SAEDNEWS: Reshteh Polo is one of Iran’s delicious and festive traditional dishes, prepared in a variety of methods and enjoyed especially on special occasions.
According to SAEDNEWS, For travelers heading to the holy city of Mashhad who want to experience local flavors alongside their pilgrimage and sightseeing, this article introduces the traditional recipe for Mashhadi Reshteh Polo. We hope you will both try cooking it at home and enjoy its taste, and also make sure to sample it during your stay in Mashhad.
First, it is worth noting that Reshteh Polo is considered a native dish of Mashhad, Ardabil Province, and Kermanshah, although it is prepared in different ways in other cities as well. For example, people in Azerbaijan add dried apricot slices to give it a distinct flavor. This dish is commonly cooked with meat, fried onions, dates, or raisins. In Mashhad, it is traditionally eaten during the Nowruz celebrations, as people believe that eating Reshteh Polo helps them “take control of the threads of life and work” in the new year.
4 chicken drumsticks
3 cups rice
300 g Persian noodles (reshteh-ye polo’i)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
4 tablespoons strong brewed saffron
Sumac and cinnamon, to taste
50 g liquid oil and butter
Season the chicken drumsticks with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the diced onion in a pan with a little oil until golden. Add the chicken drumsticks to the onions and fry for a few minutes. Pour in about one cup of boiling water, cover the pan, and let the chicken cook for 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add two tablespoons of brewed saffron. By the end, the remaining liquid should have the consistency of a thick sauce.
Soak the rice in water and salt for a few hours. Drain, then cook it in boiling water. During the last five minutes of boiling, add the noodles and stir gently. After five minutes, drain the rice and noodles.
Pour some oil into a pot and heat it over medium heat. Spread a layer of the drained rice and noodles on the bottom of the pot and press gently. Place two cooked chicken drumsticks on top, then pour half of the remaining chicken sauce over them and sprinkle with sumac and cinnamon. Add another layer of rice, the remaining two chicken drumsticks, and finish with a final layer of rice. Cover the pot and allow the rice to steam. Once it begins steaming, reduce the heat, cover with a lid cloth, and let the dish cook on low heat for about 45 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes, drizzle butter, two tablespoons of liquid oil, and the remaining saffron over the rice. Serve Mashhadi Reshteh Polo on a platter and enjoy its rich and comforting flavor.
Reshteh Polo can also be prepared with chicken as the bottom layer (tahdig). For this version, partially cook the chicken with salt, onion, pepper, and saffron. Parboil and drain the rice and noodles as usual. Pour some butter, oil, and brewed saffron into the bottom of the pot, arrange the chicken pieces, then layer the rice and noodles on top. Cover and let the dish steam for about one hour.
