AI-generated photo.
Persian · Iconic, Iran · Iran
Zereshk polo
Also called زرشک پلو
Zereshk polo (زرشک پلو), a Iran plate from Iran.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Zereshk polo is cooked in Iran as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam saffron rice and serve it with chicken and plumped raisins. Barberries are the sour jewel. Raisins, cooked with a little lemon from the pantry salt step, stand in for that fruit. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
74
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 24%
- Carbs 57%
- Fat 19%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 29.6 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 412 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry basmati rice274 kcal
- Chicken thigh145 kcal
- Unsalted butter45 kcal
- Raisins30 kcal
- Yellow onion10 kcal
- Saffron1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 40.9. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 505 kcal.
Allergens. Milk
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 379 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 505 kcal | 25% |
| Protein | 29.6 g | 59% |
| Carbohydrate | 70.6 g | 26% |
| Fiber | 1.9 g | 7% |
| Total sugars | 7.7 g | 15% |
| Fat | 10.6 g | 14% |
| Saturated fat | 4.6 g | 23% |
| Cholesterol | 126 mg | 42% |
| Sodium | 412 mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 514 mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 45 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 4.5 mg | 25% |
| Magnesium | 53 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 2.8 mg | 25% |
| Vitamin A | 51 mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 2.1 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.5 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 4 mcg | 3% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.6 mg | 47% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 23% |
| Niacin (B3) | 9.9 mg | 62% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.7 mg | 42% |
| Folate · estimate | 185 mcg | 46% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.7 mcg | 31% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Dry basmati rice1.5 cups300 g- Chicken thigh4 thighs480 g
Raisins0.25 cup40 g
Saffron1 pinch1 g
Unsalted butter2 tbsp25 g
Yellow onion1 onion100 g
Ground cinnamon0.25 tsp1 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Zereshk polo. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh dry basmati rice, chicken thigh, raisins, saffron, unsalted butter, yellow onion, ground cinnamon, kosher salt. Zereshk polo is cooked in Iran as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam saffron rice and serve it with chicken and plumped raisins. Barberries are the sour jewel. Raisins, cooked with a little lemon from the pantry salt step, stand in for that fruit. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Zereshk polo is cooked in iran. Also called زرشک پلو. Keep the heat at a murmur. A hard boil beats tender food into strings.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Zereshk polo, until the edges take a little color. Skim the foam once, then stop stirring so the broth stays clear.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Zereshk polo at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 51 minutes. Zereshk polo is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 51 min
- 🇮🇷 IranMiddle Easticon-iran-zereshk-polo-step-4
Zereshk polo, step 5
Step 5 · Zereshk polo
5Check the center of Zereshk polo, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇮🇷 IranMiddle Easticon-iran-zereshk-polo-step-5
Zereshk polo, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Zereshk polo for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in iran, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Zereshk polo in this shot order and no other: a quiet simmer with small bubbles; a tight shot of the crust or surface; hands shaping a loaf or patty; a blender lid held down for the puree. Slate words for the editor: undercrust, olive, hearth, drizzle, dusk, windowlight, quartz, kettle, gloss, frost.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Zereshk polo is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Zereshk polo looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Zereshk polo turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Zereshk polo, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Zereshk polo is one of the plates people ask for by name from Iran.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Steam saffron rice and serve it with chicken and plumped raisins. Barberries are the sour jewel. Raisins, cooked with a little lemon from the pantry salt step, stand in for that fruit.
Allergens in the required list: Milk.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.