Persian Sour Cherry Saffron Rice (Polow) « Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen (old site)

Persian Sour Cherry Saffron Rice (Polow)

June 12, 2007 by SteamyKitchen

I’ve moved! Read the rest of this post at my new home

Posted in *MY FAVORITE RECIPES*, Entertaining, Fruits, Rice/Noodles/Breads | 34 Comments

34 Responses to “Persian Sour Cherry Saffron Rice (Polow)”

on June 12, 2007 at 12:22 pm1 Melinda

Well, it looks delicious. So glad it doesn’t have crispy pig ears.
on June 12, 2007 at 1:09 pm2 deb

This is so beautiful. We grew up with a sour cherry tree in the backyard, so I have a huge soft spot for them, though of course as a kid I thought they were the cruelest thing ever because they LOOKED like a perfectly delicious cherry but tasted caustic. Now I love them.
on June 12, 2007 at 1:29 pm3 tigerfish

Perfect colors! The saffron, cherries and syrup made this such a sophisticated and “classy” dish to look at as well - I like the bold combination of dark hue of red, and golden yellow.
I can also “smell” the lingering fragrance in your kitchen.
Now I cannot eat this :(…I can only find the nearest indian restaurant nearby, eat the saffron rice, think of your Persian Sour Cherry Saffron Rice, and imagine I’m eating Persian Sour Cherry Saffron Rice. :O
on June 12, 2007 at 3:48 pm4 Tartelette

Love all talents (especially wingling your ears).
The rice dish sounds exquisite. Great combos of flavors
on June 12, 2007 at 4:21 pm5 Stephanie

Yum, this looks so good *pulls out padof paper* “note to self, MAKE THIS!”.

As for the talents, I can’t wiggle my ears :(, but I have super strong toes too. I’ve never tried strangling a snake with them but I can carry around a 10lb dumbbell with my toes (and I can’t find anyone else who can lol)

Steffie
on June 12, 2007 at 5:07 pm6 Mandy

speaking of talents, I think you forget to mention your talent in taking nice food photography, making delicious food and constantly making your readers laugh.
on June 12, 2007 at 5:49 pm7 Lynn

That looks amazing and I want some now! Question, though, what would your super-hero costume look like? My 5 year old is way into super-heroes and I think he could help design something for you. With a cape. And toes strangling a snake.
on June 12, 2007 at 5:56 pm8 Ashley

this is one of my husband’s FAVORITE persian dishes. i’m half persian but didn’t spend a lot of time with that part of my family, so i’m very glad to see this recipe! i’m going to have to try this out with a good chicken kebab recipe soon!
on June 12, 2007 at 6:50 pm9 Rose

Waouhhhh, This is one great looking rice. So colourful and so exotic. Lovely as always, Jaden
on June 12, 2007 at 6:56 pm10 V

Nice!
on June 12, 2007 at 8:10 pm11 SteamyKitchen

Melinda- Oh, I totally forgot the garnish on the dish! Crispy pig ears!

Deb- I didn’t like them either when I was little. Our neighbor had the tree and we used to pick the cherries and stick’em in our ears and up our noses. Mom always thought we had bloody noses. Wow. that was gross.

Tiger- are you allergic to cherries?

Tartlette- now I just need to come up with a way to make my talents useful

Stephanie - 10lb dumbell!?!?! (searching house for dumbell)

Mandy- Awww…shucks Mandy. Thanks!

Lynn- My superhero costume would probably have to be an apron with BIG pockets to stuff leftover doggie bags in!
A cape would definitely add the superhero credibility factor! Wonder Woman had a cape!!

Ashley - Oh please share your chicken kabob recipe!

Rose & V- Thank you!
on June 12, 2007 at 9:54 pm12 Danielle

Actually, the sour cherries on my father’s tree are almost ripe, so I’ll get to make this with fresh sour cherries soon! Maybe juice some to make up for the lack of jar syrup.
on June 12, 2007 at 10:12 pm13 Mercedes

I adore polow/chelow, my Persian friend always makes it in a large shallow skillet, then turns it out in one big crusted cake. The crust (known as tah-dig) is the best!

P.S. Biryani and polow are definitely not the same, different techniques.
on June 12, 2007 at 10:16 pm14 steeped

I think you possess a formidable superpower. Use it for good, not evil!

That rice looks luscious. Mm mm mm.
on June 12, 2007 at 11:12 pm15 SteamyKitchen

Danielle- Yeah, that should work…just reduce down to a syrup with sugar. (me envious of you! i want a cherry tree!!!)

Mercedes- The next batch I’m going to try the inverted move. Perhaps my superpowers will guide me through a successful, elegant, swift movement.

Steeped- May the force be with the strong-toed bottomless belly babe!
on June 13, 2007 at 12:59 am16 tigerfish

No no no…I’m not! I’m not allergic to anything edible. ;p
I cannot eat this because I won’t be cooking this (for a while I guess) - no saffron …how to cook this? …so until I buy saffron, I can only do what I have originally dream about - eat “A”, imagine and think of “B” while I eat “A”, and assume I’m eating “B”. So sad.
on June 13, 2007 at 1:13 am17 cindy

oh my, it sounds so delicious! actually, all the last something like five or six posts made me drool! ;] (i have been catching up on my favorite blogs…been working too much to read them all!) the cherries sound really good…the ‘bottomless belly babe’ thing made me laugh out loud!
on June 13, 2007 at 1:16 am18 Ellie

That looks absolutely divine! Whilst I’m usually not keen on sweet rice dishes, going by the flavorings involved in this one, I think if that were anywhere near me I’d be in danger of hoovering the entire pot by myself! Yeouch!
on June 13, 2007 at 2:16 am19 wmw

Thanks for dropping by my blog…..will be visiting again. Your pics are gorgeous and the food should taste absolutely wonderful. Too bad I can only see it…can’t use my other 4 senses! :o)
on June 13, 2007 at 2:27 am20 Tea

You had me at “sour cherry.”
Wow, I’ve never heard of this dish but I am going to be craving it until I either make it or find a restaurant that will do it for me. I’ve not had a lot of Persian food, but everything I’ve had I’ve adored–it fits my palate perfectly–and this looks right up my alley, crispy rice on the bottom and all.
PS. Nice stove
on June 13, 2007 at 3:21 am21 Amy

The color of that dish is so bright and gorgeous! I love the crust on the bottom, I agree that it’s the best part. Mmm.
on June 13, 2007 at 3:31 am22 Wandering Chopsticks

Do I get a prize for guessing correctly?

My favorite Persian dish is fessenjan with dill rice. But I cheat and use jasmine rice and cook it in the rice cooker.
on June 13, 2007 at 6:28 am23 SteamyKitchen

Tiger- Or “C” go out to eat at a Persian Restaurant! Plenty in bay area!

Cindy- oh you just wait until Lynn’s son makes me a cape

WMW- thanks for stopping by. I love your photography too.

Ellie- And I would totally share some of that lovely crunchy crust with you….

Tea- stove envy!!!

Amy- I have to confess, I ate half the crust as I was plating the rice. (blush)

WC- You get a prize! I’ll give it to you on Sat when we meet in LA
on June 13, 2007 at 8:08 am24 Lydia

What an absolutely gorgeous dish! And how lucky that you are blessed with being able to eat and eat… wish I could do that, too!
on June 13, 2007 at 12:19 pm25 tigerfish

Wooo…thx for reminding me. I know there are but I’m just lazy to check them out :O *going to google for them now!*
on June 13, 2007 at 1:49 pm26 Kenny Ting

Wow, Jaden, pls cook me some when you come back to HK, haha, it looks sooooooooooooooooo tempting
on June 13, 2007 at 5:56 pm27 Anh

Ah, so it is cherries! This is really lovely, if I can ever find that bottle of cherries! I have something similar in my pantry though. And I’ll pair it up with rice following your post.
on June 13, 2007 at 8:27 pm28 Carol

I loved your recipe, when I lived in Teheran I’d go to La Residence (maybe not there any longer), and I’d have this dish with either Chelo kebab or chicken. mmm, now I ive in America and planted my own cherry tree two years ago and I have, as of this morning, 5 kilos of cherries so far. So, I’m on my way to cooking one of my favourite dishes from Iran.
on June 13, 2007 at 11:19 pm29 Nat

I envy your bottomless stomach. I can eat a surprisingly enormous amount for someone only 5feet tall, but bottomless my stomach is not.

And this rice? This rice looks amazing.
on June 14, 2007 at 12:54 am30 SteamyKitchen

Lydia- no you wouldn’t want this talent….I can never lose that last 15 pounds!!!

Kenny- Oh I most certainly will!

Anh- can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Carol- Please post your recipe and photo and let me know when its up!

Nat- Thank you Nat! Tonight at dinner I just consumed as much as my mom and dad put together. I really really wonder where it goes…lets just hope that it goes to my brain and my super-toes.
on June 14, 2007 at 12:25 pm31 Ample Sanity

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on June 14, 2007 at 12:59 pm32 Nikki

OMG…that looks amazing!! (I must admit I’m having trouble typing for fear that I may drool on my keyboard!) This is my favorite Persian dish, and I’ve been looking for a recipe for forever…you’re my hero! I live in Glendale, CA - so I’m so exited that I’ll be able to find the ingredients for this rice.
on June 14, 2007 at 8:15 pm33 SteamyKitchen

Nikki- LOL! don’t drool on keyboard! You could short it out! I used to live right near Glendale in Highland Park. There was a Persian restaurant in Glendale that I used frequent years ago. (sigh) ahhhh…memories….
on June 26, 2007 at 4:34 pm34 Ashley

i made this last week and wanted to thank you again for posting the recipe - it was divine! my husband said that he felt like he was in the restaurant that made him fall in love with sour cherry rice