Persian cooking: recipes · Polo & dami: rice dishes
Sabzi Polo ba Mahi سبزی پلو با ماهی
Herbed rice with fried fish, the traditional meal on Nowruz eve.
Ingredients
- 1500 g basmati rice
- 11¼ bunch mixed herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, leek)
- 15 garlic cloves
- 2250 g white fish fillets (e.g. pike-perch, cod)
- 7½ tbsp flour
- 3¾ tsp turmeric
- 3¾ tsp saffron threads, ground and dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water
- 190 g butter
- 30 tbsp oil
- 3¾ limes
- salt (to taste)
Method
- Chop the herbs very finely and slice the garlic thinly.
- Wash the rice, soak in salted water for 1 hour, then parboil in plenty of boiling salted water for 6–8 minutes and drain.
- Mix the rice with the herbs and garlic, put into the oiled pot and dot with butter.
- Cover the pot with a lid wrapped in a cloth and steam for 10 minutes over medium heat, then 45 minutes over low heat.
- Salt the fish, coat in flour with turmeric, fry until crisp and serve with the rice and lime.