Middle Eastern Dill Rice Food

DILL RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice and soak it in cold water for 2 hours. Bring the water or chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the chicken bouillon. Drain the rice and add it to the saucepan, along with the lemon juice,dill and salt. Stir well, then cover. Turn to a low heat and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is done. Fluff with a fork and serve.

MIDDLE EASTERN DILL RICE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Rinse rice and soak in cold water for 2 hours.
• In a medium saucepan, bring water or chicken broth to a boil and add bouillon stirring to combine.
• Drain the rice and add it along with the lemon juice to the boiling water or chicken broth and stir. Add dill and salt. Stir and cover.
• Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 20 minutes or until rice is done.
• Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

LEMON DILL RICE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.
• Saute the chopped onion for 1 minute.
• Add rice and "parch" over low heat, by stirring until the rice turns white again. Do not let the rice brown.
• Add the rest to the ingredients and bring to boil.
• Lower heat and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.
• Fluff well with a fork, replace the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Note: The rice turn translucent when mixed with the oil. Sauteing the rice greatly reduces foaming during cooking.

RICE PILAF WITH FRESH DILL, WALNUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• In a saute pan heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute the basmati rice in the oil for 5 minutes or until light golden brown; stirring constantly.
• Pour in the broth and add the salt. Cook covered over low heat for about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
• While the rice is cooking, lightly toast the walnuts then chop coarsely. Chop the dill.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the walnuts, dill, raisins, lemon zest, vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
• Serve hot.

PERSIAN RICE WITH FAVA BEANS AND DILL (BAQALA POLOW)

Steps:

• Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat 5 times until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain, using a fine-mesh colander, and set aside.
• If using fresh fava beans in the pod, shell and remove second skins. If using frozen favas with second skins removed, place in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup (60ml) oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the cinnamon stick, leek, and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leek is wilted. Add the rice, salt, pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and rose water, and stir-fry for another 1 minute.
• Add the water, tip in the skinned fava beans and bring back to a boil, stirring gently twice with a wooden spoon, to loosen any grains that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover firmly with a lid to prevent any steam from escaping. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
• Add the dill and fluff using 2 forks. Drizzle the remaining oil and the saffron-infused rose water over the rice. Cover again, reduce heat to low, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, still covered, for 5 minutes.
• Serve with fried eggs and Yogurt and Persian Shallot Dip or alongside roasted lamb or fish.

SHEVEED POLO (DILL RICE)

Steps:

• Set aside 1/4 cup of the chopped fresh dill. In a bowl, combine the rest of the fresh dill with the dried dill.
• Place the rice, butter and salt in a medium pot. Add 3 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Give it a stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. (It's O.K. to lift the lid to check.)
• Fold the dill mixture into the rice. Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel to catch the condensation, ensuring that the kitchen towel is secured up top so it doesn't catch fire. Firmly place the lid back on the pot.
• Cook until the rice is cooked through and fluffy, about 15 minutes more. Gently fluff with a spoon, then transfer to a serving platter, scattering the reserved 1/4 cup fresh dill in between spoonfuls of rice.

PERSIAN RICE WITH GOLDEN CRUST

Steps:

• In a large saucepan bring water with salt to a boil. Add rice and boil 10 minutes. In a colander drain rice and rinse under warm water.
• In a 2- to 3-quart nonstick saucepan melt butter. Spoon rice over butter and cover pan with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid and cook rice over moderately low heat until tender and a crust forms on bottom, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Spoon loose rice onto a platter and dip bottom of pan in a large bowl of cold water 30 seconds to loosen tah-dig. Remove tah-dig and serve over rice.

SABZI POLO (PERSIAN HERBED RICE)

Steps:

• In a large strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, mixing it with your fingers as you rinse. Put the rinsed rice in a bowl and add 2 cups cold water and a handful of kosher salt (about 1/4 cup). Let sit for at least 1 hour.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine herbs. Process, in batches if necessary, until coarsely chopped. (You should have about 6 cups; set aside 3/4 cup of the chopped herbs to use as garnish.)
• In a large pot bring 12 cups water and another handful salt (about 1/4 cup) to a boil. Drain rice and add to pot. Stir once very gently; return to a boil and cook until the grains are about halfway cooked (tender but with a firm spine), 3 to 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. Drain rice, give it a quick rinse with cold water, and spread it out on a platter or rimmed baking sheet until needed.
• In a medium bowl or pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter; reserve.
• In a large nonstick skillet with a cover, or shallow pot over low heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and add grapeseed oil. Swirl the pan to make sure the melted butter covers the entire surface and sides of your skillet. If not, add more butter.
• Add a small pinch saffron and large pinch salt to the butter and swirl around. Place lavash so it covers the bottom and halfway up the sides of the skillet in a single layer, overlapping only slightly where needed. (You can tear the lavash into pieces.)
• Sprinkle a third of the rice over the lavash. If rice is clumpy, break apart with your fingers. Top with half of the chopped herbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried dill over fresh herbs. Repeat with another layer each of rice, herbs and dried dill, mounding layers in a pyramid-like shape. Top with final third of rice, and place spring garlic, if using, around the edges of the skillet.
• Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes in the rice to allow the steam to escape. Pour reserved melted butter and 2 tablespoons hot water over rice. Cover and raise heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes, or until steam is visible around the edges of the lid. (Don't go anywhere! The tahdig can burn very quickly.)
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Lift lid and cover skillet with a clean kitchen towel. Return lid to skillet and cook for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to very low. If you have a heat diffuser, place it under the skillet and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until rice is done and tahdig is golden brown. If you don't have a diffuser, watch the pot carefully so the tahdig doesn't burn. If you smell burning, turn the heat off and let the pot sit off the heat until rice is done.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon saffron and 1 tablespoon hot water. When rice is done, set aside spring garlic; reserve. Gently transfer 1 cup rice to the saffron mixture, toss to color the rice yellow, and set aside.
• Taste rice for doneness. If needed, gently stir in more salt.
• To serve, spoon half of the green herb rice onto a serving platter, taking care to not disturb the tahdig at the bottom of the skillet. Add half the reserved fresh herbs. Repeat the layers of rice and herbs. Top with saffron rice and garnish with spring garlic. Lift out the tahdig, break into pieces and serve on the side.