Fresh Dill-Spiced Rice in the Afghan Manner: Chelo Shibit
Sunday, 29th November 2009. There are 22 Comments.
This is a recipe, as promised, from the menu at the Nairobi Reunion dinner I hosted. (My recipe was awarded an Editor’s Pick on Amanda Hesser -the ex- New York Times Food Editor- and Merrill Stubbs’ Food 52 project).
Dill is used widely in Persian and Afghan cooking. It lends a lovely fragrant, herbal quality to the rice- which can be paired with an aubergine and savoury mince casserole or a even a simple roast chicken.
A few cooking notes:
- I have learnt that the trick with this rice is to move very fast- once the rice has been parboiled and drained, the layering with the dill has to be done very quickly so the warm temperature of the rice doesn’t drop too fast.
- The rice and dill are layered in a dome-like shape in the pot. This allows the rice to steam uniformly.
Ingredients:
* 1 cup Basmati rice
* water for soaking and parboiling
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup fresh dill, chopped very finePreparation:
(The detailed instructions for preparing Basmati can also be viewed in this post.)
*Soak the Basmati for 30 minutes minimum, (preferably an hour, minimum);
*Boil 6-8 cups of water, when it comes to a rolling boil, add the Basmati. Let it cook for 13-15 minutes;
*To test when the rice is ready for steaming, take a grain and if it is soft on the outside but breaks between your finger and thumb, remove from the flame. It should be al dente;
*Drain the water. Place pan on the stove on low heat and add olive oil. With a wide-rimmed spatula, add a thin layer of rice to the pot. Sprinkle with dill, and keep layering the rice and dill in a towering dome shape; like a pyramid.
This ensures the rice cooks evenly;
*To release the steam, make 2-3 holes (one in the middle and two on the side) with the handle of a wooden spoon;
*Cover the pot with a tea towel, replace the lid and let it cook on low heat for 15 minutes;
*Decant with a teacup saucer or wide-rimmed spatula./blockquote>
November 29th, 2009 at 23:00
This sounds amazing! Question: When you cover the pot with the tea towel, do you put the lid on top of the towel? I was a bit confused by that step. Can’t wait to try this. xx
November 29th, 2009 at 23:13
@Arlene Thank you so much. Yes, you place the tea towel over the pot to absorb the condensation from the steam (otherwise the water will drip back into the pot). You then place the lid on top of the tea towel to ’seal it shut’. Sorry if I didn’t explain that properly.
November 30th, 2009 at 08:42
Cooking rice is a whole art in itself – I realise this every time mine is too grainy, mushy or soggy (or just plain dull and boring)… so thanks for this!
November 30th, 2009 at 11:04
I loved ordering this rice dish at Persian restaurants in Vancouver (I grew up there). I just never realised the ingredient list was very simple! Thank you!
November 30th, 2009 at 12:42
YUM I am making this tonight.
November 30th, 2009 at 15:42
mmmmmhh…it’s so yummy in here!
I wish I was at this dinner as well
When I smell persian food, I feel at home. I grew up with rice and dill.
Anna
November 30th, 2009 at 19:36
Love the dill rice shayma, but I must admit the mince casserole on the side looks amazing too! Yum!
December 1st, 2009 at 08:10
@Marion I have made many a soggy, porridge-like rice dishes in my life. Luckily I like rice enough to have tried again and again- till it came out looking the way it should. Thanks so much for visiting.
@Su-Lin Thanks, Su-Lin. The Iranis add lima beans to their chelo shibit, which is adds a lovely dimension.
@Fatima Thanks, hope it turns out well. Am an avid reader of your food-in-literature blog.
@ninamasina Next time, I shall give you advance notice so you can make your way over for dinner across the Atlantic from Italy. I didn’t know the Milanese ate rice and dill.
@Maunika Thanks so much Maunika. I shall try to post the aubergine recipe this weekend. Have fallen behind in my posts a bit.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:53
Lovely blog, I am enjoying it very much
Rice looks beautiful!
December 1st, 2009 at 10:55
you should also be a food stylist, the presentation is marvelous!
December 1st, 2009 at 11:09
Another lovely recipe – simple to make but looks gorgeous and healthy. xx
December 1st, 2009 at 14:04
mmm I’d love the recipe for the mince and aubergine dish, too!
December 3rd, 2009 at 03:41
This sounds like such a delicate recipe. It must surely have a lovely aroma too.
December 3rd, 2009 at 22:29
Shayma, looks delicious, I should try making rice just with dill and nothing else. It’s just perfect! The last line about decanting with a teacup saucer brought back so many memories from back home. Thanks
December 6th, 2009 at 11:50
I love the Persian version of this dish with lima beans. I had Afghani food once or twice and loved it so much! I can’t wait to see if you have posted on the dishes I sampled in that restaurant in San Fransico which had dumplings stuffed with leeks I think
December 6th, 2009 at 12:10
@Meeso @Fati @Zurin @So Lovely Thank you so much.
@Maninas The next post shall be the aubergine dish, promise. Thanks so much, as always.
@Azita I, like @tasteofbeirut, love the Irani version with lima beans. Thanks so much for your kind words. The teacup saucer really does remind one of home, doesn’t it? Such a simple homecook’s trick.
@Tasteofbeirut I love that version, too. That’s a lovely idea for a post- thank you- I shall write a post on ‘aushak’ (dumplings filled w leeks) soon- have just started blogging (less than 2 months) so am a little bit slow at the moment
December 6th, 2009 at 22:43
Rice with dill sounds wonderful, and yours looks perfectly cooked!
December 8th, 2009 at 09:57
Shayma, I grew up with a persian friend
She’s a kind of Mum to me.
Italian people are defenitely not used to eat any kind of these!
Nice idea to cross the Atlantic once, and come to dinner
December 15th, 2009 at 16:30
This is SO good-looking! I must try it!
December 16th, 2009 at 17:25
It’s looking great!
March 12th, 2010 at 06:34
It’s sabzi polou ! Of course you will already know that! Looks delicious.
March 12th, 2010 at 13:51
@Lisaiscooking Thank you so much for visiting, Lisa.
@Ninamasina Thanks, Nina. You are very lucky to have grown up with both Italian and Persian food influences.
@Jasmine, Grazie, cara.
@Iana Thank you.
@Javane Thanks for the visit. There are, indeed, so many similarities between Afghan and Persian cuisine.