Havij Polo bā Tofu

Name: Havij Polo bā Tofu (Saffron Carrot Rice with Braised Tofu)
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 navel orange; ½ cup (100 g) unrefined cane sugar; 4 carrots (about ¾ lb/360 g total), cut into thin matchsticks; 1 teaspoon saffron threads, ground and bloomed in 4 tablespoons (60 ml) hot water, divided; 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour and rinsed; 1 package (1 lb/450 g) extra-firm tofu; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) neutral oil, divided; 1 small onion, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; ⅔ teaspoon sea salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons pistachios, coarsely chopped

Saffron Carrot Rice with Braised Tofu

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Bitter & Sweet

By Omid Roustaei and Lauren Ko

Published 2025

About

What sets this dish apart are its simplicity and its mildly sweet, aromatic flavors. Lightly sautéed carrots are combined with fragrant candied orange and tossed with bloomed saffron, resulting in a colorful and vibrant dish that will surely be a visual and gastronomic hit at any gathering.

Ingredients

For the Rice Mixture

1 navel orange
½ cup (100 g) unrefined cane sugar

Americas
Asia
United States
Iran
Main course
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

To make the rice mixture, using a paring knife, peel the orange, eliminating as much of the pith as possible, before slicing the peel into thin matchsticks. Save the flesh of the orange for another use.

Place the orange peel in a small saucepan with the sugar and ½ cup (