One of the most delicious dishes you can serve at parties and gatherings is Morasa Polo, also called Persian jeweled rice because of its beauty. This delicious dish is made of rice, chicken or meat, saffron, barberry, almond, and pistachio. Morasa polo is a popular dish in Persian cuisine, no doubt.
Making Morasa Polo is a little time-consuming, but it is certainly easier than you think. This article will share the best way to cook this popular Iranian food. Join us with the Morasa Polo Recipe.
Why is It Called Jeweled Rice?
The barberries, raisins, carrots, orange peel, almonds, and pistachios contribute to the name, flavor, and color. Because most of the components in Morasa Polow are sugar-based, the overall flavor is slightly sweet, even with the sour barberries (see helpful tips below).
Now, I don’t really like sweet with my savory (is that right?). Therefore, I’ve drastically cut back on the sugar required to make this Persian Jewelled rice throughout the years.
Additionally, by doing this, I’ve shortened the cooking time and somewhat streamlined the cooking procedure. My two-hour Persian cooking lessons are always packed within hours of being live, so this component has been essential.
Ingredients for Making Persian Jeweled Rice
- 4 cups rice
- Chicken breast 400g
- ½ cup Raisins
- ½ Barberry
- 3 large onions
- ¼ cup almond slice
- ¼ cup pistachio slices
- ¼ cup Slices of Tangerine or Orange peel
- 2 tablespoons Brewed saffron
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Sour lemon juice
- Salt and Black pepper as needed
- Turmeric and oil as needed
Morasa Polo Recipe
Step one
To prepare Javahar Polo oranges, pour them into a glass of water, and set them aside to soak for 1 hour. Then pour the orange peels into a dipper and put them on the heat until you can remove the extracted juice of an orange and replace it with another cup of water.
Step Two
Now, put it back on the stove flame. Do this 3 to 4 times to completely remove the bitterness of the orange peel. The last time you pour out the boiled water, instead of water, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the orange peels and fry them. Then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and fry continuously until the sugar dissolves and the orange peels become glassy.
Step three
Place the chicken breast on a board, chop it into cubes and pour into a bowl. Then, wash and peel the onions, pour them into the chopped chicken bowl, and add some little lemon juice and salt to the ingredients. Now, turn all the ingredients upside down so that the chicken meat is completely soaked in the ingredients. Then, cover the bowl with cellophane and put it in the fridge.
Step four
Now, pour the rice into a bowl with water and let it soak. Peel and chop the remaining onions, pour them into a pan, and stir them up until they get golden.
Step five
Now, take the chopped chickens out of the refrigerator, put them in the pan, fry them with onions, and add little turmeric and pepper to the ingredients. Use the pan lid and let the sliced chicken cook with the onion juice.
Step six
Let the chicken cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Then brew a small amount of saffron, add salt, and fry it. Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a little cinnamon on the ingredients and mix them well. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
Step seven
Pour 6 glasses of water into a pot, add a little salt to it, and put it on high heat so that the water boils faster. Pour the rice into the pot and let it boil.
Step eight
Test the rice after 7 minutes. If the area around it is soft and the rice kernel is a little firm, drain the rice, wash the pot, and put it on the heat to dry. Then, add oil to them and put the rice inside with a spatula.
Step nine
Then, with the spoon’s handle, make a hole in the middle of the rice. Now use a flame spreader, increase the heat, and reduce the heat after about 4 to 5 minutes until the Morasa Polo is brewed.
Step eight
Now, pour rose water over the sliced almonds to soak them, and pour water over the barberries and raisins to soak. 10 minutes later, pour the sliced almonds, barberry, and raisins into the drain. Then, put them aside to get rid of their excess water.
Step nine
Put a pan on low heat, add some oil, and then put each almond, barberry, and raisins in a specific part of the pan. Pour a slice of almonds and fry for 2-3 minutes, then barberry and 1 tablespoon of sugar (fry them for 1 minute) and raisins in the corner.
Should Rice Be Soaked?
It is all dependent upon your rice. Based on my observations in the UK, the majority—possibly even all—of the basmati rice found in our stores is not resistant to soaking. When cooked, the grains often crumble. Regardless of brand and price range.
It is “proper” aged basmati rice if you purchase it from a South Asian store, as I do today. It will definitely benefit from being steeped for an hour with one tablespoon of salt.
However, if you want to soak, feel free to do so. Soak in cool water with two tablespoons of salt for a few hours.
How to Serve Morasa Polo?
After frying them for 30 seconds, remove the pan from the heat. Take a plate; pour it with rice. Put the cooked chicken pieces on the rice, and then mix saffron with a bit of rice, and add it on top.
Then, design your dish with barberry, raisins, sliced almonds, and peeled oranges on the rice in any model you like. Do not forget to add the sliced pistachios to the rice in the same way without frying. Finally, enjoy eating your delicious jeweled rice with your family!
Morasa Polo with Red Meat
To prepare this delicious dish with beef or mutton, we can use sliced meat or minced meat to your liking. If you use minced meat, you must combine the minced meat with 1 grated onion. Before mixing, you should remove the extra onion water, add some spices, and knead the ingredients together for 5 minutes. Then, make small meatballs from the meat and onion mixture and fry them in oil.
Do not forget to make this recipe and share it with us. If you also have any related questions about Morasa Polo Recipe, please do not hesitate to ask!
Tips to Make Morasa Polo
- Add the cooked berries to the rice during the last construction stage to avoid coloring it. Take care not to scorch them by swiftly removing the pan from the heat source.
- Pistachios: Quickly soak to soften the shell and remove the peel. them may take longer for the nuts to crisp later if you soak them for too long.
- Fry Onions: Fry until crisp-edged and golden brown. Cast iron cookware is the best since it holds heat better and requires constant monitoring to avoid burning, particularly at the end.
- Rice cooker: If you enjoy Persian rice, you should get a Persian rice cooker so that you can easily prepare delicious rice.
Morassa Polo’s Perfect Appetizers And Desserts
Naturally, it’s a matter of personal preference; our recommended Persian appetizers are the Kale Kabab appetizer, which consists of smoked eggplant, walnuts, pomegranate paste, and a hint of garlic, is highly recommended.
Dessert is what would be exciting. We suggest Persian aromatic tea with cinnamon, cardamom, or rose after this wonderful lunch.
And the beverage? You might, however, sample our national beverage, “Doogh,” a dairy prepared of yogurt and water mixed with mint.
Dried Fruits Ingredient Options
- Dates and raisins (called keshmesh in Farsi)
- Tart barberries (called zereshk in Farsi)
- Dried apricots or dry peaches
- Dried cherries or cranberries
A stunning rice platter is enhanced by the vibrant color and sweet flavor of dried fruit and berries. When properly cooked, they radiate light and shimmer. Yellow raisins, orange-colored dried apricots or dry peaches, and reddish-colored dried cranberries or dried cherries are my favorite color and flavor combinations. Delicious!
Now that we’ve added some crisp, roasted nuts, things are getting serious. Similar dried fruit and nuts are used to make Persian trail mix, or “ajeel” as it is known in Farsi. Pistachios and slivered almonds are the traditional ingredients for shirin polo.
FAQs on Morasa Polo Recipe
- At which events is Morasa Polo usually served?
Because of its opulent and colorful look, morasa polo is frequently served at celebratory events like weddings, New Year’s (Nowruz), and other festivities.
- Can you make Morasa Polo vegan or vegetarian?
It is quite easy to make Morasa Polo vegan or vegetarian. Usually vegetarian in origin, the meal can be made vegan by using vegetable oil or vegan butter in place of the butter called for in the recipe.
- How should Morasa Polo be kept and heated?
For a maximum of three to four days, Morasa Polo can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop, cover the rice with a little water to keep it from drying out.
How to Make Morasa Polo in 11 Steps?
Course: Main coursesCuisine: Persian foodDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes2
hours400
kcalMorasa Polo is one of the most delicious dishes you can serve at parties and gatherings. It is also called Persian jeweled rice because of its beauty.
Ingredients
4 cups rice
Chicken breast 400g
½ cup Raisins
½ Barberry
3 large onions
¼ cup almond slice
¼ cup pistachio slices
¼ cup Slices of Tangerine or Orange peel
2 tablespoons Brewed saffron
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Sour lemon juice
Salt and Black pepper as needed
Turmeric and oil as needed
Directions
- To prepare Morasa Polo, peel the oranges, pour them into a glass of water, and set them aside to soak for 1 hour. Then pour the orange peels into a dipper and put them on the heat until you can remove the extracted juice of an orange and replace it with another cup of water.
- Now, put it back on the stove flame. Do this 3 to 4 times to completely remove the bitterness of the orange peel. The last time you pour out the boiled water, instead of water, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the orange peels and fry them. Then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and fry continuously until the sugar dissolves and the orange peels become glassy.
- Place the chicken breast on a board, chop it into cubes and pour into a bowl. Then, wash and peel the onions, pour them into the chopped chicken bowl, and add some little lemon juice and salt to the ingredients. Now, turn all the ingredients upside down so that the chicken meat is completely soaked in the ingredients. Then, cover the bowl with cellophane and put it in the fridge.
- Now, pour the rice into a bowl with water and let it soak. Peel and chop the remaining onions, pour them into a pan, and stir them up until they get golden.
- Now, take the chopped chickens out of the refrigerator, put them in the pan, fry them with onions, and add little turmeric and pepper to the ingredients. Use the pan lid and let the sliced chicken cook with the onion juice.
- Let the chicken cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Then brew a small amount of saffron, add salt, and fry it. Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a little cinnamon on the ingredients and mix them well. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
- Pour 6 glasses of water into a pot, add a little salt to it, and put it on high heat so that the water boils faster. Pour the rice into the pot and let it boil.
- Test the rice after 7 minutes. If the area around it is soft and the rice kernel is a little firm, drain the rice, wash the pot, and put it on the heat to dry. Then, add oil to them and put the rice inside with a spatula.
- Then, with the spoon’s handle, make a hole in the middle of the rice. Now use a flame spreader, increase the heat, and reduce the heat after about 4 to 5 minutes until the Morasa Polo is brewed.
- Now, pour rose water over the sliced almonds to soak them, and pour water over the barberries and raisins to soak. 10 minutes later, pour the sliced almonds, barberry, and raisins into the drain. Then, put them aside to get rid of their excess water.
- Put a pan on low heat, add some oil, and then put each almond, barberry, and raisins in a specific part of the pan. Pour a slice of almonds and fry for 2-3 minutes, then barberry and 1 tablespoon of sugar (fry them for 1 minute) and raisins in the corner.
- After frying them for 30 seconds, remove the pan from the heat. Take a plate; pour it with rice. Put the cooked chicken pieces on the rice, and then mix saffron with a bit of rice, and add it on top.
- Then, design your dish with barberry, raisins, sliced almonds, and peeled oranges on the rice in any model you like. Do not forget to add the sliced pistachios to the rice in the same way without frying. Finally, enjoy eating your delicious jeweled rice with your family!
Recipe Video
Notes
- To prepare this delicious dish with beef or mutton, we can use sliced meat or minced meat to your liking. If you use minced meat, you must combine the minced meat with 1 grated onion. Before mixing, you should remove the extra onion water, add some spices, and knead the ingredients together for 5 minutes. Then, make small meatballs from the meat and onion mixture and fry them in oil.