Zereshk Polo Barberry Rice: Persia’s Most Beautiful Celebration Dish

⏱ Prep: 30 min 🔥Cook: 1 hr 15 min 👤Serves: 6 🌍Origin: Iran

Zereshk polo barberry rice is the dish that shows up at every Persian wedding, every Nowruz table, every celebration that calls for something both beautiful and delicious. Fluffy saffron-scented basmati rice studded with tiny tart barberries that have been briefly cooked in butter and sugar, served alongside saffron chicken and crowned with a piece of crispy golden tahdig pulled straight from the bottom of the pot. Sweet, tart, fragrant, and one of the most visually stunning dishes in all of Persian cooking.

Ingredients

For the rice and tahdig

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons salt, for the boiling water
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil, for the tahdig layer
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• ½ teaspoon ground saffron, bloomed in 2 tablespoons hot water

For the barberries

• ½ cup dried barberries (zereshk), rinse briefly and drain well, don’t oversoak or they go waterlogged
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons saffron water, reserved from the bloomed saffron above

For the saffron chicken (optional accompaniment)

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons saffron water
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup water or broth

Step by step

1. Soak and parboil the rice. Rinse the rice in cold water until it runs clear. Soak in salted water for 30 minutes, then drain. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the rice, and boil for 5–6 minutes until al dente, the center should still feel slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
2. Make the saffron chicken. Heat butter or oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until golden. Add the chicken thighs, turmeric, salt and pepper, browning lightly on all sides. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes. Add the water or broth, cover, and simmer for 45–50 minutes until the chicken is tender. Stir in the saffron water near the end.
3. Build the tahdig. Melt the butter or oil in a non-stick pot over low heat. Mix ½ cup of the parboiled rice with the yogurt and a spoonful of saffron water, then spread this mixture evenly across the bottom of the pot, this becomes the crispy tahdig layer.
4. Steam the rice. Gently mound the remaining parboiled rice over the tahdig layer in a pyramid shape, which helps steam circulate. Drizzle the rest of the saffron water over the top. Cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel to trap steam, and cook over low heat for 30–40 minutes, until the rice is tender and the tahdig is golden underneath.A towel-wrapped lid stops condensation from dripping back down and making the rice sticky, don’t skip it.
5. Cook the barberries. While the rice steams, melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the drained barberries and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and a splash of saffron water, cooking another 30 seconds until the berries are plump and glossy, then remove from heat immediately.Barberries burn fast and turn bitter if cooked even a minute too long, keep the heat low and don’t walk away from the pan.
6. Assemble and serve. Fluff the steamed rice gently onto a serving platter without disturbing the tahdig. Scatter the cooked barberries over the top. Loosen the tahdig with a spatula and place pieces around the edge of the platter. Serve with the saffron chicken alongside.

The tahdig is the whole point

Tahdig, the crispy golden rice crust formed at the bottom of the pot is treated as a prized part of the meal in Persian households, often broken into pieces and shared around the table like a treat. Getting it right comes down to patience: low heat throughout, and resisting the urge to lift the lid and check on it too often.

Make it your own

Claire’s note

For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for a saffron chickpea stew using the same onion, turmeric, tomato paste and saffron base. Dried cranberries can stand in for barberries if you can’t find them, though they’re sweeter, so cut back on the added sugar. The chicken and barberries can both be made a day ahead and refrigerated, with the rice cooked fresh for the best tahdig.

Serve with

Zereshk polo barberry rice is traditionally served with the saffron chicken alongside, plus a side of plain yogurt or torshi (Persian pickled vegetables). For everything else on the table the complete Middle Eastern recipes collection has it all.

Add zereshk polo barberry rice to your weekly meal planner as the centerpiece for your next special occasion. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Zereshk Polo (Barberry Rice)

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 105 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian, can be made non-vegetarian with chicken

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Description

A beautiful and delicious Persian rice dish featuring saffron-scented basmati rice loaded with tart barberries and served with crispy tahdig.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons salt, for the boiling water
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil, for the tahdig layer
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• ½ teaspoon ground saffron, bloomed in 2 tablespoons hot water
• ½ cup dried barberries (zereshk), rinsed briefly and drained well
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons saffron water, reserved from the bloomed saffron above
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on (optional)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons saffron water
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup water or broth

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Instructions

1. Soak and parboil the rice. Rinse the rice in cold water until it runs clear. Soak in salted water for 30 minutes, then drain. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the rice, and boil for 5-6 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Make the saffron chicken. Heat butter or oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until golden. Add the chicken thighs, turmeric, salt and pepper, browning lightly on all sides. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the water or broth, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes until the chicken is tender. Stir in the saffron water near the end.
3. Build the tahdig. Melt the butter or oil in a non-stick pot over low heat. Mix ½ cup of the parboiled rice with the yogurt and a spoonful of saffron water. Spread this mixture evenly across the bottom of the pot.
4. Steam the rice. Gently mound the remaining parboiled rice over the tahdig layer in a pyramid shape. Drizzle the rest of the saffron water over the top. Cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel to trap steam, and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes.
5. Cook the barberries. While the rice steams, melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the drained barberries and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and a splash of saffron water, cooking another 30 seconds until the berries are plump and glossy, then remove from heat immediately.
6. Assemble and serve. Fluff the steamed rice gently onto a serving platter without disturbing the tahdig. Scatter the cooked barberries over the top. Loosen the tahdig with a spatula and place pieces around the edge of the platter. Serve with saffron chicken alongside.

Notes

For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with a saffron chickpea stew. Use dried cranberries if you can’t find barberries, cutting back on added sugar. The chicken and barberries can be prepared a day ahead.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 75 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Baking, Steaming
• Cuisine: Persian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 450
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 600mg
• Fat: 20g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 55g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 16g
• Cholesterol: 60mg