Oven-Baked Rice

Name: Oven-Baked Rice (Shirazi polow-ye qalebi)
Prep time: 1 h 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: ½ cup (110 g) butter or ghee* (room temperature); 3 egg yolks; 2 cups (480 g) plain yogurt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 cup/159 g dried barberries (zereshk)*; 3 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds; Zest of 2 oranges; 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in ¼ cup (60ml) orange blossom water; 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in ¼ cup (60ml) orange blossom water; ½ cup (110 g) butter or ghee* (room temperature); 1 teaspoon sea salt; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced; ½ teaspoon turmeric; ½ teaspoon pepper; 3 cups (600 g) long-grain basmati rice; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 cup (240 ml) oil; 2 pounds (900 g) Chinese (purple) or regular (black) eggplants; 2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or leg of lamb, cut into 3-inch/7.5cm cubes; 2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or leg of lamb, cut into 3-inch/7.5cm cubes; 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or leg of lamb, cut into 3-inch/7.5cm cubes

Shirazi polow-ye qalebi

Preparation info

Makes
6
servings

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
4 hr

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

Ingredients

Meat

2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or leg of lamb, cut into 3-inch/7.5cm cubes
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Asia
Iran
Main course
Gluten-free
Southeast Asia

Method

To cook the chicken: Place the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric, and lime juice in a medium-sized saucepan. Do not add water (if using lamb add 1 cup water). Cover and simmer for 40 minutes over low heat for chicken—1½ hours for lamb. Uncover, raise heat to medium, and continue to cook until all the water has been absorbed.
Wash the rice by placin