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Sabzi Polo in Rice Cooker (Herb Rice in Rice Cooker)

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 20 min
Yields: 6 servings


1 bunch parsley (2 cups chopped)
1 bunch cilantro (1½ cups chopped)
1 bunch fresh dill (1½ cups chopped)
1 bunch green onions/scallions (1½ cups chopped)
1 bunch fresh fenugreek (1 cup chopped) or 1/3 cup dried fenugreek
4 cloves garlic
4½ cups cold water
3 cups basmati rice
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon saffron (optional)


Clean herbs by cutting off the stems, for green onions cut the root ends. Wash, strain and finely chop all the herbs, place in a bowl. Peel and chop garlic cloves, add to the bowl.

Measure rice with a regular measuring cup. Rinse and drain in a mesh strainer. The cup packaged with the Persian rice cooker is smaller than standard U.S. measuring cup. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use kateh method.

Combine all the ingredients except saffron in the rice cooker. Cover the rice cooker and plug it in. Turn the machine on and start the cooking cycle following the manufacturer’s timing. Five minutes into cooking, gently stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine them.

When rice is ready, unplug the rice cooker. Dissolve saffron in 2 tablespoons hot water and pour over the rice. Place a round serving platter on top of the rice cooker. Using pot holders, firmly grab the serving platter and the pot flipping them over together.

Serve sabzi polo (herb rice) with mahi, pan-fried salmon, braised chicken breasts, braised chicken thighs or braised beef.