Havij Polo
Saffron rice and carrots
Ingredients
Saffron
- 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 8 tablespoons hot water, divided
Candied orange
- 1 Navel orange peeled, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
Chicken
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, ground
- 4 pieces chicken thighs and breasts, with bone-in and skin-on preferred
- 1 cup water, more as needed
- 3 tablespoons saffron water
Carrots
- 4 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons saffron water
Rice
- 2 cups white basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour and rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt, for parboiling rice and will be rinsed out
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons saffron water
Garnish
- 1/4 cup slivered or chopped pistachios
Instructions
Saffron
- Using a smooth mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads into a fine ground, add hot water, stir and set aside.
Orange
- Score the navel orange into quarters with a paring knife, approximately 1/8 inch deep. Peel the orange and remove as much of the pith as possible. Thinly slice the orange peel into matchsticks.
- Place the orange peel in a small saucepan with water and sugar, stir and bring to a gentle boil. Continue to simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the water and sugar have cooked into a small amount of syrup. Set aside.
Chicken
- In a large heavy pot, sauté the onions with 2 tablespoons of oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
- Add turmeric, salt, and pepper and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the chicken pieces on medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Return the onions to the pan, add 1 cup of water and mix well.
- Cover and cook the chicken over low heat for 75-90 minutes until the chicken is completely tender. Be sure to turn the chicken over halfway and check for the liquid level. If necessary, add a small amount of water during the cooking; however, keep in mind that the finished dish should not be watery.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of saffron water and stir. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Carrots
- In a medium sized frying pan, sauté the carrots over medium heat with oil for about 5 minutes, add the orange peel and syrup and 3 tablespoons of saffron water and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Rice
- Select a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring 8 cups of water and salt to a boil, covered. Once boiling, add the rinsed rice and bring it back to a boil on high heat uncovered for about 6-8 minutes, or until the rice has slightly softened.
- Drain the rice in a colander, rinse with warm water, and set it aside while you prepare the pan for the next stage of cooking.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a non-stick pot.
- In a small bowl, gently mix 1 cup of the lightly cooked rice with 2 tablespoons of saffron-water and spread evenly in the bottom of the pot. This will be the crispy rice referred to as Tahdig.
- Begin by layering a 1/3 of the partially cooked rice and a 1/3 of the carrot mixture until all rice and carrots are layered in the pot. Next, wrap the lid with a clean towel and place it on top of the pot.
- Allow the rice to steam over medium-low to medium heat for 45 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Select a large serving platter to place on top of the pan and carefully and swiftly invert the rice onto the platter.
- Arrange the braised chicken around the platter, garnish with pistachios on top and serve.
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