The Ultimate Baghali Polo Recipe: A Culinary Masterpiece!

1. Thoroughly rinse rice and transfer to a large bowl. Pour enough water over the rice to cover by a few inches and soak for 1 hour; drain.

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook lima beans in boiling water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and rice to the boiling water and cook until rice is partially softened, about 11 minutes; drain.

4. Season lamb with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir lamb in melted butter until completely browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer lamb to a bowl. Cook and stir onion in skillet until translucent, about 7 minutes. Return lamb to skillet; add dill and cooked lima beans. Remove skillet from heat.

6. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon hot water. Spoon about 1/3 the partially cooked rice into the saucepan. Layer about half the lamb mixture over the rice layer. Repeat layering 1/2 the remaining rice, the remaining lamb mixture, and finishing with the remaining rice. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons butter into cubes and arrange atop the top rice layer.

7. Place a cover on the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the rice is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before serving with yogurt.

Cook’s Note:

To make this dish vegetarian, remove the meat and the cinnamon and perform all other steps as directed. To make vegan, substitute olive oil for the butter.

To make vegan, substitute olive oil for the butter.

To achieve a tight cover on the rice, some cooks will wrap the lid in a kitchen towel. The rice is cooked ‘chelo’ style, producing crispy coating of rice called ‘tahdig.’ This is intentional and a prized item at the Persian table. Gaining skill with this technique will allow the rice to turn onto a plate as if a cake and makes a lovely presentation.