This recipe contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, LiT may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, LiT earns from qualifying purchases. See our affiliate disclosure.
Sib means apple, and sib polo is one of the gentler Persian rice dishes. Tart apples are fried in butter with cinnamon, then layered through saffron rice with chicken or small meatballs.
It is sweet and savoury at once, and children tend to love it.
At a glance: serves four. About an hour and three quarters. Easy.
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice, soaked for 2 hours
- 500g boneless chicken thighs, in pieces
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 tart apples, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp raisins (optional)
- 3 tbsp butter
- A pinch of saffron, bloomed in 3 tbsp hot water
- Vegetable oil, salt and black pepper
Method
- Fry the onion, add the turmeric and the chicken and brown it. Add half a cup of water, season and cook for 30 minutes.
- Fry the apples in the butter with the cinnamon and raisins for five minutes, until golden but still holding their shape.
- Parboil the rice for six minutes and drain.
- Layer the rice, chicken and apples in an oiled pot, finishing with rice. Steam on a low heat for 45 minutes with a lid wrapped in a tea towel.
- Drizzle the saffron over the top before serving.
Choose sharp apples. Bramleys or Granny Smiths keep their shape and stop the dish getting too sweet.
Meatball version. Many families make sib polo with tiny meatballs (ghelgheli) instead of chicken.
Where to buy the ingredients. Outside Iran, you can order saffron, basmati rice, a Persian rice cooker and turmeric online.
Serve with yoghurt and a crisp salad. Leftovers reheat well in a covered pan with a splash of water.
