آلبالوپلو با مرغ
Sweet-tart sour cherries, saffron chicken and fluffy basmati rice come together in this colourful Persian dish. Albaloo polo is a beautiful choice for a family meal or a special gathering.
The time ranges come from the supplied recipe. Cooking time varies with the rice and the thickness of the chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 cups uncooked long-grain basmati rice
- 500 g sour cherries, pitted
- 3 tablespoons sugar, adjusted to taste
- 600 g chicken fillets
- 3 onions for the chicken, plus extra chopped onion for the pot base
- Brewed saffron, as needed
- Butter, as needed
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Use the same cup for measuring all of the rice. The original recipe leaves the amounts of saffron, butter, oil and extra onion to taste.
How to make albaloo polo with chicken
1. Prepare the sour cherries
Wash the cherries and carefully remove every pit. Place the pitted cherries in a small saucepan over gentle heat and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Make the cherry sauce
Add the sugar and a little olive oil. Cook gently until the syrup thickens slightly, stirring carefully to keep the cherries intact. Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed. Reserve some thickened syrup for the chicken.
3. Parboil the rice
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt and the rice. Drain slightly earlier than you normally would: the outside of each grain should soften while the centre stays slightly firm. The cherries will add moisture during steaming.
4. Layer and steam
In the rice pot, gently sauté some chopped onion in olive oil with a little salt and brewed saffron. Mix the cooked cherries with a small portion of the drained rice, then layer this mixture with the remaining plain rice. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top, cover and steam over low heat until the rice is cooked and fluffy. Keep the heat gentle to prevent the onion base and cherry syrup from burning.
5. Caramelize the onions
Slice the three onions and gently sauté them in olive oil until softened and caramelized. If they start to dry out or catch, add a small splash of water and continue cooking gently.
6. Cook the saffron chicken
Move the onions to one side of the pan and add the chicken fillets. Season with salt, black pepper and brewed saffron. Turn once the first side is browned; the source suggests about four minutes for the first side, but the total cooking time depends on thickness. Add a little water or brewed saffron if needed and continue until fully cooked.
7. Finish and serve
Pour the reserved cherry syrup over the cooked chicken and allow the flavours to combine briefly. Once the rice has finished steaming, add a few small pieces of butter. Gently loosen the rice and serve with the saffron chicken and caramelized onions.
Tips for fluffy, colourful rice
- Drain the rice early. Slightly firm grains can absorb cherry moisture without becoming mushy.
- Keep the syrup concentrated. Too much liquid can soften the rice excessively.
- Adjust the sweetness gradually. The tartness of sour cherries varies.
- Handle the layers gently. Avoid crushing the cherries or breaking the rice grains.
- Keep the chicken moist. Use moderate heat and small splashes of liquid as needed.
Serving inspiration
This recipe uses chicken fillets. The photos below show alternative presentations with bone-in chicken and optional garnishes; those additions are not required for the fillet recipe.
Choose your rice
Start with long-grain basmati rice and adjust the parboiling time to the variety you use. Explore Komo Products for VATAN basmati rice and product enquiries.
Recipe adapted from the Persian text by Shima Rekabdar supplied for this page. Photos supplied for this page.