Persian Herb Rice (Sabzi Pollo)

Sabzi Pollo (Persian Herbed Rice ) is a truly symbolic dish to celebrate the first day of spring, the first day of the Persian New Year (Nowruz).

The first day of Spring has even more significance in my family, as it represents the first day of the Iranian New Year (read more about Nowruz here). We have many traditions while celebrating nowruz, including spring cleaning and setting up the symbolic sofreh haft seen.

We are supposed to ring in the new year in new clothes. Darn, I really do have to go shopping for new clothes! I have already bought my daughter’s new outfit for that day, that’s the easy part. I will have to find some new shirts for the boys this week. 

Why this recipe is so delicious

We don’t break out the champagne like we do in the U.S. or stay up for the countdown to midnight to celebrate nowruz. Every year the new year begins at a different time, because Persians follow the lunar calendar.

Sometimes we “ring in the new year” in the morning, other times it can fall in the middle of the night. We usually celebrate with our extended families, sharing this very traditional dinner together.

The one meal that you MUST eat to celebrate Nowruz is this Persian Herbed Rice (Sabzi Polo). The fresh herbs used in this dish represent rebirth, as everything that died in the winter is alive again for the spring. Herbs and fresh greens appear all over the nowruz menu.

Fish is usually served with sabzi pollo. Like in many cultures, the fish is a symbol for good luck in the coming year. My mother-in-law usually fries whole white fish, but I am partial to baking a salmon in the oven. Either way, this fragrant dish can be enjoyed all year long.

Ingredients you need

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My herb combination of choice for sabzi polo is dill, parsley, cilantro and green onions. The quantity of the herbs used is also based on preference. I have had sabzi polo where you don’t see one grain of white rice.

My kids won’t eat that. They like it to see some white rice, so I’ve toned down the herbs a little to our family’s taste. So, you decided for yourself which you prefer.

• Basmati rice: Persian rice is made with long brain basmati rice. The brands I use are typically the Indian basmati rice. Some brands I like to cook with include are Royal, Pari and Zaffaroni.
• Saffron: The saffron is crushed in a mortar and pestle and then steeped in hot water. It is then added to rice, to give you that golden rice garnishing for your dish. Choose a high quality saffron, long crimson strands.
• Fresh herbs: As I mentioned before, the variety of herbs used in sabzi pollo varies from person to person. This recipe uses fresh dill, parsley, cilantro, green onions. You can use dried herbs, but it will not taste the same as fresh.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Oil is used on the bottom of the pot to create the crust, or tahdig. I use olive oil, but you can also use any neutral vegetable oil.
• Potatoes: My family loves the crunchy potato tahdig I make with my rice. I prefer to use russet potatoes for tahdig, but you could also use white or red potatoes.

Step-by-step directions

1. Clean and soak rice. I usually rinse the rice and drain it three times. Cover rice with water to soak.

How long you soak the rice after rinsing is up to you and how much starch you want in your rice. Some people soak the rice overnight. I only soak it after rinsing it and let it sit while I boil my pot of water.

2. Prepare the herbs. Soak and wash the herbs and spin dry to remove excess water. I also remove the thick woody stems. Once the herbs are dry, chop by hand or in a food processor.
3. Parboil the rice. Fill a large nonstick pot with water and sal then bring to boil. Drain the soaking rice and add it to the boiling water. Boil it for 6 minutes, or until the outer part of the rice is cooked but the inside is still hard. Pour thru a fine mesh strainer to drain out the water.
4. Bloom the saffron. Grind saffron in a mortar and pestle then add a bit of hot water boiling from the pot to steep the ground saffron.

5. Prepare the tahdig. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat and add oil. Add the slices of potatoes in any pattern you like. Season the potatoes with salt.
6. Add rice layer. Using a spatula, gently scoop drained rice from the colander and scatter throughout the pot, over the potatoes, forming one layer. Don’s smoosh it.
7. Layer in herbs. Over the rice scatter a spatula-full of herb-mixture forming another layer. Continue alternating layers of white rice and herbs, until finished.
8. Steam the rice. Press the handle of a wooden spoon gently thru the rice to create a steam vent. Cover the lid of the pot with a towel and gently press it over the pot. Reduce heat to low and steam the rice.
9. To serve. Pour saffron water over the top of the rice then place a serving platter on top of the pot and carefully flip it over. This allows the crispy crust cooking on the bottom of the pot to be presented on top. You can also scatter the cooked rice on a serving platter and then add the crispy crust pieces around the rice.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Spring also means that sour oranges (narenj) are in season. Here in the US, these are also known as ornamental oranges. They look like bumpy oranges with thick skin are not sweet, but a type of sour. The flavor is a cross between an orange and lemon.

Narenj’s make a great alternative to fresh lemons or limes. If you are serving fish or chicken with your sabzi pollow, serve with some narenj. Check your local middle-eastern markets from January through spring for this jewel of a find.

My favorite way to serve fish is broiling salmon in the oven. I take a whole salmon and season it with my dry rub chicken seasoning. Then broil it for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the salmon and how close you are to the broiler.

So easy and so delicious!

We love to serve this dish with some Persian cucumber salad (Shirazi salad), yogurt with cucumbers (mast o khiar), a platter of fresh herbs (sabzi khordan), and/or Persian pickled vegetables (torshi bademjan).

And if you are serving this for your nowruz dinner, be sure to make kookoo sabzi (Persian herb quiche) and ash reshteh (Persian bean and noodle soup).

If you want to learn more about Nowruz, I have written an ebook that has everything you need to celebrate Nowruz.  You can learn more about my Nowruz ebook here.

Persian Herb Rice (Sabzi Pollo)

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Sabzi Pollo (Persian Herbed Rice ) is a truly symbolic dish to celebrate the first day of spring, the first day of the Persian New Year (Nowruz).

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Persian

Servings 8

Calories 155 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 cup basmati rice
• 16 cup water
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• ½ teaspoon saffron crushed
• 1 ½ cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided
• 8 oz russet potatoes peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds

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Instructions

 

• In a medium-sized bowl cover rice with water. Gently wash rice by stirring it in the water with your hand. This helps wash the starch and grit out. Pour out water and repeat two more times.
• After washing rice a third time, let it soak in water.
• In a small bowl combine hot water and crushed saffron. Let saffron steep for 10 minutes before using.
• In another bowl combine chopped herbs and reserve.
• Bring 8 cups water with ½ teaspoon salt to boil in a 5-quart non-stick pot. When water in pot has come to boil, drain the rice. Add the drained rice to the boiling water.
• When the water returns to a boil and the rice floats to the top (approximately 6 mins), strain the contents of the pot through a fine colander. You know your rice is ready to strain if you bite a rice kernel and the center is uncooked.
• Return pot to burner, set heat to medium and add olive oil. Line the bottom of the pot in one layer with potato rounds. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt over the potato rounds.
• Using a spatula, gently scoop drained rice from the colander and scatter throughout the pot, over the potatoes, forming one layer. Make sure you do not push the rice in together as this will result in mushy rice.
• Over the scattered rice use a spatula to scatter a spatula-full of herb-mixture forming another layer.
• Continue alternating layers of white rice and herbs, until finished. Your pot should not be filled to the very top as you need 3 inches of empty space for the steam.
• Pour the saffron mixture over the top of rice. Then pour 1 TBS olive oil over the top of the rice, as well.
• Cover the lid of your pot with a clean towel or several paper towels, and set firmly over your pot to prevent steam from escaping. The towel will keep the condensation from dropping back into your rice and turning the rice into mush.
• After 10 minutes, lower heat to low and let rice finish cooking for another 45 minutes.
• Using a spatula, gently scoop rice out and onto serving platter. On the bottom you will find the crust (called "ta-dig"). Place the crust pieces along the platter.
• If the crust won’t come out of the pot, stick the bottom of the pot in a sink filled with a couple inches of cold water. This will help the crust release.

Notes

Cooking Suggestions: The quantity and variety of herbs used in Sabzi Polo varies with who is making it. Some people like the rice to be practically green and filled with herbs while others prefer less. So use these measurements as a guideline and don’t stress over measuring everything exactly.

For the tahdig, you can also use pieces of lavash or tortillas, slices of onions or just rice.

TO STORE: Store any leftover rice in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. I personally don’t like how the rice texture changes when thawed after freezing, so I don’t freeze it. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-2 cups riceCalories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 394mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

Keyword persian herb rice, sabzi pollo, sabzi polo

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Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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