Zereshk Polow | Berry Pulao | Barberry Rice

Zereshk or the Barberry Rice is a traditional Iranian dish typically made with aromatic saffron water, long grain Basmati rice and a whole lot of Zereshk or barberries (Iranian berries). Now, since its quite difficult to source the barberries, often people in other parts of the world make this pulao using dried cranberries which taste almost similar to the authentic Iranian berries (although, you do not get the same bright red color which a traditional Zereshk Polow exudes, the taste is still quite exceptional with a perfect balance of sweetness and sourness).

Just in case, you are looking for a rice dish which is a little different from the typical Indian recipes, this delicacy is truly worth trying and is surely not gonna leave you disappointed. I first came across this amazing recipe by chef Varun Inamdar on Get Curried. The beautiful color and presentation of this dish took me in awe in just a matter of few seconds, and I instantly had this wonderful traditional Iranian delicacy on my kitchen experimentation list the very next day. Needless to say, before starting preparing this dish, I referred to a few more recipes by a couple of Iranian chefs, and thereafter, came with my own version which is much suitable for the Indian palettes; hope you like it.

Ingredients

Long grain basmati rice - 2 cups
Chicken drumsticks/thighs - 4 to 5 (traditionally full leg pieces are used but cut pieces should work too)
Beaten curd - 1 cup
Saffron - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 2 to 3 tsp
Hot water - 1 cup
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
Black pepper corns - 1 tsp
Green cardamom pods - 3 to 4
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 1
Tomato puree - 1 tbsp
Garlic (finely chopped) - 2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp
Fried Onion - for garnishing

Method

1. Prepare a sweet saffron water by adding sugar and saffron in hot water. Mix it well until sugar dissolves completely.
2. Prepare a mix of dry spices by grinding together garlic powder, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, chili powder, black pepper corns and cardamom pods.
3. Take half of the spice powder and add to it, a tsp of saffron water, salt, lemon juice and curd to make a paste. Rub this paste well all over the chicken pieces and let them rest for about half an hour.
4. Till the time chicken is marinating, wash and soak the rice for about 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, in a big saucepan, bring 5 to 6 cups of water to a boil. Add in the soaked rice and let cook till they are fully done. Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
6. Side by side, heat oil in a wok and add in onions and chopped garlic. Once the onions get translucent, add the marinated chicken and roast well. Now, add in salt, turmeric powder, rest of the spice mix, tomato puree and a tbsp of sweet saffron water. Again roast the chicken for a while. Cover it with a lid and let simmer until its cooked through.
7. Take a saucepan and add a little butter to it. Once it starts melting add in cranberries and chopped pistachios along with 2 to 3 tsp of sweet saffron water. Fry well.
8. Now comes the final plating and assembling; take a bowl of cooked rice and add in the remaining saffron water; mix well.
9. In the serving platter, put a layer of white rice, top it with yellow rice that were mixed with saffron water. Lastly, top the rice with cranberry-pistachio mixture and fried onions. Serve hot with chicken on the side.