Iranian Rice With Beans And Dill Weed (baqala Polo)

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 cups long-grain rice, well-rinsed
• 8 cups water
• salt
• 1/4 cup melted margarine
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 2 tbs warm water (optional)
• 1 lb frozen lima beans
• 1/4 cup dried dill weed, or 3/4 cup fresh
• 1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen
• 2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons margarine or 2 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup soy yogurt

Recipe

• 1 cook lima beans until done.
• 2 drain.
• 3 set aside.
• 4 bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
• 5 add rice to water.
• 6 boil 5-10 minutes , until rice is no longer crunchy, but still firm.
• 7 stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• 8 drain rice in colander.
• 9 mix beans and dill weed with the rice.
• 10 put half of the melted margarine in the bottom of the rice pot.
• 11 put the rice back into the pot, a spoonful at a time, heaping it into a mound, not touching sides of pot.
• 12 with a chopstick or similar tool, poke holes in the rice in several places.
• 13 pour the remaining melted margarine over the rice.
• 14 cover the underside of the pot lid with a dish towel, and put lid tightly on pot.
• 15 cook rice about 20 minutes over medium heat, then turn heat to low, and cook for another 30 minutes.
• 16 the rice on the bottom of the pot should become golden and crispy.
• 17 soak bottom of pot in cold water for a few minutes, to loosen this.
• 18 put rice onto a serving platter, surrounded by chunks of crispy rice.
• 19 take 2/3 cup of the rice, mix it with the dissolved saffron, and sprinkle over the rest of the rice as a garnish.
• 20 cook spinach in lightly salted water until tender
• 21 drain well.
• 22 chop.
• 23 set aside.
• 24 heat margarine or oil in a pan.
• 25 add onions, and fry until golden.
• 26 add spinach and fry together briefly.
• 27 turn off heat.
• 28 sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 29 transfer to serving bowl or dish.
• 30 mix in yogurt.