Baghali Polo: Persian dill rice with frozen fava beans

Ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 US cups dry white basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed
• 10 US cups water for parboiling the rice and beans, discarded after cooking
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt for the rice boiling water, most discarded and rinsed away
• 14–16 ounces peeled frozen green fava beans (broad beans), with both pods and tough inner skins removed; avoid fava beans if you have G6PD deficiency
• 1 US cup chopped fresh dill measured loosely after chopping, or 1/3 US cup dried dill
• 4 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil for the rice pot
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for the finish (or olive oil instead for a non-butter variation)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground culinary saffron bloomed in 2 tablespoons warm water, optional
• 1–2 tablespoons extra hot water only if needed during steaming

Method

1. Check that the bag contains peeled green fava beans, with neither pods nor leathery inner skins. Read its thawing, cooking and temperature directions. If the label permits, briefly rinse the beans under lukewarm water to separate them and drain. If the package requires a separate boil or another specified cooking method, cook the beans as directed and drain them; add these cooked beans during layering rather than boiling them with the rice. Do not taste uncooked frozen beans.
2. Rinse the basmati several times and drain. Wash the fresh dill, dry it well and chop; measure one loosely filled cup after chopping. For the dried-dill version, use the separate 1/3-cup amount. Use a heavy 5- to 6-quart pot with a close-fitting lid for steaming.
3. Bring the 10 cups water and salt to a rolling boil. Add the rice, stir gently once and maintain a boil. Begin checking a cooled grain at about 6 minutes; the outside should be soft while the center still has a firm bite. If using the briefly rinsed peeled beans, add them now, let the water return to a boil and drain immediately. Briefly rinse the rice mixture with cool water and drain thoroughly. Beans already cooked according to their package stay out of this step.
4. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in the empty pot over medium heat. Add a thin layer of rice, then loosely layer the remaining rice, dill and any separately cooked beans. Keep the layers airy rather than pressing down. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, melted butter and optional saffron water over the rice.
5. Cover and keep over medium heat until steam begins to rise, checking within about 5–10 minutes. Reduce to low and cook covered until the grains are tender and the beans are fully heated and soft, starting to check after 35 minutes and allowing longer as needed. Meet any cooking temperature on the bean package; a brief parboil alone is not the final cooking step. If the pot is dry but rice is still firm, sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons hot water over it, cover and steam a few minutes more. Use the lid alone, with no loose cloth near the burner.
6. Scoop gently onto a platter without trying to invert a crust. Serve promptly, or divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F). This is the rice side only; choose a separate fully cooked main if desired.