Among the many time-honored traditions used to ring in Nowruz is a 13-day celebration known as Haft-Sin or 7 Sin (also known as Haft-Seen and Sofreh Haft-Sin). There are seven distinct elements of this celebration, all of which symbolize hope, renewal and prosperity for the coming year: Sabzeh (wheat, barley or lentil sprouts), Somagh (sumac spice), Serke (vinegar), Seer (garlic), Samanu (sweet pudding made from wheat germ), Sib (apple) and Senjed (dried oleaster fruit).

Sabzi polo (meaning herbed rice) is a traditional Iranian tahdig. Tahdig is a type of dish where the ingredients form a golden crust as they cook at the bottom of the pot. For Nowruz, the fresh green herbs in sabzi polo resemble spring, life and rebirth.

SABZI POLO

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 8

The perfect complement to fish or saffron chicken, Savzi Polo is a fragrant, herb-infused rice dish served during Nowruz. At it cooks, it develops a crusty bottom that Aveh Manfre claims is “the best part of the dish we all fight over.”

Ingredients 

2 cups basmati rice
250 g fresh herbs. Try an equal combination of coriander (cilantro), dill and parsley.
2 spring onions
Whole head of garlic
2 tsp salt
Lebanese or Arabic flat bread
2 Tbs olive oil
5-6 cups water
3 tsp bloomed saffron (optional)
1-2 tsp Advieh (Persian spice mix), optional

Instructions

1. Remove the parsley and dill leaves from the stems along with the thick coriander stems. Finely chop all the herbs and spring onions and mix together in a large bowl
2. Place the rice in a non-stick pot and rinse with water about 5 times until the water is mostly clear. Fill the pot with water, add the salt and cook on a medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Boil the rice until al dente (it should be half way cooked when you touch a rice grain between your fingers ). Drain the rice through a colander and gently rinse under cold water
4. Add the olive oil to the same pot and place the flat bread in the pot to cover the bottom.
5. Add a layer of rice, approximately ⅓ of the rice and top with ⅓ of the chopped herbs. Add a teaspoon of the bloomed saffron and advieh (if using).
6. Chop the top of the garlic head off so the tops are visible but is still intact. Place in the middle of the rice and then repeat step 5 until all the rice and herb mixture are used.
7. With a chopstick or the handle of a spoon, gently make 6 holes in the rice down to the bottom of the pot. These will act as air pockets. Wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel, place on the pot and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.
8. Take off the heat, remove the lid and gently flip the pot upside down on a large platter. This can be done by placing the platter on the top of the pot and flipping it upside down. Cut out pieces of the Tahdig (crispy base) to share evenly.

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2663IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg