Best 4 Bahgali Polo Recipes

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Baghali polo, a quintessential Persian dish, is a delightful combination of rice, fava beans, fresh herbs, and fragrant spices. This flavorful and colorful dish is particularly popular during the Iranian new year celebration of Nowruz, symbolizing rebirth and renewal. Baghali polo is a true culinary masterpiece, blending the earthy flavors of fava beans, the aromatic essence of dill and cilantro, and the nutty richness of rice into a harmonious symphony of flavors. Whether you're an experienced home cook or a culinary novice, this article will guide you through the steps of preparing this delectable dish, ensuring a successful and memorable dining experience.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

BAGHALI POLO



Baghali Polo image

Home to one of the world's largest Armenian populations outside Armenia, Burbank, Calif., is also home to Adana, where the chef Edward Khechemyan serves food that "is not easily categorized," as Mark Bittman wrote in 2013. Mr. Khechemyan's cuisine reflects a mix of his Armenian-American upbringing and his Iranian father, and is tinged with Russian influence. Cooking together in 2013, the two made a couple of Iranian dishes, including this one, a combination of basmati rice, garlic powder, fava or lima beans and "an infield's worth of fresh dill." It is prepared easily and well paired with kebabs.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories     side dish

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 cups extra-long basmati rice (called sella)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh dill or 1/4 cup dried dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces fava beans or lima beans (frozen, cooked and peeled)
2 tablespoons butter

Steps:

  • Combine the rice, salt, olive oil and 3 cups water in a medium pot with a lid over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, and let it bubble, uncovered, until the water evaporates. (When the water is all gone, the rice should be about half-cooked.) Turn the heat to low.
  • Add the fresh or dried dill and the garlic powder, and stir with a fork. Spread the beans out over the top of the rice, cover the pot and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, add the butter, cover the pot and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the butter melts. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 500, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 84 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 385 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams

BAHGALI POLO



Bahgali Polo image

This is the number one, all-around favorite in my household. It literally translates to beans and rice, but it is, oh, so much more than that. See notes for vegetarian options. You can use other beans for this recipe, such as broad beans and fava beans. This also works well with chicken in place of the lamb.

Provided by Sarah Kelly

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Lamb

Time 2h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 ½ pounds basmati white rice
1 (10 ounce) package frozen lima beans
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup butter, divided
2 onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons dried dill weed, or more to taste
1 tablespoon hot water
1 pint plain yogurt

Steps:

  • Thoroughly rinse rice and transfer to a large bowl. Pour enough water over the rice to cover by a few inches and soak for 1 hour; drain.
  • Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook lima beans in boiling water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and rice to the boiling water and cook until rice is partially softened, about 11 minutes; drain.
  • Season lamb with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir lamb in melted butter until completely browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer lamb to a bowl. Cook and stir onion in skillet until translucent, about 7 minutes. Return lamb to skillet; add dill and cooked lima beans. Remove skillet from heat.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon hot water. Spoon about 1/3 the partially cooked rice into the saucepan. Layer about half the lamb mixture over the rice layer. Repeat layering 1/2 the remaining rice, the remaining lamb mixture, and finishing with the remaining rice. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons butter into cubes and arrange atop the top rice layer.
  • Place a cover on the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the rice is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before serving with yogurt.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 898.1 calories, Carbohydrate 137.9 g, Cholesterol 95.9 mg, Fat 20.2 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 36.6 g, SaturatedFat 10.5 g, Sodium 537.7 mg, Sugar 7.2 g

BAHGALI POLO



Bahgali Polo image

This is the number one, all-around favorite in my household. It literally translates to beans and rice, but it is, oh, so much more than that. See notes for vegetarian options. You can use other beans for this recipe, such as broad beans and fava beans. This also works well with chicken in place of the lamb.

Provided by Sarah Kelly

Categories     Lamb Recipes

Time 2h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 ½ pounds basmati white rice
1 (10 ounce) package frozen lima beans
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup butter, divided
2 onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons dried dill weed, or more to taste
1 tablespoon hot water
1 pint plain yogurt

Steps:

  • Thoroughly rinse rice and transfer to a large bowl. Pour enough water over the rice to cover by a few inches and soak for 1 hour; drain.
  • Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook lima beans in boiling water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and rice to the boiling water and cook until rice is partially softened, about 11 minutes; drain.
  • Season lamb with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir lamb in melted butter until completely browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer lamb to a bowl. Cook and stir onion in skillet until translucent, about 7 minutes. Return lamb to skillet; add dill and cooked lima beans. Remove skillet from heat.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon hot water. Spoon about 1/3 the partially cooked rice into the saucepan. Layer about half the lamb mixture over the rice layer. Repeat layering 1/2 the remaining rice, the remaining lamb mixture, and finishing with the remaining rice. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons butter into cubes and arrange atop the top rice layer.
  • Place a cover on the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the rice is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before serving with yogurt.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 898.1 calories, Carbohydrate 137.9 g, Cholesterol 95.9 mg, Fat 20.2 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 36.6 g, SaturatedFat 10.5 g, Sodium 537.7 mg, Sugar 7.2 g

BAGHALI POLO - PERSIAN RICE WITH LIMA BEANS



Baghali Polo - Persian Rice With Lima Beans image

A fresh and delicious Iranian rice dish. This recipe is vegetarian; however, it is soooo good served with chicken! From My Persian Kitchen.

Provided by Barbell Bunny

Categories     Beans

Time 1h30m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 cups basmati rice, cooked
1 (14 ounce) package frozen lima beans
3 bunches dill, freshly chopped (About 5 1/2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 pinch saffron
3 teaspoons spices, advieh (this can be found at a Middle Eastern market, or you can use vegetable or chicken bouillon)
3 tablespoons canola oil
salt and pepper

Steps:

  • In a saucepan, saute the onion and lima beans over medium heat for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In a small bowl, combine saffron water and yogurt. Add 1/2 cup of your basmati rice to this bowl and mix.
  • In a large pot, add enough water to thinly cover the bottom. Add 3 tablespoons canola oil and give it a swirl so the water and oil mix.
  • Layer the bottom of the pot with the rice and yogurt mixture.
  • Add a handful of chopped dill to the pot then cover with a small layer of rice.
  • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of advieh over the rice.
  • Add a generous layer of lima beans.
  • Add a generous layer of chopped dill.
  • Gently mix the rice, fava beans, and dill.
  • Continue layering until you are out of both rice and the vegetables. You should finish with a layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of advieh on top.
  • With the end of a spatula, make holes around the perimeter of the pot, making sure you don't pass the yogurt-rice layer.
  • Cover and on high for 10 minutes.
  • Place a towel on top of the pot and cover tightly. Cook on medium-low for 1 hour.
  • Halfway through the cooking process, drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter or oil over the rice. If you'd like, you can also add a pinch of saffron to the butter or oil too.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 484.6, Fat 10.1, SaturatedFat 1.2, Cholesterol 0.6, Sodium 59.7, Carbohydrate 86.3, Fiber 7.5, Sugar 2, Protein 12.1

Tips:

  • Choose the right rice. Basmati rice is a good choice for this dish because it is long-grained and cooks evenly. You can also use jasmine rice or white rice.
  • Soak the rice. Soaking the rice for 30 minutes before cooking will help it to cook more evenly and prevent it from becoming mushy.
  • Use fresh herbs. Fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and dill, will add a lot of flavor to the dish. If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs, but they won't be as flavorful.
  • Don't overcook the rice. Bahgali polo is best when the rice is cooked through but still has a little bit of a bite to it. Overcooked rice will be mushy and unpleasant.
  • Serve the dish immediately. Bahgali polo is best when served immediately after it is cooked. The rice will start to dry out and become less flavorful if it sits for too long.

Conclusion:

Bahgali polo is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It is also a great way to use up leftover rice. With its vibrant colors and unique flavor, bahgali polo is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

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