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Iranian

Zereshk polo ba morgh

Non-vegetarian

زرشک‌پلو با مرغ · Zereshk polo ba morgh

Fluffy saffron basmati scattered with jewel-like sweet-sour barberries, served with tender chicken braised in onion, turmeric and saffron. A classic Persian party dish.

Zereshk polo ba morgh is an Iranian rice dish, ready in about 2 hours 35 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, basmati rice and saffron. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Zereshk polo
Photo: خودم / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Rest
1 h
Total
2 h 35 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
764

Ingredients

6 servings

For the chicken

For the rice

For the barberries

To garnish

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soak the rinsed rice in salted water for 1 hour.

    • 60 min

  2. Step 2

    Fry the onions (opens in a new tab) in the oil until golden, add the turmeric (opens in a new tab) and chicken and brown lightly. Stir in the tomato paste (opens in a new tab), water, salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and a spoonful of the saffron (opens in a new tab) water. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until tender and the sauce is reduced.

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Parboil the drained rice in 2.5 litres boiling salted water for 6 minutes until al dente, then drain.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oil in a non-stick pot, pile in the rice, poke a few holes, cover with a towel-wrapped lid and steam on the lowest heat for 40 minutes.

    • 40 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Keep the towel away from the flame.

  5. Step 5

    Just before serving, melt the butter (opens in a new tab), add the barberries and sugar (opens in a new tab) and stir for 1–2 minutes until plump and glossy — they burn quickly.

  6. Step 6

    Mix a few spoonfuls of rice with the remaining saffron (opens in a new tab) water. Spread the plain rice on a platter, top with the saffron rice, the barberries and nuts, and serve with the chicken.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Refrigerate leftover rice within 1 hour.

    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Iran · Well documentedMore food from Iran
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Boiled, Steamed
Taste
sweet & sour, aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Basmati rice · Saffron · Dried barberries · Onion · Turmeric
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming · Braising · Slow-cooked gravy

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom pistachios, almonds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

764 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 434 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 43%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy764 kcal176 kcal
Protein34.2 g7.9 g
Carbohydrate72.9 g16.8 g
Net carbohydrate70.7 g16.3 g
Sugars9.3 g2.1 g
Added sugars2.1 g0.5 g
Fibre2.2 g0.5 g
Fat36.3 g8.4 g
Saturated fat9.9 g2.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol123 mg28 mg
Sodium1056 mg244 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
531 mg
Calcium
72 mg
Iron
5.2 mg
Magnesium
61 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
98 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
308 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pistachios, almonds.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • Dried barberries: Dried zante currants used as a stand-in; dried barberries are a similar small dried berry but much more sour and lower in sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soak dried barberries in cold water for 10 minutes and let any grit sink before draining.

Common mistakes

  • Frying the barberries too long — they scorch and turn bitter.

Serve with

  • Serve with mast-o-khiar and a Shirazi salad.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 day refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat rice and chicken until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

For the chicken

Used in steps 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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