Name: Rice with Sour Cherries (Albalu polow)
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil; 2 young chickens, butterflied with backbones removed or 4 pounds (1.8 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs; Lavash bread for the crust; 2 tablespoons oil, butter, or ghee*; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 4 tablespoons rose water; 3 cups (600 g) long-grain basmati rice; 1 tablespoon cardamom; ½ cup (120 ml) oil, (110 g) butter, or ghee*; 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 2 tablespoons lime juice; ¼ teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons rose water; 3 pounds/1.35 kg pitted and stemmed fresh or frozen sour cherries (4 lbs/1.8 kg, if fresh unpitted sour cherries)*; 2 kafir lime leaves; 1½ cups (300 g) sugar; 1 tablespoon oil, butter, or ghee*; 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted; 2 tablespoons slivered pistachios; ½ cup (120 ml) cherry syrup *

Preparation info

Makes
6
servings

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
2 hr 30

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

Ingredients

Chicken

1 tablespoon oil
2 young chickens, butterflied with backbones removed or 4 pounds<

Method

To cook the chicken: In a Dutch oven, place all the ingredients for the chicken. Cover and cook over low heat for 1½ hours (or you can bake, covered, in a preheated 300°F oven for 1½ hours). Adjust seasoning to taste and check for