Reshteh Polo - Persian Noodle Rice with Onions and Raisins
Reshteh Polo is a widely loved Persian rice dish. The floral aroma of the saffron rice combined with the sweetness of the caramelised onions and raisins make for a multifaceted dish - too good for a humble side dish really. The brown noodles in the rice create the most mouthwatering tahdig (the crispy bits from the bottom of the pot)! The chicken you can see in the pictures is a poussin, made using my Braised Chicken in Tomato Saffron Sauce - Khoresh-e Morgh recipe. This recipe here is for the heavenly rice dish only.
As you may know on Persian new year’s Eve Iranians traditionally eat Sabzi Polo ba Mahi, rice with herbs and fish. What fewer people know is, that on the first day of the new year we eat Reshteh Polo. The reshteh, the noodles are said to give us clarity on the path to achieve our goals for the new year.
Whether it’s the beginning of spring or any day, Reshteh Polow tastes great on its own, but can also be enjoyed with meatballs, fish, chicken or anything you like really.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Time
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 1 h
Total: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients (serving 4)
2 cups/400g basmati rice
3.5oz/100g Reshteh noodles (You can find these at Middle Eastern or Turkish shops. They should be specifically for Reshteh Polo)
3 onions
6 tbsp raisins
10 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp ground saffron
3 ice cubes
2 tbsp salt
Method
1. Sprinkle the ground saffron over the ice cubes and set them aside to melt.
2. Fill the pot 3/4 with water, add 2 tbsp of salt, and bring it to a boil. Wash the rice and add it to the boiling water. After 2 min break the Reshteh noodles into 3 parts and add them to the rice. Let both parboils for another 2 min together, then drain them in a colander and rinse them with cool water.
3. Combine about a quarter of the parboiled rice and noodles with a few tsp of saffron water. Keep some saffron water for the Reshteh Polo after cooking.
4. Place the pot over medium heat. Add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Then transfer the yellow saffron rice and noodles to the pot and spread them out evenly. Sprinkle a thin layer of cinnamon powder on the rice. Add a layer of white rice and noodles on top, followed by a thin layer of cinnamon. Continue layering the rice and Reshteh with the cinnamon this way until all the ingredients are used up. Use the back of the Beechwood Spoon to poke 4 holes halfway through the rice. Cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel and close it firmly. Let the Reshteh Polo steam for 50 to 60min over low heat.
5. Peel and finely slice the onions.
6. Gently fry the onions in 2 batches in 3 tbsp of vegetable oil each over low to medium heat for 15 min or until golden brown.
7. Add a few tsp of saffron water to the onions. Combine well then set them aside as garnish for the Reshteh Polo.
8. 10min Toward the end of the cooking time, melt the butter and briefly sauté the raisins in it for about 45sec. Be careful not to burn them. Set them aside as garnish.
9. Once the Reshteh Polo is ready, replace the lid with a flipping platter. Get hold of the pot handles and flipping platter, and carefully flip the pot over. Remove it and here is your gorgeous Tahdig.
10. Serve the crispy Tahding separately. Combine some of the rice with the remaining saffron water. Arrange the white Reshteh Polo on a serving plate, topped with the yellow saffron rice, caramelized onions, and raisins. Serve it with the Braised Chicken and the Tomato Saffron Sauce. Noosh-e-joon
I’d love to see your Reshteh 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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