Morassa Polo Recipe + Helpful Hints for Preparing More Delicious One

Morassa Polo, also known as Persian Jewelled Rice, is the king of Persian cuisine. It dazzles with iridescent specks of red, green, orange, and gold. The word “morassa” carries the meaning of precious stones like jewels. 

Traditional Persian Morassa Polo is cooked with rice and various other ingredients. The addition of those things makes the rice a variety of vibrant colors. Because of all the brilliant hues, this meal is frequently referred to as “jeweled rice. One of the Persian official celebrations guests is this pistachio recipe Morassa Polo, chosen for its good looks and taste. 

Qazvin, Khorasan, and Fars are the birthplaces of Morassa Polo. This elaborate Persian cuisine is typically reserved for special occasions like wedding receptions. Although this variety of rice is much praised, it is rarely prepared because it takes too much time to whip up for a quick snack or lunch on the go. But it’s a great option and pistachio food for get-togethers with friends and family.

Ingredients

•       Four cups of rice
•       400g Chicken Breasts
•       1/2 cup Dried Grapes
•       1/2 Barberry
•       Approximately three big onions
•       1/3 cup of almond slivers 
•       1/4 cup of pistachios (peeled slivered pistachios)
•       1/4 cup of sliced tangerine or orange peel
•       2 Tablespoons of Brewed saffron 
•       1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon 
•       4 teaspoons of pure lemon juice
•       Salt and black pepper (as much as you need) 
•       Turmeric and oil (as much as you need) 

Morassa Polo Recipe

1. The oranges for Morassa Polo need to be peeled before they can be placed in a glass of water and let soak for an hour. Then, put the orange peels in a dipper and heat them until you can squeeze the juice out of an orange into a new cup of water.
2. Return it to the stovetop’s heat source. To fully remove the bitterness of the orange peel, repeat this process three to four times. Toss the orange peels into a hot pan with two tablespoons of oil and two teaspoons of salt the final time you drain the boiled water. Once the sugar has dissolved, the orange peels will have a glassy consistency.
3. Cut the chicken breast into cubes and transfer to a basin. Then, place the chopped chicken in a separate bowl and add the onions, which have been washed and peeled, along with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Invert the ingredients so that the chicken is submerged in the sauce. Next, place the cellophane-wrapped bowl in the refrigerator.
4. Now, add some water to a bowl and soak the rice.  The remaining onions should be peeled and chopped before being added to a frying pan and cooked, occasionally stirring, until golden brown.
5. Now, remove the chicken from the fridge, place it in a frying pan, and sauté it with onions while seasoning it with a pinch of turmeric and some black pepper. Put a proper cover on your pan and let the onion juice and the chicken slices cook.
6. The chicken needs to cook for around 20 minutes. Then, boil some saffron, sprinkle it with salt, and fry it. Combine all of the required ingredients in a mixing bowl, then add one tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of cinnamon. Turn off your stove and put away the pan.
7. Pour six glasses of water into a pot, season with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. To cook rice, add it to a pan of boiling water.
8. In 7 minutes, you should check the rice. Drain the rice, wash the pot, and dry it. Overheat if the surrounding area is soft, but the rice kernel is still slightly firm. You can then use a spatula to transfer the rice into the oiled containers.
9. Next, use the spoon’s handle to create a hole in the center of the rice. Now spread the flame with a flame spreader, bring the temperature up, and then turn it down after 4 or 5 minutes, or however long it takes to brew your Morassa Polo.
10. The sliced almonds should be soaked in rose water, while the dried fruits (barberries and raisins) should be soaked in water. After waiting 10 minutes, toss the barberries, raisins, and sliced almonds. Then, set them aside to drain any remaining moisture.
11. Now, heat some oil in a pan over low heat, and then arrange the almonds, barberries, and raisins in separate sections. A slice of almonds, a spoonful of sugar, and a minute in the fryer will turn these into a sweet and crunchy snack.

Helpful hints for preparing a delicious Morassa Polo

Suggestions for cooking rice

•       The rice better be prepared the night before the meal by soaking it in water and seasoning. One cold cup of water added to a cup of Iranian rice before cooking will yield a superior Cholo (in Persian it means plain white rice).
•       The rice will get mushy if you boil it for too long.

Suggestions for cooking chicken

•       Brew some saffron, add some pepper, salt, turmeric, and onion, and use that as a marinade for the chicken breasts. Please wait two hours before attempting to serve. The unpleasant odour will be neutralized, and the flesh will soften.

How Should Morassa Polo Be Served?

Turn off the stove after 30 seconds of frying. Get a bowl, fill it with rice, and serve yourself. Layer the rice with the cooked chicken, and then incorporate some saffron into the rice.

Then arrange the dried fruits (such as barberries, raisins, sliced almonds, and peeled oranges) in whichever pattern you desire atop the rice. Sliced (slivered) pistachios should be added to the rice similarly, without being fried. Due to their unsaturated fats and more nutritional properties, be sure to use Persian pistachios slices in this recipe. For better taste, we advise you to use pistachio types such as Fandoghi, Kalleh Ghouchi, and Ahmad Aghaie due to their superior quality. Pistachio kernels have been used in cooking for a long time and are found in various cuisines in different cultures.

I really hope you and your loved ones enjoy eating Morassa Polo.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this dish if you’ve prepared it.