Rice with herbs, pan-fried white f ish and smoked white f ish (sabzi polow ba mahi)
1 cup coarsely chopped chives or greens of green onions 2 1⁄2 cups coarsely chopped parsley 2 1 ⁄2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro 2 cups coarsely chopped dill 2 1⁄2 cups long-grain basmati rice 2 quarts water, plus 1 cup hot water, divided 3 tablespoons salt 1⁄2 cup oil, melted butter or ghee, divided 1⁄4 cup dissolved saffron (heaping 1⁄2 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1⁄4 cup water), divided 8 green garlic
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup melted butter 1. Mix all chopped herbs in a bowl and set aside.
2. Clean and wash the rice several times in warm water, then drain well. Meanwhile, in a non-stick pot, bring the 2 quarts water and salt to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and bring to a boil again, stirring a couple of times to loosen the grains. When the rice rises to the surface of the boiling water, remove the pot from heat and drain the rice in a large colander and rinse with cold water.
3. In a separate non-stick pot, combine half of the oil, 1 tablespoon dissolved saffron and 1⁄2 cup hot water. Put one layer of rice at the bottom of the pot, add one layer of chopped herbs (chives or green onions, parsley, cilantro and dill) on top. Repeat the process and form the rice in the shape of a dome. Arrange fresh garlic around the dome. Cover and cook till the steam rises to the top.
4. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke a few holes (steam vents) in the rice. Pour the remaining oil or butter with the remaining
1⁄2 cup of hot water over the rice. Cover the top of the pot with a dish towel, wrapping the towel over the lid (this will absorb extra steam as the rice cooks), and cook the rice over low heat until the rice grains are long and tender but not mushy, 50 to 60 minutes (the crust at the bottom of the pot, tahdig, will be thicker and crispier if cooked longer).
5. Transfer the rice to a platter. Mix one cup of the rice with the remaining dissolved saffron and melted butter and pour the mixture on top of the rice on the platter.