Polow + Khoresh

Polow, often called pilaf in English, is loosely used by Iranians to refer to any kind of cooked rice. However, technically, polow is not just rice but a combination of rice, fruit, herbs, vegetables, and sometimes meat, as reflected in the dishes I’ve included here.

Chelow, for which I’ve also provided a recipe, is plain rice that has been carefully cooked, parboiled, and steamed. This results in a fluffy rice with each grain well defined, while the bottom of the pot has a crisp, golden-brown crust known as tah dig.