Persian-Style Jewelled Rice
Today we are making Persian-Style Jewelled Rice! Persian-Style Jewelled Rice, also known as “Javaher Polow,” is a stunning dish that truly lives up to its name. The vibrant colors and fragrant ingredients make it one of the most visually captivating dishes in Persian cuisine. Traditionally served at weddings and special occasions, this rice is enriched with an array of sweet and savory ingredients like saffron, barberries, pistachios, almonds, and dried fruits, resembling precious jewels scattered over a bed of fluffy rice. It’s more than just food—this dish is a celebration of flavors, colors, and history.
The preparation of Persian rice is an art form, and it’s all about creating the perfect texture. Persian rice, or “chelo,” is known for its fluffy grains that remain separate, along with the golden, crispy “tahdig” that forms at the bottom of the pot. Achieving this texture requires patience and technique, starting with rinsing the rice to remove excess starch, followed by parboiling and then steaming it to perfection. The addition of saffron, which is often bloomed in hot water or oil, adds an aromatic richness and golden hue that sets Persian rice apart from other types.
What makes Persian-Style Jewelled Rice so unique is the balance of flavors and textures. The sweetness from dried fruits like raisins or apricots contrasts beautifully with the tang of barberries and the crunch of nuts like pistachios and almonds. The dish is also heavily perfumed with spices such as saffron, cinnamon, and cardamom, giving it a deep, aromatic complexity. It’s a dish that brings together the best of Persian culinary traditions, offering a feast for both the eyes and the palate.
Why You’ll Love This Persian-Style Jewelled Rice
Bright and Colorful: Persian-Style Jewelled Rice is more than just a dish—it’s a multi-sensory experience. The vibrant mix of colors from saffron-infused rice, jewel-like barberries, and bright nuts creates a visually stunning centerpiece, while the rich aromas of saffron, cinnamon, and cardamom fill the air, making every bite as beautiful as it is flavorful.
Perfect Balance of Sweet, Tart, and Savory: This rice offers a masterful harmony of contrasting flavors. The sweetness of dried fruits like apricots, the tart pop of barberries, and the crunch of pistachios and almonds all come together to create a dish that’s both complex and well-balanced, ensuring that no two bites are ever the same.
Substitutions
Parboiled Rice: Use long-grain white rice or brown rice.
Avocado Oil: Use olive oil or grapeseed oil.
White Onion: Substitute with red onion instead. You may have to cook it a little longer, until you taste test it and it isn’t bitter (since red and green onions are more bitter than white or yellow onions).
Cardamom Pods: This recipe uses green cardamom pods (there are different types, like brown cardamom which are larger pods). You can find these at an Indian grocery store. Do not substitute.
Slivered Almonds: Swap in for raw walnuts, pumpkin seeds or pecans.
Saffron: Buy saffron threads at an Indian grocery store, for a floral flavor. Do not substitute.
Dried Cranberries: Substitute dried cherries, dried blueberries or dried strawberries. These won’t have the same tanginess as cranberries, but will add the chewiness and sugar.
Ground Cumin: You can find ground, roasted cumin at an Indian grocery store.
Pomegranate Arils: These are the seeds in a pomegranate, that provide a sweet flavor. Omit these completely if you don’t have them.
Medjool Dates: Use any type of dates, if not Medjool. Swap in with raisins – brown, black or golden yellow.
Lemon Zest & Juice: Use a fresh lemon for the juice and zest. Do not use dried zest! Pre-bottled juice is fine though, it just won’t have the freshest flavor. Lime is more sharp than lemon, so
Roasted Pistachios: Swap in roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds or walnuts. If your nuts are not roasted, you can add them in at the beginning when you add in the slivered almonds.
Mint: Use fresh cilantro or parsley.
Jewelled Rice Recipe Notes
- To get the light, airy texture Persian rice is famous for, rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear. This helps remove excess starch, ensuring that the grains don’t clump together and remain perfectly separate after cooking.
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If you make this Persian-Style Jewelled Rice recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Persian-Style Jewelled Rice
Equipment
- Skillet
- Fine Hole Grater
Ingredients
- 4 tsp avocado oil
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium white onion sliced lengthwise
- 4 medium green cardamom pods slightly crushed,, enough to open the pods
- ¾ cup slivered almonds
- 4 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 cup parboiled rice dry
- 2 cups water
- 1 thread saffron
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground, roasted cumin
- ¾ cup fresh pomegranate arils
- ½ cup Medjool dates chopped
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- ½ cup roasted pistachios chopped
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pink salt
- pinch red chili flakes
- ¼ cup fresh mint chopped
Instructions
- Add the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the garlic onion, cardamom pods, slivered almonds and fennel seeds.
- Stir for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the rice, water, saffron and remaining ingredients, up to and including the pistachios.
- Let it simmer on medium-low heat, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Stir every few minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.
- When the rice is fully cooked, turn off the heat. If there is still liquid left, continue stirring until it's all absorbed.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and optional chili flakes.
- Carefully fold in the fresh mint.
- Transfer to serving bowls, topping with extra nuts and herbs, or a dollop of vegan yogurt.
- If you're not eating it right away, then transfer to an airtight container. Leave the lid open and allow the rice to fully cool down before transferring to the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
