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
- 800 g basmati rice
- 6 bunch mixed herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, leek)
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1200 g white fish fillets (e.g. pike-perch, cod)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp saffron threads, ground and dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water
- 100 g butter
- 16 tbsp oil
- 2 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.