Sour Cherry and Rice Salad

This is a twist on a Persian classic, albaloo pulao, which is a hot dish of meat and sour cherries layered with rice. Rice salad is not something you would find in the Middle East: rice is eaten hot and there are rarely leftovers. But I think it is all kinds of ace.

Fresh sour cherries are fruit gold dust, rare indeed. We jump through logistical hoops and battle with legions of the devil’s own bureaucrats to get them to you. But this recipe uses the dried version twinned with