Persian Dill Rice/Shivid Polow

Shivid Polow (Persian Dill Rice)

I have searched over and over to check if I had posted this recipe earlier and concluded that I hadn’t. Quite surprising because I have made it so many times since I first tried it as it is very easy to make and goes very well with most gravies with legumes/beans in them. Dill is not one of the herbs that I had tried earlier and remember buying it once and deferring my attempt to use it. Eventually it ended up in the bin. The next time around, my husband was trying some dish and happened to use a small bunch and I quite liked it. The trouble with him though, is that he will not remember how he made the dish. So I looked for some rice dishes using dill and found a Persian recipe for it. It is an incredibly simple recipe and I tend to make it in parallel with some other gravy.

Dill, like most herbs have great benefits to us. It is suppose to be an appetiser. It supposedly activates secretion of bile and digestive juices. Dill also has calming properties and helps promote sleep. This herb has anti microbial properties as well as anti fungal properties, providing help with digestive problems. It has anti oxidants that can help protect against cancer. It is a galactogogue i.e. promotes breast milk production in lactating mothers. It also has calcium, making it good for bones and teeth.

Usually, I cook my rice in the pressure cooker. This recipe, though, is an exception and I used a heavy bottomed pressure pan to cook the rice, without the pressure. I just let the rice boil in required amount of water. When you do so, make sure you do not stir often as the starch in the rice will make it stick together. 

1 ½ cups rice

1 cup dill, chopped

2 tablespoons oil

1 garlic clove (optional)

Pinch of saffron, crushed and added to ¼ cup water and rested for 10 minutes

Salt to taste

Rinse and soak the rice in 2 cups water for about 30 minutes. Cook the rise in an open pot/dish until all water has evaporate and rice looks nearly done. Note that quantity of water may vary based on rice quality so adjust water in such a way you get rice fluffy. If using garlic, add it with the dill. 

Add the chopped dill, salt and mix

Pour in the saffron water all over. Cover with lid and cook on low flame for about 30 minutes

Serve hot with spicy side dish