Baghali Polo – Persian Dill Rice

Baghali Polow is a Persian Dill Rice made with fava beans, broad beans, or lima beans. My grandma taught me to make this recipe with frozen lima beans and dried dill. This makes it easy to make all year long, and the dried dill packs a ton more flavor than fresh.

Baghali translates from Farsi to English as fava bean. Polo is the Farsi word for rice.

Why this Recipe Works

The dried dill brings much more flavor than fresh dill and it is more consistent to use. The dried dill is steamed between layers of rice during the steaming process, releasing it’s flavor and aroma.

This recipe uses the tried and true method of steaming rice, yielding a perfectly cooked rice every time.

My grandma taught me to make this recipe with oil instead of butter, making this recipe vegan.

This rice dish is a great one to turn into tahdig, a crispy rice layer at the bottom of the pot.

Ingredients & Substitutions

lima beans – I use frozen lima beans in this recipe. You can also use fava or broad beans.

basmati rice – this recipe uses white long grain basmati rice. Basmati rice is different than white rice in both nutritional make-up and in the way it expands while cooking.

oil – any flavorless oil should work in this recipe, but I usually use one of the following: canola, vegetable, avocado seed, sunflower seed, or safflower oil.

dill – this recipe works best with dried dill. However, you can use about three times the amount if using fresh. Also, make sure to finely chop it. For a herb rice dish that uses more than just dill, check out this sabzi polo.

saffron – there is a lot of fake saffron out there and real saffron can be expensive. Use sparingly. You can tell it’s real by rubbing it between your fingers and if it stains them yellow, it’s real.

How to Make this Recipe

Bring about 2/3 a pot water of water to boil with 3 tbsp salt. This may sound like a lot, but we will be draining out the water and testing it for flavor.

In the meantime, wash rice 3-5 times with cold to lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Add the rice and the frozen lima beans to the boiling water and gently stir. Bring it back to a boil, then remove the lid to keep from overflowing.

When al dente, strain into a colander. Do not overcook! Taste the rice. If salty, rinse with cold water. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible.

Add 3 tbsp of oil in a pot. Then gently add half of the drained rice and lima beans. Top with the dill, then add the rest of the rice and lima beans.

Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid back on. Cook on medium heat, watching it carefully.

When the lid gets foggy, pour a little oil over the rice – about 2 tablespoons. Then put the lid back on and turn the heat to the lowest possible setting.

Note: If your pot does not have a glass lid, check for condensation on the top of the lid.

Cook for 20-30 minutes from when the oil is poured on top.

If adding saffron, grind the saffron using a mortar and pestle. Then, steep it in 2 tablespoons of hot water while the rice is steaming. When the rice has finished cooking, add the steeped saffron and water to the top of the rice.

Fluff the entire rice mixture with a fork to mix in the dill and (optional) saffron.

This recipe is most commonly served with fish like Mahi ba Zafferan (Saffron Fish) and a dollop of yogurt.