Saed News: Reshteh Polo Darbari is a type of Reshteh Polo cooked with apricots, dried fruits, and meatballs. It is very delicious and festive.
Saed News Report: Reshteh Polo is one of the traditional Iranian dishes that few people would refuse. In many cities of Iran, Reshteh Polo is prepared as the dinner for the Persian New Year's Eve (Nowruz) or the night of Chaharshanbe Suri (the last Wednesday night of the year), following an old tradition that symbolizes the prosperity of work and life. Depending on personal tastes, Reshteh Polo is served with various ingredients. You can prepare this delicious dish with meatballs or chicken, and here we teach both methods.
Reshteh Polo Darbari
Reshteh Polo Darbari is a delicious and festive dish made by combining Reshteh (noodles) with rice, and a mixture of meatballs, apricots, and dried fruits. This dish is perfect for Chaharshanbe Suri and can be easily prepared at home. So, continue reading for the recipe to make Reshteh Polo Darbari.
Ingredients:
3 cups of rice
1 cup of Reshteh noodles
300 grams of ground meat
2 onions
1 cup of apricots and dried apricot slices
Saffron (strongly brewed) as needed
2 potatoes
Sesame seeds as needed
Salt, pepper, and turmeric as needed
Oil as needed
Instructions:
To prepare this delicious dish, first soak the rice in water with a pinch of salt and let it sit for 3 hours. Also, soak the apricots and dried apricot slices.
Grate one onion, then add ground meat along with some salt, pepper, and turmeric. Mix well by hand. Now, form meatballs and fry them in oil until golden. Remove the meatballs from the pan.
Slice another onion and fry it in the same oil until golden brown. Add the fried meatballs, apricots, and soaked dried apricot slices to the pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and turmeric, add the brewed saffron, and stir the mixture. Once everything is lightly sautéed, turn off the heat.
Boil the rice and add the Reshteh noodles during the last two minutes of boiling. Then, drain the rice.
Add some oil to the bottom of a pot and sprinkle sesame seeds. Place thinly sliced potatoes at the bottom of the pot.
Layer the rice, then add a portion of the prepared meatball mixture over the rice. Repeat the process until all the rice and mixture are layered. Finally, pour some brewed saffron on top and steam the rice for 45 minutes.
Your delicious Reshteh Polo Darbari is now ready to be served. Enjoy!
Important Tips:
When draining the rice, add warm water and salt to it after washing the rice. The salt should be slightly more than usual. Let the rice soak for a few hours. It is best to soak it for at least 3 hours to ensure better quality. If you have time, soak it the night before.
To boil the rice, fill the pot two-thirds of the way with water and place it over medium-high heat. Add salt to the water. Once the water boils, add the soaked rice and discard the water used for soaking.
The heat should be medium-high when boiling the rice. Do not cover the pot and wait for the water to come to a boil. When it boils again, stir the rice gently a few times to avoid breaking the grains. The rice should boil for about 10 to 14 minutes, depending on its type.
After draining the rice, allow it to sit for a moment to let any remaining water drain. Then, add cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any excess salt between the grains.
To make the rice fluffier, you can add a small cup of cold water when the rice begins to boil. This will shock the rice and help it fluff up.
Always use thick, freshly brewed saffron. The more water you add, the lighter the color will be, so it’s important to brew saffron properly. Grind the saffron well and add 2 tablespoons of hot water and two ice cubes for better color extraction. Store saffron in an airtight container in the freezer, and allow it to thaw at room temperature before use.
Be sure to check that the saffron you use is pure, not fake. To verify, press the saffron between your fingers; if oil is released, it’s pure. Fake saffron often looks shiny.
