Sabzi Polo Green Herb Rice Recipes

Steps:

• In a large strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, mixing it with your fingers as you rinse. Put the rinsed rice in a bowl and add 2 cups cold water and a handful of kosher salt (about 1/4 cup). Let sit for at least 1 hour.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine herbs. Process, in batches if necessary, until coarsely chopped. (You should have about 6 cups; set aside 3/4 cup of the chopped herbs to use as garnish.)
• In a large pot bring 12 cups water and another handful salt (about 1/4 cup) to a boil. Drain rice and add to pot. Stir once very gently; return to a boil and cook until the grains are about halfway cooked (tender but with a firm spine), 3 to 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. Drain rice, give it a quick rinse with cold water, and spread it out on a platter or rimmed baking sheet until needed.
• In a medium bowl or pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter; reserve.
• In a large nonstick skillet with a cover, or shallow pot over low heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and add grapeseed oil. Swirl the pan to make sure the melted butter covers the entire surface and sides of your skillet. If not, add more butter.
• Add a small pinch saffron and large pinch salt to the butter and swirl around. Place lavash so it covers the bottom and halfway up the sides of the skillet in a single layer, overlapping only slightly where needed. (You can tear the lavash into pieces.)
• Sprinkle a third of the rice over the lavash. If rice is clumpy, break apart with your fingers. Top with half of the chopped herbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried dill over fresh herbs. Repeat with another layer each of rice, herbs and dried dill, mounding layers in a pyramid-like shape. Top with final third of rice, and place spring garlic, if using, around the edges of the skillet.
• Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes in the rice to allow the steam to escape. Pour reserved melted butter and 2 tablespoons hot water over rice. Cover and raise heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes, or until steam is visible around the edges of the lid. (Don't go anywhere! The tahdig can burn very quickly.)
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Lift lid and cover skillet with a clean kitchen towel. Return lid to skillet and cook for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to very low. If you have a heat diffuser, place it under the skillet and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until rice is done and tahdig is golden brown. If you don't have a diffuser, watch the pot carefully so the tahdig doesn't burn. If you smell burning, turn the heat off and let the pot sit off the heat until rice is done.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon saffron and 1 tablespoon hot water. When rice is done, set aside spring garlic; reserve. Gently transfer 1 cup rice to the saffron mixture, toss to color the rice yellow, and set aside.
• Taste rice for doneness. If needed, gently stir in more salt.
• To serve, spoon half of the green herb rice onto a serving platter, taking care to not disturb the tahdig at the bottom of the skillet. Add half the reserved fresh herbs. Repeat the layers of rice and herbs. Top with saffron rice and garnish with spring garlic. Lift out the tahdig, break into pieces and serve on the side.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, apart from the butter, in a large non-stick saucepan with a lid. Add 800ml cold water and mix well until the herbs are evenly distributed. Season generously with salt and pepper, dot the butter all over the top, put the lid on, and cook for 25-30 mins over a low-medium heat (use a low heat on a gas cooker) until the rice on top is cooked. Fluff up with a fork and serve. It's a bonus if you get a 'tahdig' (Persian for rice crust), which you can serve in pieces on top of the rice.

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water. Swirl vigorously with your fingers to release the starch, and change the water at least five times, until it runs clear. Once the water runs clear, let rice soak for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Set a very well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
• Once water comes to a boil, season it very heavily with either 6 tablespoons fine sea salt or a generous 1/2 cup kosher salt and the ground turmeric. (Don't worry about oversalting; the rice will spend only a few minutes in this water.) Drain rice, then add it to the pot and stir. Set a fine-mesh sieve or colander in the sink. Cook rice, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain into the sieve, then rinse with cold water to keep rice from cooking further. Drain rice well and place in a large bowl.
• Add leeks, dill and cilantro to rice. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Remove 1 heaping cup of the rice mixture to a small bowl and mix with yogurt.
• Rinse and dry the skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the oil. When butter melts, add rice-yogurt mixture and spread it out into a thin, even layer with a heatproof spatula.
• Pile remaining rice into the pan, mounding it gently toward the center. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, gently dig 6 holes into the rice down to the bottom of the pot, which will be barely sizzling. Dig 5 of the holes about 2 inches from the sides of the pan, and put one in the center. (The holes will allow steam to escape from the bottommost layer of rice and allow a crisp crust to form.) There should be enough oil in the pan that you can see it bubbling up the sides; add a little more oil along the edges of the rice if needed to see these bubbles.
• Continue cooking rice over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until evenly browned along the edges, rotating the pan a half turn after 4 minutes to ensure even browning. Wrap a lid with a kitchen towel and cover pan. Turn the heat as low as it will go and continue cooking another 45 minutes, rotating the pan a quarter turn every 10 to 12 minutes. The rice is done when it's cooked completely through.
• To unmold the rice, carefully run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edges of the pan to ensure that no part of the crust is sticking. Tip out any excess fat at the bottom of the pan into a bowl, gather your courage, and then carefully flip it onto a platter or cutting board. Serve immediately.