dill rice

Baghali polo or Persian dill rice is a fragrant and fluffy rice dish that pairs the pleasant flavors of dill, basmati rice and  saffron with plump soft broad beans. All topped with a delightfully crunchy golden crust.

Baghali Polo (Persian Dill Rice)

tbsp olive oil (or butter, grass fed)

potatoes (medium, sliced)

salt

black pepper (ground)

coriander seeds (or cumin seeds, crushed)

dill weed (fresh chopped (or 1¼ cup dried dill))

water

tbsp salt

basmati rice (white, rinsed)

lima beans (fresh

garlic (grated)

tbsp chives (finely chopped (or green onions))

saffron

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil 10 cups of water with 2 tbsp salt in a cooking pot. Add basmati rice and lima beans. Boil at medium high to high heat for  4 to 5 minutes until rice grains are soft. Stir the rice while it is cooking. Drain rice in a colander and set aside.

Potato crust (optional): Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil or butter in oven proof dish such as Pyrex baking dish. Spread the oil or butter evenly and sprinkle half the salt, pepper and coriander/cumin seeds (if using).Next arrange the medium thick potato slices. Then sprinkle the rest of salt, pepper and cumin.

Spread a layer of rice and beans, followed by sprinkling a thin layer of dill weed. Mix the grated garlic and chives and sprinkle some of it.

Assemble the dill rice by making several alternating thin layers of rice, lima beans, dill weed and sprinkles of the garlic-chives mixture.

Finally top it with a rice layer. Pour 4 tbsp olive oil or melted butter all over and then sprinkle the saffron water.

Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and seal well. Bake for an hour or more until steam builds up well. If making the crust (tahdig) it should be golden.

Transfer the baking dish from the oven and let it rest a few minutes. Take some scoops of the top layer of saffron colored rice and set it aside for garnish.

When the steam has released a little, gently mix the top layers of rice and dill and plate it on a serving dish. Arrange the potato slices all around and sprinkle the saffron rice for garnish.

Persian baghali polo goes well with a yogurt salad such as Persian yogurt dip with shallots.

You can make this same recipe in a cooking pot on stove or in a rice cooker (see the blog post and notes below).

Dill rice with peas is a Persian dish that is made in one pot with only 5 ingredients. This simple, aromatic side dish is perfect for any occasion.

Persian Dill Rice with Peas

Basmati Rice

Dill (See Notes

(15 oz.) Peas (Drained)

Salt

tbsp Olive Oil

Water

Rinse Basmati rice and place it in a large pot.&nbsp;

Add dried dill and peas to the pot.&nbsp;

Add in salt, olive oil and water. Place the pot over medium heat and bring it to boil.&nbsp;

Once the water is almost evaporated and the rice is almost cooked, wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and place it on the pot.&nbsp;

Lower the heat and cook the rice for 10 more minutes. Check the rice and see if it's cooked completely. If it's still firm, add 1/4 cup more water and cover with the lid. Cook for another 10 minutes util it's fluffy and fully cooked.&nbsp;

Serve warm with saffron chicken or lamb.&nbsp;

Baghali Polo or Iraqi Timman Bagilla is a popular rice dish made with fava beans and dill. It's so flavourful and comes together in one pot. You can make it with meat or keep it vegetarian. A must try if you are bored of plain old rice!

Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla (Dill Rice)

basmati rice

800 g cooked (frozen & peeled fava beans

onion

fresh dill, finely chopped (approximately 1 very big bunch)

olive oil + 2 tablespoons (for rice)

pepper

broth

Start by washing the rice well until the water runs clear, then soak it for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients

Finely dice the onion and cook it in a non-stick pot on medium heat with the 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until softened for about 5-7 minutes

Wash and finely chop the dill, ensuring to remove any really large and long stems

Once onions have softened, add the frozen and peeled fava beans and allow them to thaw for 5 minutes. Or, add the cooked lima beans if you're using that instead

Add the dill, salt, and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes

Drain the rice and add it to the pot along with the rest of the broth. The liquid level should be approximately even with the surface of the rice (not much more). Turn the heat to high and allow it to come to a boil for a few minutes

Cover the pot (with a well-sealed lid), turn the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes undisturbed

After 20 mins, fluff the rice with a fork and check on it. If it is still slightly under, you can add a small splash of water (1/4 cup), cover it and allow it to cook for a further 10 minutes. If it is perfectly soft, turn the heat off and allow it to stand for 10 minutes

Serve with Jajik and enjoy!

love this. brings me back to my childhood. thank you

The amount of dill you get from a bunch at the supermarket is a fraction of the amount of dill you get from the Middle Eastern store! So Amina more likely means the later one which would give you about 3 cups of chopped dill. 
I hope this help

I made this dish today and it was so good! I scaled the ingredients  down to 1/3 and it made 4 servings as a side dish to some kefta. I used lima beans but I would like to remake with fava beans next time inshaAllah.

I needed find a way to use some fava beans I got in a CSA box, and this recipe was just great! I used some pre-cooked, shredded chicken and just threw it in halfway through to warm up rather than cooking chicken myself to add.

I love this recipe! Super easy and always turns out spot on.

I was a little intimidated to make timan bagila as it’s hubby’s favorite food that his mom usually makes but I found this recipe and it was so easy to follow, turned out delicious!

Quick simple and easy! This is such a wonderful recipe when the farmer's market season starts with fresh bundles of dill. Thank you this is a keeper!

Discover Iran’s flavorful Bahgali Polo, a fragrant, fluffy Persian dill rice recipe with herbs and beans. Vegetarian, and gluten-free!

Baghali Polo

dill (finely chopped)

dill

lima beans (or fresh)

extra virgin olive oil

butter (use vegan butter if necessary)

turmeric (dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm water)

saffron threads (dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm water)

salt (to taste)

Butter is a solid dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk, to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is generally used as a spread on plain or toasted bread products and a condiment on cooked vegetables, as well as in cooking, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying. Butter...

whey butter

Common salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in its natural form as a crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantities in seawater, where it is the main mineral constituent. The open ocean...

Turmeric or tumeric (Curcuma longa) /ˈtərmərɪk/ or /ˈtjuːmərɪk/ or /ˈtuːmərɪk/ is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to southern Asia, requiring temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes and...

turmeric

Rinse the basmati rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then soak in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain.

Boil the lima beans in water for 3–5 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the soaked rice. Cook for 6–8 minutes until the rice is about 70% cooked (grains should still be firm). Drain and rinse with cold water.

In the same pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.

Add a layer of parboiled rice, followed by a sprinkle of dill and lima beans. Repeat until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of rice.

Drizzle the turmeric water over the top layer of rice.

Cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to catch any steam. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Drizzle the saffron water over the rice before serving. Gently fluff with a fork to mix the dill and beans evenly. Salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Baghali Polo is a Persian saffron dill rice pilaf with a layer of crispy tahdig and dotted with fava beans.

Baghali Polo (Persian Dill and Fava Bean Rice)

saffron,

fava beans, ((10 ounces))

dill,

vegetable oil

Rinse and soak the rice. Rinse the rice with cold water in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water with two inches clear above the rice. Leave to soak for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Parboil the rice. Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes before you want to serve your dish, begin cooking your rice. In a large non-stick pot, combine 6 cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Drain and add the rice, stir, and cook uncovered until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Bloom the saffron. While the rice boils, add the saffron to a ¼ cup water and set aside.

Stir in fava beans and dill. Add fava beans to the pot of rice, followed by the dill. Gently stir into the rice to distribute evenly. Turn the heat off and drain the rice into a colander. Rinse out the pot you cooked the rice in and place on the stove.

Prepare the tahdig. Pour vegetable oil into the pot. Do not turn on the heat yet. Into a small bowl, add 2  cups of the cooked rice, dill, and fava bean mixture and 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron water. Mix until it has turned golden. Add this rice mixture to the bottom of the pot and pat down flat with the back of a spoon.

Spoon the rest of the rice into the pot. Then, layer by layer, add the remaining rice mixture with a drizzle of olive oil on each layer, creating a loose mountain shape peak in the pot. Pour the remaining saffron water over the top of the rice. Poke 5 holes evenly across with the end of the spoon.

Steam the rice. Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat to high (you should hear the rice start to crackle). Once steam starts to rise, about 3 minutes, reduce heat to the lowest setting. Take a tea-towel, wrap it around the lid, and place it back on the pot. Steam for a minimum of 1 hour.

Finish and serve. Remove the lid. The rice on the bottom of the pot should be crispy, this is called the tahdig, and the rice on the top should be fluffy. Gently fluff the top rice with a fork. Then spoon into a serving dish. Lift the tahdig and serve in a separate dish in one piece or break up and place around the edge of the rice.

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