Keshmesh Polow ~ Persian Raisin Rice

We have officially entered the Fall Season. But in my neck of the woods it does not feel like Fall, at all. I am serious when I say that I miss wearing my scarves and the slight chill in the air that we  experience here in Los Angeles. But let’s not get caught up in weather talk; let me get to the point here! Remember the Norouz recipe roundup that I did? Well we are doing another one for Mehregan! For said occasion I have selected Keshmesh Polow, a delicious Persian rice made with
Raisins. Mehregan is a fall festival which dates back many centuries. This celebration represents the season of harvest and thanksgiving. For this occasion a group of Persian bloggers and I have come together from around the world and created fall recipes to share with you all. The inspiration for this Polow came from the infamous cookbook that my mom’s friend Iran joon so kindly gifted me when I visited her the last time I as in Rome. I had never heard of this type of rice before as the only Persian rice dishes that I know which use raisins are Adas Polow and Reshteh Polow.  When I first read the name of the polow I thought it might be too sweet for my taste. Then I saw that one of the spices used was ground ginger and decided that I had to give this dish a try! I have to say I actually ended up really enjoying this Polow once I figured out the right ratio of spices. The combination of spices and the sweetness of the raisins go very well together. Ingredients 3 cups rice 2 cups raisins 4 tbsp butter 1/2 tsp turmeric 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cardamom 2 tsp ground ginger 1 1/2  tbsp olive oil 2-3 tbsp canola oil salt & pepper First par-boil rice according to the post: Cooking Rice for Polow For this rice I decided to add some color to it and mixed two different colors of raisins. You can do either or! Add oil to a skillet and melt butter. Add raisins and sauté about 3 minutes until they perk up. Add spices and season with salt. Constantly stir the mixture until the spices have warmed through and their aroma rises. If the mixture is too dry, then add a little more butter or oil. Add canola oil to the bottom of a non-stick pot. Then add 2 tablespoons of water. Add a couple of spatulas of the par-boiled rice on top. Then add a spatula of the raisin mixture on top. Add one more layer of rice followed by a layer of raisins and gently mix together. At this point the spices will begin staining the rice with their color. Once all the raisins are gone, add the last layer of rice to the sauté pan and mix the rice with the leftover spices in the pan. Then add on top of the rice in the pot. Create five holes in the rice by inserting the back of the spatula all the way to the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and cook on high for 10 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup of water over the rice. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter into five pieces and place on top of the rice. Wrap the lid of the pot in a towel and continue cooking for 1 hour longer. Serve this rice with a side of Braised Chicken and Mast-o-Khiar. Note: this recipe can easily be made into a vegan dish by using canola oil instead of butter.

Now please see what other Persian food bloggers around the world have created for this year’s Mehregan celebration.
Ahu Eats: Badoom Sookhte Torsh
All Kinds of Yum: Jeweled Carrot Salad
Bottom of the Pot: Broccoli Koo Koo
Cafe Leilee: Northern Iranian Pomegranate Garlic and Chicken Stew
Coco in the Kitchen: Zeytoon Parvardeh
Della Cucina Povera: Ghormeh Sabzi
Family Spice: Khoreshteh Kadoo | Butternut Squash Stew
Fig & Quince: Festive Persian Noodle Rice & Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Yummies for Mehregan
Honest and Tasty: Loobia Polo | Beef and Green Bean Rice
Lab Noon: Adas Polo Risotto Style
Lucid Food: Sambuseh
Marjan Kamali: Persian Ice Cream with Rosewater and Saffron
My Caldron: Anaar-Daneh Mosamma | Pomegranate Stew
My Persian Kitchen: Keshmesh Polow | Persian Raisin Rice
Noghlemey: Parsi Dal
Parisa’s Kitchen: Morasa Polow | Jeweled Rice
Sabzi: Yogurt Soup with Meatballs
The Saffron Tales: Khorosht-e Gheimeh
Simi’s Kitchen: Lita Turshisi | Torshi-e Liteh | Tangy Aubergine Pickle
Spice Spoon: Khoresht-e-Bademjaan | Saffron-scented Aubergine Stew
Turmeric & Saffron: Ash-a Haft Daneh | Seven Bean Soup
The Unmanly Chef: Baghali Polow ba Mahicheh
ZoZoBaking: Masghati