Baghlali Polow (Fragrant Persian Rice)

3 cups of basmati rice

1 (14 oz) package of Fava beans (lima beans can be substituted), must be peeled

3 large bunches of fresh dill (equivalent to about 5-6 cups)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp of yogurt

1 pinch of saffron

3-4 tsp of advieh persian spice blend

canola or vegetable oil

salt & pepper

Prepare rice as usual.

Place in strainer. Clean and chop the dill in batches.

Sauté fava beans and garlic in some oil for about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add saffron to yogurt. Mix a couple of spatulas of rice with yogurt. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. This should be a thin layer.

Add 3 tbsp of Cooking Oil. Give it a shaking so that water and oil mix a little. Layer the bottom of a large cooking pot with rice and yogurt mixture. Add a generous amount of dill and then cover with a small layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 tsp of advieh over the rice. On top of it add a generous layer of fava beans. Then add a very generous layer of dill.

Very gently with a spoon mix the rice, fava beans, and dill. Continue layering until you are out of both rice and the rest of the ingredients. Your last layer should always be rice. Sprinkle a little advieh on top. With the back of your spatula create some hole making sure that you don’t go past the yogurt and rice mix. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes. Then place a towel over the lid, and cook on medium-low for 1 hour.

For this type of rice, add some butter or oil half way through the cooking process. Just melt 2-3 table spoons of butter and pour over the rice. You can also add some saffron to the butter. This will not only add a layer of flavor, but it will also give some of the rice a deep yellow color.