88. Middle Eastern inspired Persian saffron rice with saffron infused barberries -zereshk polo. Bonus: Persian saffron and yogurt marinated chicken skewers - joojeh kabob

Saffron is spice royalty. The most glamorous of all spices. Persian cuisine has mastered how to infuse saffron in many of their delicious dishes. Saffron brings mystery, majesty and just plain magic to food. This simple rice dish is gorgeous. I get regular requests from my family for for this recipe.

For those unfamiliar with barberries, they are a tiny tart berry that is not common in western cuisine - but it should be! The flavour is tart, really tart, with a sweet undertone. They are very similar in flavour to cranberries. Barberries can be sourced at Mid-East grocers or purchased online. They and purchased dried. Most Persian recipes rehydrate the barberries with water and sugar. I will outline this preparation in the recipe.

Barberries are becoming more popular due to their health benefits. They are high in berberine. Berberine functions as an antioxidant and, has been studied for its role in helping individuals with insulin resistance and a myriad of other health benefits. (I write about food so, I will stay in my lane). All said barberries are great for you and they taste amazing!

My family particularly loves the barberry component to this rice dish so, I am very generous when I plate. I served this rice pilaf for purposes of this post with a saffron marinated chicken, joojeh kabob. I will post the recipe below as it is a delicious accompaniment. This recipe is a lovely accompaniment to many recipes. I chose to keep things parked in the Middle East during this time.

Rice

2 cups white basmati rice, soaked and rinsed and prepared according to the package. Be sure to add 2 Tbsps of avocado oil for cooking the rice and 2 tsps salt to the water prior to cooking.

1/4 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved on 2 ice cubes

Method

1. Once the rice is cooked, gently take one cup of the cooked rice and add the saffron water. Combine the saffron with the cup of rice. This is the saffron rice that will be plated on top of the base of plain rice.

2. The barberries are then plated over the two rices. There should be a contrast in colour. Feel free to make your own patterns or sprinkle freely. The plating is very subjective.

Barberries

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup barberries, rinsed

2-4 tablespoons sugar, adjust to your taste

1/4 tsp ground saffron 

Method

In a small sauce pan, gently melt the butter and add the rinsed barberries, sugar and saffron water. 

Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and barberries are rehydrated. You will notice they go from a burgundy shade to ruby red. Be sure to rehydrate over low heat and, no more than 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the berries as you want them to be rehydrated and juicy but, not overly syrupy.

The barberries are then plated over the two rices. There should be a contrast in colour between the plain white rice and the yellow saffron infused rice. Feel free to make your own pattern with the barberries or just sprinkle freely. The plating is very subjective, the flavour will be amazing regardless of how the dish is plated.

Persian saffron chicken marinade for skewers - joojeh kabob

I use chicken tenders when I marinate, cut into bite sized pieces that are cooked on skewers. Chicken thighs may be used. The skewers are cooked on the BBQ, air fryer or in the oven. I used an air fryer for the chicken in the photo.

The chicken marinade - Joojeh kabob

2 - 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 lemon juiced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 tsp of ground saffron

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and let marinate for at least 1 hour (marinate overnight is best). The yogurt ensures the marinated chicken will be tender once it is cooked.

Using wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes, thread with the chicken pieces.

Cook, BBQ or airfry. I used an air fryer on high (400 degrees) for 20 minutes.

Serve with the rice pilaf.

Serve and enjoy!