Polow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Polow (Persian: پلو), Pullau (Hindi: पल्लौ, Urdu: پلو), or Chelow is the common name of cooked rice in the Persian language and Hindustani language. There are different methods for preparation of Polow and these methods are different from the common methods used in the Western cuisine or Eastern Asia cuisine amd Polow is not sticky as the similar eastern ones. In Persian cuisines there are lots of different Polows based on the different ingredients which are used.
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[edit] Methods of cooking white rice
There are four primary methods of cooking rice in Iran:
- Chelow: rice that is carefully prepared through soaking and parboiling, at which point the water is drained and the rice is steamed. This method results in an exceptionally fluffy rice with the grains separated, and not sticky, and also results in a golden rice crust at the bottom of the pot called tah-digh (literally "bottom of the pot"), which is exceptionally popular with Iranian children.
- Polow: rice that is cooked exactly the same as chelow, with the exception that after draining the rice, other ingredients are added in layers or sections of the rice, and then steamed together.
- Kateh: rice that is cooked until the water is absorbed. This is also the traditional dish of Northern Iran (described in detail below).
- Damy: cooked almost the same as kateh, except that the heat is reduced just before boiling and a towel is placed between the lid and the pot to prevent steam from escaping. Damy literally means "simmered."
[edit] Different Kinds of Polow
Different combinations of white rice and meat and/or vegetables and herbs makes different kinds of Polow meals including
- Lubia polow (Green Bean Beef Rice): Main ingredients are basmati or long-grain rice, green beans, lamb or beef and tomato paste.
- Albalu Polow (Sour Cherry Rice): Main ingredients are basmati rice, chicken, black cherry (or sour cherry), sugar, onions
- Zereshk Polow (Barberry Rice): Basmati rice, chicken, barberries (dried) and sugar
- Sabzi Polow (Fresh Herb Rice)
- Adas Polow (Lentil Rice): Main ingredients are lentils and basmati rice.
- Polow Zafarani (Safron Rice)
- Morasah Polow: Main ingredients are basmati rice, chicken, barberries (dried), almonds, pistachios, raisins and orange peel.
- Shirin Polow (Sweet Rice)
- Baqali Polow (Meaty Lima Bean Dill Rice)
- Maygu Polow (Prawn Rice)
[edit] Tah Dig or Ta Dig
Fried bread/rice is made by putting bread or just rice itself at the bottom of the rice pot. Cooking polow has two main steps. At the first step rice is cooked in a large non-stick pan with half-full boiling water until rice slightly softens. Then the rice is poured into a drain and it is washed with slightly warm water. Then in the second step, a few spoonfuls of cooking oil is poured into the pan and then rice or flat bread is added. A few more spoonfuls of oil is added over bread or rice. Then after a few minutes the whole rice is poured in the pan and the pan is covered and it is cooked over low heat for about 45 minutes to an hour. A delicious crispy layer of bread or rice will be formed at the bottom of the pan which is called ta dig or tah dig.
