Zereshk Polo ba Morgh – Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken is a simple, aromatic and traditonal persian dish, and a must have on a festive table. Zereshk Polo ba Morgh is a dish of tender chicken drumsticks braised in saffron and served with fragrant saffron rice and caramelized sweet and sour barberries. Zereshk means barberries, polo rice, and morgh is simply chicken. Some Persians add tomato paste to the chicken drumsticks, but I personally prefer the pure flavor of saffron and bay leaves. This recipe can also be cooked with chicken breast or even a whole chicken.
CARAMELIZE BARBERRIES FOR ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH
For Zereshk Polo you need barberries, you can buy at any Persian grocery store or order them here*. Barberry is a large shrub, and is used in some dishes in Persian cuisine, find some of my recipes with barberries here. If you want to know more about barberries, I posted on this topic here. For Zereshk Polo ba Morgh, I sauté the barberries in ghee, caramelize them with brown sugar, and deglaze them with chicken drumstick sauce. I especially love this method because it adds a mouthwatering sweet and sour flavor.
ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH FOR NOWROOZ
On March 20th is Nowrooz -(Persian New Year) ,and a traditional dish for Nowrooz is Sabzi Polo ba Mahi – Persian herb rice with orange stuffed trout. Since my brother and sister did not eat fish, unlike me, my mother used to prepare Zerreshk Polo ba Morgh additionally. In most Persian households, Zereshk Polo ba Morgh is prepared for Nowrooz as well.
ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH AS NAZRI
Zereshk Polo as well as Ashe Reshte – Noodle soup with herbs, Khoresht-e Gheymeh – Persian lamb stew with dried limes and split peas, Shole Zard – Persian saffron rice pudding are part of the Nazris and are often served to people in poverty on special occasions. In this post, you can read more about Nazri.
SIDE DISHES FOR ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH
The best side dishes are Salad Shirazi – Persian tomato and cucumber salad and Mast-o Khiyar – Persian yogurt dip with cucumbers and raisins and for drinking Persian Dugh.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS BRAISED IN SAFFRON
1 large onion
1 teaspoon turmeric*
4 chicken drumsticks
1/4 tsp saffron threads*
salt and pepper
INGREDIENTS FOR SAFFRON RICE
4 cups basmati rice*
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp saffron threads*
1 tbsp ghee*
INGREDIENTS BARBERRIES
200 g barberries*
1 tbsp ghee*
3 tbsp. Panela whole cane sugar*
1/4 tsp cinnamon*
3 tbsp sauce from ready-made chicken drumsticks
PREPARATION SAFFRON RICE
Wash rice until water is clear, and soak in water for 1 hour. Grind 1/4 tsp saffron in a mortar and add 25 ml of boiling water, cover, and set aside. In a rice cooker place the rice with the soaking water and 1 tsp salt, once the rice boils, cook al dente for another 4 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Heat the ghee in a rice cooker, add 50 ml boiling water and 2 tablespoons of saffron infuse. Add drained rice to the pot and layer in a mound shape, using the stem end of a wooden spoon, make 5 holes down to the bottom of the pot. Cover the lid of the pot with a kitchen towel and steam the rice for 45 minutes.
PREPARATION DRUMSTICKS IN SAFFRON
Wash drumsticks, and dry them well. Peel onion and cut it into 8 parts. In a large frying pan, sauté onion with a little oil until golden. Sprinkle with turmeric. Place chicken drumsticks on top of the onion, sprinkle with saffron and add bay leaves. Close the lid tightly and fry for 5 minutes, Then add 150 ml of boiling water, and reduce heat. Add salt and pepper and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour.
PREPARATION OF BARBERRIES
Half an hour before the rice and the chicken drumsticks are ready wash the barberries, soak them in clear water for about 15 minutes, then drain them in a sieve. Heat ghee in a pan, add barberries and turn 2-3 times, Add sugar and mix well. Remove barberries from heat, add 3 tablespoons of the ready chicken drumstick sauce, cover, and set aside.
SERVING ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH
Once the rice is ready, remove about 5 tablespoons of rice from the pot and mix with the saffron infuse until the rice is completely yellow. Place the remaining rice on a tray, decorate the yellow saffron rice on top and garnish with the prepared barberries. Either place the chicken drumsticks around the rice or serve separately. Arrange the crispy rice crust separately on a plate.
BEFARMAYID!
Susan
The items marked with * are affiliate links, referral links. If you buy through this link, I get a small commission. The price stays the same for you and you can easily support my efforts. A big thank you ♥
Zereshk Polo ba Morgh – Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken
A simple, aromatic and traditonal persian dish, and a must have on a festive table.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS BRAISED IN SAFFRON
- 1 large onion
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads
- salt and pepper
INGREDIENTS FOR SAFFRON RICE
- 4 cups basmati rice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads
- 1 tbsp ghee
INGREDIENTS BARBERRIES
- 200 g barberries
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 3 tbsp Panela whole cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp sauce from ready-made chicken drumsticks
Instructions
PREPARATION SAFFRON RICE
-
Wash rice until water is clear, and soak in water for 1 hour.
-
Grind 1/4 tsp saffron in a mortar and add 25 ml of boiling water, cover, and set aside.
-
In a rice cooker place the rice with the soaking water and 1 tsp salt, once the rice boils, cook al dente for another 4 minutes, then drain in a colander.
-
Heat the ghee in a rice cooker, add 50 ml boiling water and 2 tablespoons of saffron infuse.
-
Add drained rice to the pot and layer in a mound shape, using the stem end of a wooden spoon, make 5 holes down to the bottom of the pot.
-
Cover the lid of the pot with a kitchen towel and steam the rice for 45 minutes.
PREPARATION DRUMSTICKS IN SAFFRON
-
Wash drumsticks, and dry them well.
-
Peel onion and cut it into 8 parts.
-
In a large frying pan, sauté onion with a little oil until golden.
-
Sprinkle with turmeric.
-
Place chicken drumsticks on top of the onion, sprinkle with saffron and add bay leaves.
-
Close the lid tightly and fry for 5 minutes.
-
Then add 150 ml of boiling water, and reduce heat.
-
Add salt and pepper and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour.
PREPARATION OF BARBERRIES
-
Half an hour before the rice and the chicken drumsticks are ready wash the barberries, soak them in clear water for about 15 minutes, then drain them in a sieve.
-
Heat ghee in a pan, add barberries and turn 2-3 times,
-
Add sugar and mix well.
-
Remove barberries from heat, add 3 tablespoons of the ready chicken drumstick sauce, cover, and set aside.
SERVING ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH
-
Once the rice is ready, remove about 5 tablespoons of rice from the pot and mix with the saffron infuse until the rice is completely yellow.
-
Place the remaining rice on a tray, decorate the yellow saffron rice on top and garnish with the prepared barberries.
-
Either place the chicken drumsticks around the rice or serve separately.
Save the recipe for later on Pinterest!
Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
giuoøk