Albaloo Polo – Persian Saffron and Sour Cherry Rice
Albaloo Polo is one of Iran's most beautiful rice dishes. Sweet, sour and fragrant, it combines fluffy saffron rice with sour cherries and tiny meatballs. The key is preserving the shape of the cherries and keeping the rice light and fluffy. This version uses a layered steaming method that creates incredible flavour while keeping the rice separate and delicate.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Time
Prep: 45min
Cook: 1h
Total: 1h 45min
Ingredients (serving 4)
For the rice
750g basmati rice
1kg fresh sour cherries
180–200g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
½ tsp saffron threads
2 ice cubes
2 tbsp strained yogurt
2 tbsp cooking olive oil
3 tbsp slivered pistachios
3 tbsp slivered almonds
For the meatballs
250g lamb mince or beef mince
1 small onion, finely grated
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Method of preparing Albaloo Polo
Bloom the saffron
Grind the saffron into a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.
Transfer it to a small glass and add the ice cubes.
Allow the ice to melt naturally while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Prepare the sour cherries
Remove the stems and pits from the sour cherries.
I find a pair of clean tweezers works very well for this.
Reserve a handful of the prettiest cherries for garnish later.
Transfer the remaining cherries to a saucepan.
Add the sugar and a small pinch of salt.
Place over medium heat and cook gently until the sugar dissolves completely.
Reduce the heat and continue cooking for about 5–8 minutes.
The cherries should soften slightly but still hold their shape.
Do not overcook them, as they will continue cooking during the steaming process.
Strain the cherries from the juice.
Keep both the cherries and the juice separately.
You will use the cherries for layering the rice and the juice for colour, flavour and garnish.
Prepare the meatballs
Place the minced meat into a bowl.
Add the grated onion, salt, black pepper and turmeric.
Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly combined.
Shape into small meatballs, slightly larger than the sour cherries.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Cook the meatballs for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until evenly browned.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Parboil the rice
Wash the rice several times until the water runs almost clear.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
Add plenty of salt.
Add the rice and cook until the outside of each grain is soft but the centre still has a slight bite.
For most basmati rice this takes around 4–6 minutes.
Drain immediately and rinse briefly with cool water.
Prepare the tahdig
Mix about 2 cups of the parboiled rice with the strained yogurt and 2 tablespoons of saffron water.
Place a non-stick pot over medium heat.
Add the olive oil.
Spread the saffron rice mixture evenly across the base of the pot.
This will become your golden tahdig.
Layer and steam the rice
Add a layer of white rice.
Scatter over some sour cherries.
Add a few meatballs.
Drizzle over a small spoonful of the cherry juice.
Repeat the layers until everything has been used.
Avoid adding too much cherry juice.
Too much liquid can make the rice sticky and may affect the tahdig.
Finish with a little saffron rice on top.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make three holes through the rice.
Wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel and place it on the pot.
Steam over low heat for 45–50 minutes.
Prepare the garnish
Shortly before serving, melt a small knob of butter in a frying pan.
Add the reserved sour cherries.
Add 1 tablespoon of the cherry juice and 1 teaspoon of saffron water.
Warm gently for about 1 minute.
The cherries should become glossy without collapsing.
Serve
Once the rice is ready, carefully remove the tahdig and set it aside.
Layer the rice onto a serving platter.
As you build the platter, add some pistachios, almonds, sour cherries and meatballs between the layers.
Finish with the remaining saffron rice.
Top with the glazed cherries, pistachios and almonds.
Serve immediately with the tahdig alongside.
Hami's Tips
The biggest mistake in Albaloo Polo is overcooking the cherries.
Cook them only until the sugar dissolves and they soften slightly.
Use the cherry juice sparingly when layering the rice.
Too much juice can make the rice heavy and sticky.
Always reserve some beautiful cherries for the final garnish.
Tiny meatballs work best because you can enjoy rice, cherry and meat in every bite.
I’d love to see your Albaloo Polo! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
Looking for more Persian recipes? Here are more of my free written recipes!