JAVAHER POLOW (JEWELED PILAF)
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The Persian Javaher Polow (Shirin Polow or Jeweled pilaf) is an aromatic rice recipe laden with nuts and fresh fruits. Traditionally served at weddings and Nowruz, this vegetarian pilaf is an excellent accompaniment to roasted chicken.
The Jjavaher Polow also known as Jeweled pilaf or Shirin Polow is a treat for both eyes and soul. As the name suggests, it is indeed a gastronomic treasure. It is colorful and glistening, laced with spices, and topped with nuts and fresh fruits.
In Iran, it is typically served at weddings, Nowruz (new year), or other celebrations. While this dish is time-consuming, it is not overly complicated, and the result is so visually stunning and delicious that the effort is well worth it.
The sweet taste of this pilaf goes well with roasted chicken, lamb chops, and other spicy dishes. Wouldn’t it be just amazing to have such a dish on a Thanksgiving table?
WHAT IS JAVAHER POLOW?
Rice is a central and ancient staple of Persian cuisine. Quite unsurprisingly, rice is cooked in many interesting ways and all of them are delicious. But, the royal Javaher Polow is a crown jewel in Persian cuisine. It is served at Persian weddings and New year celebrations (Nowruz).
Javaher Polow or Jeweled Pilaf (Javaher meaning jewel) is named so for its royal look and abundance of color. The carrots and orange peel are like gold, pomegranate, barberries, or cranberries are the rubies, pistachios are emeralds, and almonds are the classic pearls. How regal is that?
Javaher polow is quite similar to the Zereshk polow because both feature tart barberries cooked with onions, orange peel, almonds, and saffron infused rice. But, the major difference is that chicken or meat is a necessary part of the Zereshk polow but the Javaher polow is purely vegetarian.
As mentioned above, the original Javaher Polow uses dried barberries, sold as Zereshk in Middle Eastern markets. You can substitute with dried cherries or cranberries. Other than that almonds, apricots, figs, pistachios, candied orange, and pomegranate arils are scattered throughout this beautiful dish rendering a regal look.
ABOUT THE RECIPE
This recipe is my version of Javaher Polow and certainly not the most authentic one. I have modified the recipe to suit my needs and repeated it multiple times. Each time it has turned out great. Only then, I decided to share it with you all.
Barberries, also known as Zereshk are an unmissable ingredient in this pilaf. But, I could not source barberries so, I just skipped them. The taste was still awesome. If you can lay your hands on some you can certainly use them. You could also use dried unsweetened cranberries or cherries.
To justify the name of this iconic rice recipe, the look of the pilaf is as important as the taste. The use of colorful ingredients makes the pilaf more inviting. It, therefore, contains a lot of fruits and nuts of varied colors.
The best Jeweled pilaf will have rice cooked just right laden with fruits and nuts cooked to perfection. If you do things right, the very first bite will overwhelm you with an overload of flavor and fragrance.
The original recipe uses much more sugar and ghee. I have considerably tuned down the sweetness to suit my palate. Feel free to add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
INGREDIENTS
Do not be intimidated by the rather long list of ingredients. You may have to shop around, but the final result will be worth it. Honestly, if you have everything planned, it will not take a lot of time.
While it is great to use all the ingredients, skipping one or two will not make a whole lot of difference. The key is to cook the rice perfectly and use the spices judiciously. So don't sweat it if you cannot get any of the ingredients. Here is what you will need:
Basmati Rice - naturally, this is the main ingredient. The word basmati translates to fragrant in Hindi, and it turns out that this recipe calls for the most fragrant variety. Therefore, for best results, use good quality aged basmati rice. The older the rice, the better. You will know the difference when you will cook the rice, your kitchen will be redolent with the aroma of basmati.
Fruits - You will need orange peel and pomegranate. You may use barberries if you can source them. Other fruits that may be used are unsweetened dried cranberries, apricots, cherries, figs, goji berries, or tart cherries.
Vegetables - Carrots cut into matchsticks are characteristic of this pilaf. Other than that, you will need fried onions (the authentic recipe does not use onions, but I like the flavor of fried onions in rice; in my opinion, it adds to the texture and taste)
Nuts and dry fruits - You may use any types of nuts from almonds, pistachios, walnuts, to hazelnuts. I am not a big fan of pistachios in rice, so I have used only slivered almonds, golden raisins, and cashew nuts.
Spices - Now, this is the crucial part. You will need bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, and whole peppercorns. Other than that, a few saffron strands, nutmeg powder, sugar, and salt are also needed.
Ghee and oil for cooking.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
There are 3-4 broad steps in making the Jeweled Pilaf. Cook the rice, cook the other ingredients, and finally arrange.
Prepare the rice - Here, I would like to mention that the cooking time for rice will vary depending on the quality of rice. I have used the India Gate Basmati Rice. Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Set water to boil in a large pot. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, a drizzle of oil, and salt to the water. When the water comes to a roaring boil, gently add the rice and stir it. Cook for 7 minutes. Strain the rice on a colander, remove the whole spices, and let the rice cool. Make sure that the rice is tender but not fully cooked, we are looking for a toothsome texture.
Prepare veggies, fruits, and nuts - Cut carrot into matchsticks and onion into thin slices. Remove zest from orange and thinly slice lengthwise. Boil and strain them, keep aside. Combine dry fruits and nuts in a small bowl and soak in water for 5 minutes. In a mortar and pestle, crush the saffron threads with the nutmeg powder and a few pinches of sugar until a powder forms. Separate the pomegranate arils. Keep everything handy.
Cook - Crisp the onions in oil till golden and remove with a slotted spoon on a paper towel to soak the excess oil. Heat ghee in a deep bottomed pan. Saute the dry fruits and nuts, remove and keep aside. Add some more ghee. Temper with bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Add the carrot and sugar saute for a few minutes, follow with the orange rinds. The idea is to caramelize the carrots and orange rinds. Now, add the cooked rice and toss lightly. Add the fried dry fruits and nuts (reserve some for garnish), and salt. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the rice starts to steam. Pour ghee on top and lower the flame to a minimum. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Arrange - When the rice is done, fluff it, remove the bay leaves, and spoon onto a large platter or serving dish. Scatter the fried onions, pomegranate seeds, remaining dry fruits, and nuts on top to garnish.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Zereshk? Where can I get it?
Dried barberries are referred to as Zereshk. You can find it in a Persian or Middle Eastern specialty store or online.
Is the pilaf very sweet? Can I cut down on the sugar?
The original pilaf is very sweet. At least too sweet for my palate, so I have cut down on the sugar considerably. If this too is sweet for you, use lesser sugar. Honestly, cutting down on the sugar entirely will not be a good idea because after all, it is not a savory dish. It is expected to be sweet.
Wouldn't caramelizing the orange rind make the rice bitter?
To remove the bitterness of orange rind, it is recommended to boil the rinds and strain before using it in the pilaf.
Can I layer the rice with the nuts and fruits and then steam it?
Of course, the original recipe layers the rice with fruits and nuts in the shape of a dome and then steams it. I skipped that part to simplify the recipe. But, if you do have time in hand, you can certainly go the authentic way.
How can I make a tahdig or crisp crust underneath the rice?
Tahdig or crisp crust is characteristic of Persian rice. However, this recipe does not call for one. If you are interested to get a tahdig for this recipe, here is what you can do. You can let the rice cook for another 20 minutes for the crust to form.
The other way would be to make a paste of yogurt and rice and stick it to the bottom of a deep bottomed pan. Follow the recipe as usual. For the final step, transfer your pilaf into this pan and slow cook as usual. The bottom layer will easily brown and form a crust.
How can I make this vegan?
To make this recipe vegan, skip the ghee. Use vegan ghee or plant butter instead.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
The best thing about this rice is that it is so delicious that you don’t need any accompaniments, but it goes well with kabobs, roasted chicken, lamb chops, or any spicy non-vegetarian dish. Serve it with some raita to cool down your palate.
STORING SUGGESTIONS
You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. If you are planning to make it ahead of time for a party, I recommend to just make the rice as instructed and store it in the fridge in airtight containers. Garnish only when you are ready to serve. This is because the fruits tend to release water making the rice soggy which is not at all desirable.
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JAVAHER POLOW (JEWELED PILAF)
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white basmati rice
- 1 medium onion, peeled, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- 25-30 cashew nuts
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup carrot cut into matchsticks
- 1 orange rind cut into thin strips lengthwise
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 5-6 cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3-4 cloves
- 5-6 whole peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt as per taste
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes.
- Set water to boil in a large pot. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, a drizzle of oil, and salt to the water.
- When the water comes to a roaring boil, gently add the rice and stir it. Cook for 7 minutes. The rice should be toothsome and not fully cooked.
- Strain the rice on a colander, remove the whole spices, and let the rice cool.
- Boil the orange rind for about 8 minutes. Strain and keep aside.
- Combine dry fruits and nuts in a small bowl and soak in water for 5 minutes.
- In a mortar and pestle, crush the saffron threads with the nutmeg powder and a few pinches of sugar until a powder forms.
- Separate the pomegranate arils.
- Crisp the onions in oil till golden and remove with a slotted spoon on a paper towel to soak the excess oil.
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a deep bottomed pan. Saute the dry fruits and nuts, remove and keep aside.
- Add some more ghee. Temper with bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and cumin seeds.
- Add the carrot and sugar saute for a few minutes, follow with the orange rinds. Caramelize the carrots and orange rinds.
- Now, add the cooked rice and toss lightly. Add the fried dry fruits and nuts (reserve some for garnish), and salt. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the rice starts to steam.
- Pour a tbsp of ghee on top and lower the flame to a minimum. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
- When the rice is done, fluff it, remove the bay leaves, and spoon onto a large platter or serving dish. Scatter the fried onions, pomegranate seeds, remaining dry fruits, and nuts on top to garnish.
Notes:
- The rice should be cooked with caution. Over-cooked or under-cooked rice will not produce the best outcome. Cooking time will vary depending on the brand of rice.
- Feel free to add more sugar if you like it sweeter.
- You may use other fruits and nuts as per your liking.
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