Green Herb Rice Recipes

SABZI POLO (GREEN HERB RICE)

Steps:

• Place rice in a medium bowl and cover with tepid water. Gently swish it around with your finger to activate the starches, then tip the bowl to drain water. Repeat this process until water runs clear, about 7 rinses. Cover rice with cold water, add 1 tablespoon salt, stir gently, and soak for 1 hour. Drain rice without rinsing.
• Crush saffron threads to a powder in a small mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl with 2 tablespoons boiling water. Stir, cover, and set saffron water aside.
• Fill a 5-quart nonstick pot with 12 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons salt and stir until dissolved. Add rice, stir once gently, and watch carefully as it cooks so water does not boil over. Taste water for salt and adjust accordingly. Cook rice until the first piece pops up to the surface. Set a timer for 4 minutes and cook, scooping off any foam from the surface, until the timer goes off. Test rice and continue to cook until tender on the outside but still firm to the bite on the inside, 6 to 8 minutes more.
• Drain rice in a colander and rinse quickly with lukewarm water and a spray faucet to rinse off extra starch. Taste rice and gently rinse again if too salty. Set aside to drain completely. Wash and dry the pot.
• Combine chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, and chives with dried dill in a medium bowl. Gently combine herb mixture with rice in the colander, taking care not to break the grains of rice.
• Place the clean pot over medium heat. Add oil, 1 tablespoon saffron water, and a pinch of salt; swirl the pot until the bottom and lower sides are coated with the oil mixture. Trim or tear lavash bread and cover the bottom of the pot to create the tahdig layer.
• Gently scatter rice-herb mixture over the tahdig in a pyramid shape, making sure lavash is completely covered. Place garlic stalks on top at the outer edges of the rice. Gently poke the handle of a wooden spoon into the rice a few times, being careful not to hit the tahdig; this will allow steam to escape while cooking. Cover and cook until you see steam escaping from the sides of the lid and tahdig starts to set, 10 to 13 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup boiling water with melted butter and remaining saffron water. Lay a kitchen towel out on a heatproof surface.
• Test the tahdig by quickly tapping the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. When the pot sizzles, remove it from the heat. Remove the lid and place it on the kitchen towel, being careful that none of the condensation drips into the pot. Wrap the towel around the lid and secure the ends at the top by the handle so they will not hang near the heat source. Drizzle the butter mixture over the rice and cover with the towel-wrapped lid.
• Place a heat diffuser on a burner over low or medium-low heat and return the pot to the stove. Cook until crispy, rotating the pot a few times, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and place on a damp kitchen towel; let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes so tahdig will release easily.
• Serve the rice on a platter, garnish with garlic stalks, and remove the tahdig whole or in pieces and serve on the side. Or, invert carefully but quickly (like a cake) onto a serving platter.

HERB RICE WITH GREEN GARLIC, SAFFRON, AND CRISPY SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Place rice in a large bowl and pour in lukewarm water to cover. Using your hands, agitate rice until water becomes cloudy; drain. Repeat process until water stays clear (4-5 times). Cover rice with 6 cups cold water and add a generous handful of salt (water should taste salty). Let soak uncovered at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, pour oil into a medium saucepan to come about 2" up sides. Add shallots and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are golden and crisp, 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels and season with salt. Strain oil into a small bowl; let cool.
• Toss cilantro, dill, parsley, mint, and tarragon in a medium bowl; set aside 1 cup for serving. Dissolve saffron in 2 Tbsp. hot water in a small bowl.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (use a nonstick pot if you have one; it will help the rice release at the end). Drain rice and add to pot, stirring gently to prevent any grains from sticking to the bottom. Bring to a boil and cook until grains begin to float on the surface and dance (rice should be almost tender but with a firm, opaque center), about 4 minutes. Drain rice and rinse under cold water. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Wash out pot.
• Pour 3 Tbsp. shallot oil into clean pot. Swirl in 2 tsp. saffron water; reserve remaining saffron water for serving. Oil mixture should barely coat bottom of pot; add more oil if needed. Season lightly with salt. Lay lavash across pot (it can go up the sides a little, but don't overlap). Spoon a third of rice over lavash; top with a third of herbs and a third of green garlic. Repeat, alternating layers of rice, herbs, and green garlic to form a mound. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke several holes in rice (without hitting bottom of pot) to let steam escape. Wrap lid with a kitchen towel and cover pot. Cook over medium heat until herbs are slightly darkened, 10-15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, uncover and pour melted butter evenly over rice. Cover and cook until rice is fragrant and fluffy, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat; let sit 10 minutes. Taste rice and season with more salt if needed.
• Scoop 1 1/2 cups rice into reserved saffron water and toss to color rice. Layer saffron rice with rice in pot, reserved herbs, and crispy shallots. Top with rose petals if using. Break up lavash crust into pieces and serve alongside rice.

HERBED BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups water, the salt, and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low, stir once, and simmer, covered tightly, for 15 minutes. (I need to pull the pot half off the burner to keep it from boiling over.) Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit covered for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, dill, scallions, and pepper. Fluff with a fork, and serve warm.

GREEN HERB PULAO

Steps:

• Wash rice and drain. Grind garlic, mint, coriander, green onions, cumin, cinnamon stick, and ginger together in a blender. Transfer to a small bowl and add yogurt; mix well.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add curry leaf and yogurt-spice mixture; saute until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the washed rice and mixed vegetables. Saute until rice is well-coated with spices, about 2 minutes. Add boiling water, coconut milk, and salt. Reduce heat; cook until water is mostly absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mix ghee into the rice mixture in the skillet. Cover and cook until rice is soft and fluffy, sprinkling in more water if necessary, about 5 minutes more. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Stir in cashew nuts.

SAVORY HERB RICE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the water, butter and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

COCONUT GREEN HERB RICE

Steps:

• Heat oil, add shallots, bay leaves, curry leaves and rice, and stir over medium heat until the rice turns translucent.
• Add the coconut milk, salt and peas and bring to a boil until most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Reduce heat to very low, cover, and cook for a few more minutes, being vigilant that the rice does not scald at the bottom.
• Remove bay and curry leaves and stir in the cilantro, mint and chilies.
• Fluff up with a fork, garnish with lime wedges if desired and serve immediately.

GARLIC & HERB "GREEN" RICE

Steps:

• add 1 1/4 cups water to the chicken stock and bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.
• place the parsley, cilantro, mint and chives in a blender. add 1 cup of the hot stock and purée. pour in the rest of the stock and purée on high until you have a very smooth and beautifully emerald green broth. about 2 minutes.
• in a medium-large pot, heat the olive oil. add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent. add the rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. stir well to coat the rice with the oil and onions. sautee the rice until it just starts to turn lightly golden brown. add the herb broth and another 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. add the butter, mix it in then cover the pot and cook the rice for 15-20 mins, until tender. it's ok to lift the cover and check! turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 5-10 mins. fluff the rice w/ a fork, taste for seasoning and serve!

GREEN HERB RICE

Steps:

• combine onions,dill weed,parsley, and cilantro in a bowl & mix well.
• heat butter, margarine or ghee in a skillet over medium heat.
• swirl pan to coat bottom pour in 1/2 of the cooked rice & sprinkle with 1/2 of the herb mixture.
• add remaning rice & sprinkle with remaning herb mixture. do not mix.
• cover & steam over low heat for 30 minutes.