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Sabzi polo mahi – rice with herbs and fish recipe

Sabzi Polo Mahi (means: herbs, rice, fish) is a typical dish of Nowruz (Iranian new year Eve). Except for the preparation of the herbs, it’s an easy recipe.

Fish: Traditionally the white meat fishes are used for this recipe like the Caspian sea fishes: Mullet (کفال), Whitefish (ماهی سفید), Trout (قزل‌آلا), but almost any kind of fish (salmon, mackerel, sea bass, …) taste great with Sabzi polo.

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In this recipe I used Common Dentex (Dentice in Italian) because that was the freshest fish I could find in the fish market.


Ingredients | 4-5 servings

  • 1 Fish fillet per person
  • 500g/17.6oz Basmati rice
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 2 knobs of Butter
  • 60g/2.1oz chopped Dill
  • 60g/2.1oz Coriander
  • 60g/2.1oz chopped Parsley
  • 100g/3.5oz chopped Chives or Leek
  • Saffron
  • Pickled Garlic as accompaniment (optional)


Preparation

– Herbs: combine all the chopped herbs together (dill, coriander, parsley, chives).

– Grate a clove of garlic and mix.

Wash the rice till it’s the color of water is longer opaque.

– Add the rice to salty & boiling water (just like pasta).

– When it boils and the rice doubles in size and float on the surface, it’s ready.

Drain the rice (don’t rinse to maintain the salt and aroma of rice).

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– Add the mix of chopped herbs and mix all together gently.

Mix rice and herbs in the sieve you drained the rice

– In a small glass pour hot boiling water.

– Add a pinch of ground saffron and a knob of butter and mix till butter melts completely and saffron gives its color to the mix.

Combine all together

– On medium-high heat, place a non-stick pot.

– Add the mix of saffron & butter (for a good saffron tahdig).

– Followed by mix of rice & herbs.

– Put the lid on, wait a few minutes, until it starts to sweat.

– Set the heat to lowest. Cover the lid with a clean kitchen cloth = damkoni, (it absorbs the humidity and helps to have a better tahdig).

– Cook for ⏳ 1 hour.

Preparation of Fish

– Clean and debone the fish fillets.

Make some cuts on the skin, sprinkle salt and pepper.

– Place the fish on the hot pan with clarified butter/oil.

– First from the meat side when it becomes golden turn over to the other side until it gains the same color and preferably the skin gets crunchy.


– When the skin becomes crunchy it’s ready to serve.

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Serving

– Overturn the pot of rice on a big flat plate (finger’s crossed you’ll have good Tahdig!).


– Decorate the sabzi polo with a bit of saffron rice.

– Bring fish and rice to the serving table in two separate plates so each diner can take the amount she/he wants to eat.


Notes

  • Some cook the fish in the oven with herbs, garlic and lemon. In this case the skin of the fish doesn’t become crunchy and usually is removed.
  • The best accompaniment for sabzi polo mahi is: pickled garlic, which is a typical delicacy of north Iran

Noosh-e-Jan & happy Nowrooz ☺️

5/5 (9 Reviews)
Bahareh: Welcome to Foodcraftz! I'm Bahareh, a cook who started this food blog as a side project. Hope you find the recipes interesting I try to add more every month. Thanks for visiting!

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