Shekar Polau (lit. Sugar Rice) of Shiraz

Shekar Polau is a local and traditional cuisine of Shiraz, which is mostly cooked for religious ceremonies, especially during the mourning month of Muharram, as a nazr food. It is also used in happy ceremonies such as weddings for serving the guests.

Although Shekar Polau is considered a delicacy, it is not difficult to cook and does not require many raw materials. Those who like the taste of sweet foods like Shirin Polau will also enjoy Shekar Polau.

Ingredients

Rice: one kilogram

Sugar: 800 grams

Oil: two tablespoons

Saffron: one teaspoon

Rose water: one cup

Slices of orange, bitter orange, or tangerine peel as per the taste

Sliced almonds and pistachios, and salt and turmeric per the taste

Recipe

Soak the rice in cold water for at least four hours before starting the cooking process.

Half an hour before cooking, soak the almond and pistachio slices with a little rose water so that they become soft and absorb the scent of rose water.

You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar according to your taste.

Put the slices in a pot of boiling water and then drain them after boiling a little. Repeat this process three times to remove the bitterness of the slices. Then pour some water and some sugar into a pot and put it on the flame until the water boils. After the water boils, put the slices in it, let it boil for five minutes, and then drain it.

Fry the pistachio and almond slices together with the fruit peel slices and put them aside to be used as a garnish.

To prepare the required sugar nectar, boil sugar in a pot with two glasses of water and rose water. Keep doing this until the solution thickens and turns into nectar. Mix the saffron with some boiling water and add it to the nectar and after adding two tablespoons of oil, let it boil for one minute.

To prepare the rice, heat a pot until the water boils. Then drain the water of the soaked rice and pour the soaked rice into the boiling water. Add some turmeric to it and let the rice boil until the grains are still a little firm and then drain it.

Pour a little oil on the bottom of the pot, put the drained rice in it, and cover the pot, preferably with the lid covered with a piece of clean cloth, and then let the rice steam for 20 minutes.

Before the rice is fully steamed, gently transfer it to a colander, place a tray under the colander, and pour half of the nectar on the rice, so that all the rice in the colander is covered with it. Then gently stir the rice.

Put the rice for steaming again and after 15 minutes pour the rest of the nectar on the rice along with the amount collected in the tray under the colander. Now you have to wait another quarter of an hour until Shekar Polau is completely ready. At this stage, you need to reduce the flame because the nectar that reaches the bottom of the pot will burn very quickly.

How to serve

Shekar Polau is usually served with gheimeh and Shirazi salad. Of course, it can also be served with chicken or lamb.

Those who like the taste of sweet foods like Shirin Polau will also enjoy Shekar Polau.