes

Havij Polo هویج پلو

Carrot rice with saffron, often with chicken or mince, slightly sweet.

⏱ 90 min

Ingredients

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  • 1300 g basmati rice
  • 1625 g carrots
  • 1300 g boneless chicken thighs
  • 3¼ onions
  • 3¼ tbsp sugar
  • 3¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 3¼ tsp saffron threads, ground and dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water
  • 165 g butter
  • 16¼ tbsp oil
  • salt (to taste)

Method

  1. Cook the chicken with onion and salt for 30 minutes. Cut the carrots into thin sticks and fry in oil with sugar for 10 minutes.
  2. Wash the rice, soak in salted water for 1 hour, then parboil in plenty of boiling salted water for 6–8 minutes and drain.
  3. Layer the rice alternately with the carrots, shredded chicken and cinnamon in the oiled pot.
  4. Cover the pot with a lid wrapped in a cloth and steam for 10 minutes over medium heat, then 45 minutes over low heat.
  5. Garnish with saffron rice and serve with yogurt or salad.