Food

How to Make Shirin Polo - UAE Food Recipes

A step-by-step Shirin Polo recipe, the sweet saffron rice with candied citrus zest, carrots and nuts served for special occasions like Ramadan and Eid.

Shirin polo saffron rice with nuts and barberries

Highlights

  • Shirin Polo is a dish prepared for special occasions and festivals like Ramadan and Eid.
  • The recipe uses three cups of basmati rice, one orange and two tangerines.
  • The citrus zest is boiled, then caramelized in a sugar syrup.
  • The rice is layered with carrots, zest and nuts to form a pyramid shape.

Arabic cuisine has a wide range of dishes, but nothing matches Shirin Polo’s taste, a dish prepared for special occasions and festivals like Ramadan and Eid. Here are the ingredients and instructions to make Shirin Polo. Read on!

Ingredients

  • One cup of water
  • One orange
  • One medium yellow onion
  • Five ounces of carrot
  • A half cup of slivered almonds
  • Three cups of basmati rice
  • Two tangerines
  • Five tablespoons of butter
  • A half cup of chopped pistachios
  • A half cup of raisins
  • Powdered saffron

Instructions

  1. Peel the orange and tangerine’s outer zest using a peeler or sharp knife
  2. Add water to the saucepan and put in the orange and tangerine strips
  3. Boil for five to seven minutes and set aside once done
  4. Mix sugar and water and bring to a boil to prepare a syrup
  5. Add the strips to the syrup
  6. Continue stirring the mixture and remove the caramelized zest strips
  7. Reserve some syrup for later use
  8. Melt three tablespoons of butter and cook the onions over medium heat
  9. Keep the onions aside once golden brown
  10. Follow the same procedure for carrots with two tablespoons of butter
  11. Use a pressure cooker to steam three cups of rice
  12. Add saffron powder for aroma and color
  13. Add some butter to the frying pan and pile up the carrots, pistachios, caramelized zest strips, raisins, and almonds in the corner
  14. Drizzle the syrup over these ingredients and heat over a low heat
  15. Transfer the cooked rice to the serving platter
  16. Now add some zest, carrots, and nuts
  17. Put some rice over them
  18. Add the remaining carrots, zest, and rice to form a pyramid shape
  19. Sprinkle with almonds, pistachios, and raisins
  20. Add syrup to the dish and serve to your family and friends

Frequently asked questions

What is Shirin Polo?

Shirin Polo is a rice dish prepared for special occasions and festivals like Ramadan and Eid. It combines basmati rice with saffron, caramelized orange and tangerine zest, carrots, nuts and raisins.

What ingredients do I need for Shirin Polo?

You need basmati rice, an orange, two tangerines, a yellow onion, carrots, butter, slivered almonds, chopped pistachios, raisins, powdered saffron and water. The method also uses sugar to make the syrup.

How do you serve Shirin Polo?

Layer the rice with zest, carrots and nuts on a serving platter to form a pyramid shape. Sprinkle with almonds, pistachios and raisins, then add syrup and serve.

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