Baghali polo is a popular Iranian dish of rice, fava beans, and dill. In Persian, baghali means fava bean while polo is pilaf, a style of cooked rice. It is made by cooking rice, green broad beans and fragrant dill in boiling water and then steam cooked to perfection with a layer of Tahdig at the bottom of the rice (Crispy Rice). This dish pairs really well with lamb shanks, fish or chicken preferably with a bit of gravy.

At first glance, you might think that how difficult could it be to make Baghali Polo, but let me assure you that it has taken me years to perfect this recipe. There are a lot of small things that you have to be mindful of when making Baghali Polo as it could make or break your dish. Lucky for you, I will be making your life a lot easier by providing you with my tips.

Growing up in Iran, I was fortunate enough to taste some of the best Bagahli Polo and it is one of the most requested Iranian rice recipes. Like any other dish, this too has many variations but I am going to keep it very simple for you and share with you an easy and simple way to prepare this delicious dish.

What kind of rice should we use?

In order to get the best results, I recommend using long grain basmati rice. I have been using Kohinoor long grain basmati rice for over 10 years and love the texture and taste of the rice.

What if you don’t have fava beans?

Typically you can find fava/broadband beans in a Middle-eastern market, but, when these beans are not easily available, many recipes substitute the more easily obtainable lima beans.

What if you don’t have fresh dill?

I prepared Baghali Polo using fresh dill; however, if you don’t have access to fresh dill, you can use dried dill. You will need to make sure to double the amount of fresh dill used.

Tips for Restaurant Style Baghali Polo:

• Excellent quality of rice. I recommend using long grain basmati rice
• Try to use fresh dill.
• When boiling the rice, make sure not to overcook it. The rice should be al-dente and it usually takes no more than 4-5 minutes on medium to high flame.
• You have to remember to salt to boiling water generously as you will not get a chance to add salt later. It is typically 1 tablespoon for every cup of rice.
• Wash the dill thoroughly and run it through a salad spinner to make sure it is completely dry before chopping it finely. If you don’t have a salad spinner you can do this step the night before and lay your dill on a paper towel and air dry it.
• Use a nonstick pan when preparing baghali polo.
• To make this recipe 100 percent gluten-free you can skip using the butter and only use oil.
• Don’t skip on ghee or butter otherwise you will end up with dry rice after all your hard work. I personally prefer to use ghee over butter but butter works fine too if you don’t like ghee.
• To make the PERFECT golden and crispy Tahdig, cook the rice on high heat for 10 minutes, and then on low heat for 20-30 minutes.

What can I eat with Baghali Polo?

Traditionally Baghali Polo is enjoyed with lamb shanks or fish but being of Indian descent and growing up in Iran, we enjoyed this delectable dish with all of our curries:

Goat Curry

Lamb Curry

Lamb Chops

Seekh Kebabs