Zereshk Polo — Persian Rice with Barberries and Saffron

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Soak 1 hour in salted water and drain.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Cook the rice in boiling salted water for 5–6 minutes, until the grain is soft outside and firm in the center, and drain.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStovePotColander

   💡Only parboil: the grain finishes cooking in the steam, and rice cooked all the way turns sticky in the pot.

   💡The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
3. 3
   Put the saffron in the hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
4. 4
   Melt half of the butter in a small pot, add the barberries and sugar and cook for 5 minutes, until the barberries soften.

   StoveSmall saucepan
5. 5
   Mix cup of the rice with the saffron water and set aside.

   Bowl
6. 6
   Heat the oil and butter' in a wide, shallow pot' over high heat and sprinkle in the turmeric.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveWide, shallow pot
7. 7
   Fill the pot with the rice, season with salt, level and press down, and pour the water over the top. Poke a few holes in the rice with the handle of a spoon, for steam.
8. 8
   'Cook over high heat for 2–3 minutes, until steam rises from the holes. 'Turn down' to the lowest heat', cover with a towel and the lid and simmer 40 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡The towel around the lid absorbs the steam: the rice comes out fluffy and separate, and the tahdig stays crisp, not soggy.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
9. 9
   Transfer the rice to a serving plate, top with the saffron rice and scatter the barberries, and serve the crisp tahdig alongside.