SAEDNEWS: Baghali Polo with lamb shank is one of the most elegant and formal dishes in Iran. It is commonly served as the main course at many gatherings and special occasions.
According to the Saed News cooking section, the ingredients for preparing Baghali Polo are as follows. This quantity serves 6–7 people.
Rice: 4 cups
Lamb shank with bone or shoulder: 1300 g
Boneless lamb shank or chicken (thigh and breast): 800 g
Onion (chopped): 1
Oil: 5 tablespoons
Salt: as needed
Brewed saffron: 3 tablespoons
Fresh green fava beans (shelled, 900 g): 2 kg (unshelled weight)
Dill (chopped, 150 g): 500 g
Ground saffron: 2 tablespoons
Butter or animal fat: 100 g
Soak the rice for at least 2 hours in advance, following standard Persian rice preparation guidelines.
Wash and cut the meat. Place it in a pot with the chopped onion and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then cover and reduce the heat to let it cook. The meat should be tender with about ½ cup of broth remaining. Toward the end, add salt and 1 tablespoon of brewed saffron.
Remove the fava beans from their pods, split them in half, and peel off their second skin.
In a pot, bring water to a boil with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon salt. Add the fava beans, skim off any foam, and cook until tender but not mushy. Drain them.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and place the rack on the lowest level.
Drain the soaked rice. While draining, add the fava beans to the rice, mix gently, and drain together so they reach the same temperature.
Pour 2 tablespoons oil into a large pot. For the tahdig (crispy base), use flatbread or lettuce leaves.
Gently mix the rice, fava beans, and dill, then add to the pot. Cover and cook on heat for 5 minutes until steaming begins. Drizzle 2 tablespoons brewed saffron and 3 tablespoons hot oil over the rice. Cover the lid with parchment paper and foil, then place the pot in the oven. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 40–50 minutes. Alternatively, steam on very low heat on the stovetop for about 1.5 hours.
When serving, separate the saffron rice. Place some rice on a serving dish, arrange the cooked meat on top, then cover with more rice. Finally, garnish with saffron rice.
Heat the butter with the meat broth and pour over the rice before serving.
Baghali Polo can be served with chicken or a combination of chicken and red meat.
For a greener color, you can juice 500 g of fresh dill and cook the fava beans in the dill juice.
Optionally, mix 2 cloves of grated garlic with the dill and add to the rice.
You may also sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Persian rice spice mix or a blend of 1 tablespoon cinnamon with a little rosewater between the rice layers while steaming.
Instead of fresh dill, you can use ½ cup dried dill.
Dill Rice (Shevid Polo)
Omit the fava beans and prepare the rice only with dill.
Pea Rice (Nokhod Polo)
Follow the same method, but replace fava beans with 3 cups cooked or canned green peas. Optionally, sprinkle 1 tablespoon cumin over the rice.
