Zereshk Polo ba Murgh (Persian Barberry Pilaf with Chicken)
Barberries are perhaps some of the best things to have come out of the Middle-East. The sweet and sour flavour of the berries is fun and playful on the palate, and is greatly complimented by the other ingredients in this dish. Barberry pilaf and chicken is one the most common dishes being cooked in a
Persian kitchen. Unlike most Persian foods it’s both easy and quick to
prepare. The meat unfortunately was a little stiff, but that's partially a problem with chicken meat in Hong Kong (it's a nightmare to get quality chicken for some strange reason!). Other than that, it was great.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
200g chicken fillet
1 cup basmati rice
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 pinch saffron
Pepper and salt
Directions
Cut the onion in half and thinly slice one and place along with chicken, garlic, ½ tbsp turmeric, salt and pepper in a sauce pan.
Grind the saffron and add it to half a cup of boiling water. Leave it for 15 min so the color comes out.
Add the saffron juice to the chicken mixture. Also add a cup of water and cook on medium heat until the meat becomes completely tender. Add additional water if necessary.
Slice the other half of the onion finely and fry in a separate non-stick pan with butter, salt, pepper and ½ tbsp turmeric until it becomes golden.
Add barberries to the mixture and stir at low heat for 1 min.
Mix sugar and 2 tbsp boiling water and pour over the mixture while stirring vigorously for 1 min to evaporate the excess water.
Steam the rice and mix it well with the glazed barberries and enjoy it with the soft saffron flavored chicken.
| Ease of Cooking | Yummy Factor | Apprx. Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
|
HK$20 (US$2.5) |
200g chicken fillet
1 cup basmati rice
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 pinch saffron
Pepper and salt
Directions
Cut the onion in half and thinly slice one and place along with chicken, garlic, ½ tbsp turmeric, salt and pepper in a sauce pan.
Grind the saffron and add it to half a cup of boiling water. Leave it for 15 min so the color comes out.
Add the saffron juice to the chicken mixture. Also add a cup of water and cook on medium heat until the meat becomes completely tender. Add additional water if necessary.
Slice the other half of the onion finely and fry in a separate non-stick pan with butter, salt, pepper and ½ tbsp turmeric until it becomes golden.
Add barberries to the mixture and stir at low heat for 1 min.
Mix sugar and 2 tbsp boiling water and pour over the mixture while stirring vigorously for 1 min to evaporate the excess water.
Steam the rice and mix it well with the glazed barberries and enjoy it with the soft saffron flavored chicken.
