Zereshk polo ba morgh is the dish Persian families serve when guests are coming — saffron-braised chicken beside a platter of basmati rice jeweled with tart barberries. The barberries bring a bright sourness that saffron's honeyed warmth balances perfectly. It reads as a celebration dish, yet the work is mostly an unattended simmer.
At a glance
Serves 4
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Saffron: 25 threads (≈0.10 g)
Ingredients (chicken)
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 25 threads Raihan Afghan Super Negin saffron, bloomed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 tbsp oil
- Salt and pepper
Ingredients (barberry rice)
- 3 cups basmati rice (cooked chelow-style — see our Persian saffron rice with tahdig)
- 1/2 cup dried barberries (zereshk), rinsed
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp slivered pistachios
Instructions
- Chicken: Brown thighs in oil. Remove. Sauté onion until golden. Add garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, tomato paste. 1 minute. Add lemon and stock. Return chicken. Cover, simmer 45 minutes.
- Stir in half the saffron bloom. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to thicken.
- Barberries: Melt butter. Add barberries, sugar. Cook 2 minutes (do not over-cook or they burn). Off heat. Stir in remaining saffron bloom.
- Serve: Mound chelow on a platter. Top with barberries, almonds, pistachios. Plate chicken alongside.
Chef's note
The split bloom is deliberate: the half that simmers with the chicken builds depth, while the half stirred into the barberries off the heat keeps its full perfume. Steep the threads in hot — not boiling — water for a good ten minutes before you start; genuine saffron gives up its color gradually, not in an instant.
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