Food World Cuisines Middle Eastern Cuisines Persian Cuisine Sabzi Polo (Herbed Rice) The most coveted part of this herby pilaf is the tahdig — the crunchy crust that forms on the bottom of the pot during cooking. By Mahin Gilanpour Motamed Mahin Gilanpour Motamed Mahin Gilanpour Motamed is the mother of Nilou Motamed, a former editor in chief of Food & Wine. Motamed, who fled Iran with her family after the Iranian Revolution, has contributed classic Iranian recipes to publications such as Food & Wine. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 11, 2025 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: © Con Poulos Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Yield: 8 to 10 servings Jump to recipe Sabzi polo, or herbed rice, is a traditional dish that's typically served for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. To make it, you'll oil the pot and spread a saffron-yogurt-egg mixture over the bottom — to help create the distinctive layer of crispy rice, or tahdig — then alternate layers of parboiled basmati rice and fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, chives, and dill. After the rice has steamed, you'll invert the pot and uncover the finished pilaf for a dramatic reveal. Frequently Asked Questions What does "sabzi polo" mean in Farsi? In Farsi (or Persian), "sabzi" means "greens" — a huge category of ingredients in Iranian cooking. You'll recognize the word in the names of many dishes, like ghormeh sabzi, a delicious herb stew, or kookoo sabzi, a frittata-like dish packed with fresh greens and herbs. "Polo" is etymologically related to "pilaf" and refers to cooked rice preparations with all manner of meats, vegetables, or seasonings. So "sabzi polo" is essentially a pilaf dish with greens, often translated as "herbed rice." What is tahdig? Tahdig means "bottom of the pot" in Farsi and refers to the crunchy, golden, caramelized crust that forms where the rice meets the pot (helped along by the yogurt, egg yolk, and oil in this recipe). Tahdig is so delicious that it's sometimes served as a dish on its own. It does require some finesse to make, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't work out perfectly on the first try. For fluffy rice with a crisp crust, the rice is rinsed several times to remove the starch, then parboiled and steamed. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Sabzi polo is a wonderful recipe to highlight saffron, which gives the dish its beautiful yellow hue. To bring out the spice's special flavor, you'll first grind the threads with a mortar and pestle, then bloom it in boiling water. The rice only requires a bit more than a quarter cup of brewed saffron, so you'll have about an extra cup left over for another use. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Brewed saffron 1 tablespoon lightly packed saffron threads 1 1/2 cups boiling water Herbed rice 2 cups basmati rice 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning 2 1/2 cups minced cilantro 2 1/2 cups minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 cups minced chives or scallions 1 cup minced fresh dill 1/4 cup minced garlic 1/4 cup canola oil 3 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt 1 large egg yolk 1/4 cup brewed saffron, plus more for drizzling 1/4 cup boiling water 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced Directions Make the brewed saffron In a mortar, using a pestle, finely grind the saffron. In a heatproof jar, mix the finely ground saffron with the boiling water. Let stand until cool, then refrigerate for up to 1 week. This makes 1 1/2 cups; reserve remainder for another use. Make the herbed rice In a large bowl, cover the rice with cold water. Using your hand, agitate the rice to release the starch, then carefully pour off the water. Rinse the rice five to seven more times, until the water runs clear. Cover the rice with water, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and let soak for 30 minutes, then drain. Fill a 5-quart, nonstick Dutch oven half full with water, bring to a boil, and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the rice and boil over high heat until it is al dente and just starts to soften; this can take from 3 to 8 minutes, depending on your rice (do not overcook it). Let stand for 2 minutes, then drain well. Wipe out the pot. In a medium bowl, mix the cilantro, parsley, chives, and dill with the garlic. Put the oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of the brewed saffron and drizzle over the oil in the pot. Gently scatter one-quarter of the rice into the pot (you want it to stay fluffy) and season with salt. Sprinkle with one-third of the herb mixture. Repeat the layering with the remaining rice and herb mixture, ending with a layer of rice. Cover the pot and set it over moderately high heat until it starts to steam, about 5 minutes. Uncover the rice and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brewed saffron and 1/4 cup of boiling water. Scatter the butter slices on top. Cover the pot with parchment paper, then cover tightly with the lid. Cook on a heat diffuser (if you have one) over moderately low heat until the rice is tender and very fragrant, about 45 minutes. Discard the parchment. Carefully invert the rice onto a large platter. Using a spoon or spatula, crack the crust (tahdig) and spread the pieces apart. Drizzle the rice with a little brewed saffron and serve warm. Originally appeared: March 2017 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.