VEGAN SABZI POLO (Persian herbed rice)
Ask any Persian, and they’ll tell you that Nowruz (Persian New Year) tastes like Sabzi Polo. Our Vegan Sabzi Polo (Persian herbed rice)) will fill your home with the aromas of a Persian kitchen as you buzz up a mountain of herbs!
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- ¼ cup salt
- 1 ½ cups dill leaves & tender stems (1 bunch), roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups parsley leaves & tender stems (1 bunch), roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups cilantro leaves & tender stems (1 bunch), roughly chopped
- ½ cup green onions (1 bunch), roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground saffron if using saffron threads, grind them in a mortar & pestle
Instructions
- Soak the rice: Rinse rice until water is clear. Add rice to a large bowl, along with enough water to cover the rice by 2 inches. Mix in ¼ cup salt. Cover and soak rice for at least 15 minutes, up to 1 hour.
- Prepare the herbs: Roughly chop the herbs. Then food process or blend the herbs and garlic in batches. Alternatively, chop the herbs finely and mince the garlic by hand.
- Par-boil the rice: Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Drain the soaked rice, add to the boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes. You want the rice to be al dente—not fully cooked.
- Combine rice with herbs: Drain the rice. Then in a large bowl, mix rice with the herbs and garlic.
- Cook the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons vegan butter at medium heat in a lidded pot. Add ⅓ cup water. Then add the rice mixture, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Tear off enough paper towel sheets to create a double layer of coverage over the pot. Then secure the lid tightly over the paper towels. Depending on the strength of your burner, reduce heat to low or medium-low. Cook at least 1 hour.
- Prepare saffron rice garnish: If using saffron threads, finely grind them in a mortal and pestle first. Mix ground saffron in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons hot water. Add 1 cup of cooked sabzi polo and stir to combine.
- Plate rice and tahdig (crispy rice that will form on the bottom of the pot): Serve the sabzi polo on a platter and remove the tahdig whole, or in pieces, and serve on the side. Alternatively, quickly and carefully invert the sabzi polo onto a serving platter. Use saffron rice as a garnish.
Notes
- Mince the herbs by hand, if you prefer: You can mince the herbs by hand, old-school style. Some people even swear by this method of mincing. For efficiency's sake, we prefer to use a food processor.
- Practice makes perfect: Perfecting Persian polo can take a bit of work. Follow our exact steps and we’re sure you’ll nail it. And if it doesn’t turn out perfectly fluffy, or if your tahdig doesn’t come out perfect, eat your mistakes and try again! Believe us, it took us several tries to get it right.
- Dress up your Nowruz dish: If enjoying this dish for Nowruz with our Vegan Tofu Fish (i.e. Sabzi Polo ba Mahi), we recommend serving it with lemon wedges, pickled garlic, gherkins and radishes. At the very least, definitely go with the first three accompaniments, because they act as much needed acidic elements. (Yes, we said pickled garlic! The pickling process mellows out the garlic and renders it sweet and delightful. It's an absolute must try. Find a jar online or at your local Middle Eastern grocery store.)
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!