Baghali Polo or Iranian dill rice with fava beans

1. Wash the rice well. Pour fresh water into a large bowl. Add the large quantity of salt to the water and stir well to dissolve. Add the rice to the salted water. If necessary, add more water to cover with a generous amount of fresh water. Soak it at room temperature for minimum of 4 hours; overnight is fine.

2. Strain the rice, washing it thoroughly to remove the salt; drain and set aside.

3. Bring the 2l of water to the boil in a large heavy-bottomed cooking pot. Add the turmeric and let it boil for 1 minute. Add the chopped dill and broad beans and let them boil for 3-4 minutes.

Tip: You could start off with 5 cups of water to 1kg of rice and allow it to cook until all the water is absorbed. Flavour is greatly improved by cooking rice with the absorption method.

3. Add the strained rice and corn oil to the boiling water; bring it back to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the rice is cooked. Strain the rice when it is cooked.

4. Crush 10gm saffron in a pestle and mortar to make a powder, then mix it with half a cup of water. Set aside the saffron diffusion.

5. To serve the rice pulao, arrange it on a big platter and first sprinkle the saffron mix over the top, then sprinkle over the melted butter. Serve hot.

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