"Havij Polow" Iranian Saffron Carrot Rice with Chicken by The Caspian Chef

In this latest edition of #FarhangFlavor we are delighted to welcome back one of our favorite contributors, The Caspian Chef, Omid Roustaei to present his latest delicious Iranian recipe. So let's travel to Chef Roustaei’s Seattle kitchen, and learn about “Havij Polow” (Saffron Carrot Rice with Chicken), one of the most colorful and tasty Iranian rice dishes. We thank Chef Roustaei for providing us with his recipe and hope you can enjoy this classic Iranian rice dish with your friends and family.

“I would like to thank the Farhang Foundation for all the great programming they put together for us during this difficult and challenging pandemic year. I know for me and my family it was really important and significant to still be able to come together and gather around to celebrate our culture, traditions and holidays.” - Omid Roustaei

To learn more about #FarhangFlavor and to watch all episodes, please visit us at: https://farhang.org/flavor

For more information on the Caspian Chef please visit: https://thecaspianchef.com/

Follow the Caspian Chef:
  / thecaspianchef  
  / thecaspianchef  
  / thecaspianchef  

Ingredients:

Saffron
1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 8 tablespoons hot water

Divided Candied Orange
1 Navel orange peeled, cut into matchsticks
1/2 water
1/2 cup sugar

Chicken
2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, ground
4 pieces of chicken thighs and breasts, with bone-in and skin-on, preferred
1 cup water, more as needed
3 tablespoon saffron water

Carrots
4 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil
3 tablespoon saffron water

Rice
2 cup white basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour and rinsed
8 cups of water
2 tablespoons salt, for parboiling rice and will be rinsed out
2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil
2 tablespoon saffron water


Garnish
1/4 cup slivered or chopped pistachios


Instructions:

Saffron

Using a smooth mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads into a fine ground, add hot water, stir and set aside.

Orange

Score the navel orange into quarters with a paring knife, approximately 1/8 inch deep. Peel the orange and remove as much of the pith as possible. Thinly slice the orange peel into matchsticks.

Place the orange peel in a small saucepan with water and sugar, stir and bring to a gentle boil. Continue to simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the water and sugar have cooked into a small amount of syrup. Set aside.

Chicken

In a large heavy pot, sauté the onions with 2 tablespoons of ghee for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

Add turmeric, salt, and pepper and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the chicken pieces on medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Return the onions to the pan, add 1 cup of water and mix well.

Cover and cook the chicken over low heat for 75-90 minutes until the chicken is completely tender. Be sure to turn the chicken over halfway and check for the liquid level. If necessary, add a small amount of water during cooking; however, keep in mind that the finished dish should not be watery.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of saffron water and stir. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Carrots

In a medium-sized frying pan, sauté the carrots over medium heat with ghee for about 5 minutes, add the orange peel and syrup and 3 tablespoons of saffron water and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Rice

Select a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring 8 cups of water and salt to a boil, covered. Once boiling, add the rinsed rice and bring it back to a boil on high heat uncovered for about 6-8 minutes, or until the rice has slightly softened.

Drain the rice in a colander, rinse with warm water, and set it aside while you prepare the pan for the next stage of cooking.

Melt 2 tablespoons of ghee over low heat in the same heavy bottom pot. In a small bowl, gently mix 1 cup of the lightly cooked rice with 2 tablespoons of saffron-water and spread evenly in the bottom of the pot. This will turn into the crispy rice referred to as Tahdig.

Begin by layering a 1/3 of the partially cooked rice and a 1/3 of the carrot mixture until all rice and carrots are layered in the pot. Next, wrap the lid with a clean towel and place it on top of the pot.

Allow the rice to steam over medium-low to medium heat for 45-50 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

Place the rice and carrot pilaf on a serving platter with the braised chicken arranged around the platter, garnish with pistachios on top and serve.

Noush-e Jaan