Nokhod Polo – Persian Dill Rice with Peas
Nokhod Polo is probably my favourite variation of Persian rice. It is saffron-infused basmati rice with dill and peas – Such a good combo!
You can combine it with almost any Persian dish you fancy! If lamb isn’t really your thing, you can make it with Braised Chicken for example. Nokhod Polo also goes really well with vegetable stew. Or serve it with fried eggs for a quick vegetarian weekday version! I’m telling you, the latter is one of my favourite things ever!
However, if you want to make something a bit more classy on the weekend, lamb shanks (Mahiche) are a great option. Both, the lamb as well as the rice don’t need much preparation. You can prep everything in 20 minutes and then let it simmer and do its thing. The perfect dish for when you’re expecting guests, or wanna spend your Sunday with your family, rather than in the kitchen.
Like every Persian rice dish, there are two options for preparing it: Aabkesh or Kateh style.
In this recipe, I am explaining the kateh method of cooking Nokhod Polo.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Time
Preparation: 10 min (If you are using dried dill)
Cooking time: 55 min
Total: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients (Serving 4):
400g basmati rice (2 cups)
75g frozen peas (3/4 cup)
1 bunch, 40g fresh dill chopped or 20g (0.7oz) dried dill
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp saffron
2 ice cubes to bloom the saffron
Salt to taste
Method of preparing Nokhod Polo
If you are using fresh dill, wash it and spread it out on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Once dry, finely chop it.
Transfer the ice cubes to a glass and sprinkle the saffron over them. Set it aside to bloom. Alternatively, combine the saffron with a few tbsp of freshly boiled water and let it sit in a warm place.
Wash the rice by transferring it to a pan, adding water, moving it around with your hand, rinsing the water, and repeating these steps 3 to 4 times.
Cover the rice with 700ml/3 cups of cold water and generously salt it. Add 2 to 4 tbsp vegetable oil and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once holes start forming in the rice, add the frozen peas and fresh chopped dill or dried dill.
Give it a quick stir, then pour in the saffron water in at least four different spots. The yellow saffron rice will show when you cut the ‘rice cake’ into slices. It also gives the rice an amazing fragrance and taste.
Now reduce the temperature to low and put on the lid. You can cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel to absorb even more moisture from the rice. Let it slowly cook for about 40 minutes. The longer you leave it, the darker and crispier the tadig (rice crust). But be careful not to burn it!
When you’re ready to serve, you can shock the outside of the pan with cold water. This will help your rice to slide out of the pan effortlessly. Wearing oven gloves put an upside-down plate on top of the pan, hold the plate and pan with both hands (thumbs facing you), and carefully flip them around. The pan should come off easily.
Serve with your favourite stew, fried eggs or lamb shanks their flavourful sauce and creamy yoghurt. Enjoy!
I’d love to see your Nokhod Polo! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
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