Sabzi Polo ba Mahi – Fried Fish with Saffron and Herb Rice
Sabzi Polo ba Mahi is a classic Persian dish which translates to “herb rice with fish”. Iranians around the world don’t only prepare this delicious on Shab-e Norouz, the night before Norouz. Norouz (the Persian New Year at the beginning of spring), but any day from autumn through spring.
The fish is fried and served with aromatic saffron and herb rice, bitter oranges (naarenj), and pickled garlic (sir torshi).
Dam Pokhtak Recipe - Split Fava (Broad) Bean Rice
Dam Pokhtak is an easy, delicious Persian rice dish with split fava (broad) beans. It’s also called Dami Baghali. This dish is so underrated! You never hear anyone say ‘Dam Pokhtak is my favourite Persian dish!’, but as soon as someone mentions it, everyone goes ‘Oh I love it!’.
At dinner parties of course every Iranian wants to show off their cooking skills and use expensive ingredients, so no one prepares Dam Pokhtak for their guests. But if they’d ask their guests ‘what would you like me to cook?’, I bet many of them would ask for Dam Pokhtak.
Kalam Barg Polo - Persian White Cabbage Rice
Kalam Polo is a flavourful Persian rice dish with white cabbage and ground meat. The rice is steamed together with the white cabbage, onions, garlic, meat and spices, so that it soaks up all the goodness.
I used beef in this recipe but you could also use lamb, a mix of beef and lamb, or a vegan ground meat alternative. You can also leave the meat out completely and it will still taste phenomenal!
Loobia Polo Recipe - Persian Lamb and Green Bean Rice
Loobia Polo is my absolute favourite dish! I know I say this a lot, put hands down, if I could only pick one favourite, it would be Loobya Polo. It is a mouthwatering Persian rice dish with lamb and green beans. The sauce is cooked first and then combined with the rice. They both steam together for around 1 hour, allowing the rice to absorb all the rich flavours of the sauce.
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.