The most spectacular rice dish in the world: steamed basmati studded with barberries, slivered pistachios, blanched almonds, candied orange peel and saffron, each gem of colour gleaming against the white rice: the centrepiece of Persian royal feasts and wedding celebrations
Morasa polo (مرصع پلو; literally 'jewelled rice') is the crown jewel of Persian cuisine: a ceremonial rice dish prepared for weddings, Nowruz (Persian New Year) and royal celebrations. The 'jewels' are the gleaming, jewel-coloured garnishes that stud the surface; sour barberries (zereshk) the colour of rubies, green pistachios, golden almonds, candied orange peel, and golden-yellow saffron-soaked rice. The dish dates to the Safavid period (16th–18th centuries) when the Persian court in Isfahan developed rice cooking to an extraordinary art form. The technique is identical to chelo, the two-stage parboil and steam, but the finishing is theatrical: each element of the garnish is cooked separately to preserve its colour and texture, then arranged over and through the rice in a pattern that recalls the gem-setting work of Persian jewellers. Morasa polo represents the highest expression of the Persian philosophy that a great dish must be beautiful as well as delicious: colour, pattern and presentation are not afterthoughts but integral to the dish.
Ingredients
Rice
500 g aged basmati rice
4 tbsp ghee or butter
Saffron
1 tsp saffron strands, dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water
Jewels
80 g dried barberries (zereshk), or dried cranberries as substitute
60 g raw pistachios, slivered or roughly chopped
60 g blanched almonds, slivered
1 large orange, peel only, cut into thin julienne strips
3 tbsp caster sugar (for candying the orange peel)
60 g dried apricots or golden sultanas (optional)
Fragrance
2 tbsp rose water
Jewels cooking
2 tbsp butter (for sautéing the jewels)
Jewels seasoning
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar (for the barberries)
Method
Cook the basmati using the two-stage Persian method: wash and soak the rice in salted water for 1 hour. Parboil in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 minutes until the outside is soft but the centre is still firm. Drain. Layer in a ghee-lined pot over a thin tahdig layer and steam, towel-sealed, over very low heat for 40 minutes. (See chelo kebab recipe for detailed method.)
Prepare the candied orange peel: blanch the julienned orange peel in boiling water twice (2 minutes each time, draining and replacing with fresh water each time: this removes bitterness). In a small saucepan, combine the blanched peel with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 4 tablespoons of water. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes until the peel is translucent and the syrup has reduced. Drain and spread on baking paper to cool.
Sauté the barberries: melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan over low heat. Add the barberries and the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir gently for 2 minutes until the berries plump and soften slightly. Do not overcook; barberries turn from jewel-like to dull very quickly. Remove from heat.
In a small pan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and gently warm the slivered pistachios and almonds together for 1–2 minutes. Season with a pinch of cinnamon. Set aside.
When the rice is done (before the tahdig flip), take 4 large serving spoons of rice and mix them gently with all the saffron water in a bowl; these saffron-soaked grains will be used to decorate the top of the platter.
Unmould the rice onto a large, wide serving platter: flip onto the platter so the tahdig crust is at the base. Alternatively, serve the white rice on a platter and crack the tahdig into pieces to place alongside.
Arrange the 'jewels' over the surface of the white rice in a pattern: place the saffron rice in decorative clusters, scatter the barberries liberally across the surface (they should dominate; the ruby-red colour against white is the visual signature of the dish), arrange the pistachios and almonds, place the candied orange peel in curved strips, and dot the dried apricots or sultanas if using. Drizzle rose water over everything.
Bring the entire platter to the table and let the guests serve themselves, making sure everyone gets a piece of tahdig.
Notes
Rose water (golab) is the final fragrance that lifts morasa polo from merely beautiful to transcendent. Use genuine Iranian rose water (available at Middle Eastern grocery stores); the real article is intensely fragrant from the Damask rose petals of Kashan and Gilan provinces. Commercial rose water from supermarkets is a pale imitation. A few drops are enough; too much makes the dish smell like perfume rather than food. Morasa polo is the dish that should make any diner who has never encountered Persian cooking understand, immediately, what the cuisine is capable of: elegance, restraint, complexity and beauty, simultaneously.
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