Lūbīā Cheshm Bolbolī Polō [Black-eyed Pea Rice | vegan]

Black-eyed Pea Rice | vegan

Origin: Widespread Homestyle

Before learning to make this dish, I had really only eaten black-eyed peas on their own; I always enjoyed them, but steaming them with fragrant dill and saffron rice made me love them even more. In Farsi, Lūbiā Cheshm Bolbolī Polō translates to “nightingale’s-eye bean rice,” a nod to the dark spot on each black-eyed pea. These heat-tolerant legumes originated around the southern Gulf, yet pairing them with dill quickly became an everyday staple across Iran. It stands apart from Bāghālī Polō thanks to the earthy bite of the black-eyed peas and an optional crown of caramelized onions and warm dates.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes (plus 2 hours soaking time)
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Fresh Produce

• 1 medium yellow onion (optional)
• 6 pitted Medjool dates (optional)

Pantry

• 2 cups (14 oz / 400g) long-grain rice
• ⅔ cup (4.5 oz / 130g) dried black-eyed peas
• ½ cup dried dill
• ¼ tsp pure saffron threads
• 3 tbsp plus 1¾ tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
• 2 sheets lavāsh flatbread or 2 white flour tortillas

Preparation

• Rinse the rice in a large bowl with cool water, swirling gently with your hand and draining 4–5 times until the water runs clear. Cover with cold water by at least 2 inches, stir in 2 tbsp of the kosher salt, and let soak for at least 2 hours, then drain.
• Pick through the dried black-eyed peas, rinse thoroughly, cover with cold water in a separate bowl, and soak for 2 hours, then drain.
• Thinly slice the yellow onion and coarsely chop the pitted dates, if using.
• Using a small mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads into a fine powder.

Instructions

1. Bloom the saffron and cook the black-eyed peas. Dissolve the ground saffron powder in 2 tbsp hot water and set aside to bloom. Place the drained black-eyed peas in a small saucepan, add 1½ tsp of the kosher salt, and cover with fresh water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming any foam from the surface, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 25–30 minutes until tender while holding their shape. Drain, rinse briefly, and set aside.
2. Caramelize the onion and warm the dates. While the black-eyed peas simmer, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté for 10–12 minutes until golden brown and crisp, then stir in the chopped dates for 1 minute to warm through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Parboil the rice. Bring a large pot of water (8–10 cups / 1.9–2.4 L) to a rolling boil over high heat and stir in 1 tbsp of the kosher salt. Add the drained rice to the boiling water and cook briskly for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains are soft on the outside with a firm center (al dente). Drain in a fine-mesh colander and rinse briefly with lukewarm water.
4. Prepare the tahdīg. In a large heavy-bottomed nonstick pot (or the inner pot of a Persian rice cooker), combine 4 tbsp of the oil and 1 tbsp of the bloomed saffron water, swirling to coat the bottom. Arrange the 2 sheets lavāsh flatbread or 2 white flour tortillas in an overlapping layer across the bottom of the pot and sprinkle evenly with the remaining ¼ tsp kosher salt.
5. Layer the rice. Gently spoon a layer of parboiled rice over the flatbread, top with a layer of cooked black-eyed peas, and sprinkle evenly with a portion of the ½ cup dried dill. Repeat the layers, building a pyramid in the center of the pot and finishing with a top layer of rice. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke 5–6 vertical steam vents into the mound without piercing the flatbread. Whisk the remaining 1 tbsp oil with 1 tbsp warm water and drizzle over the top of the mound. Cover the pot with a lid wrapped in a damkonī or clean kitchen towel.
6. Steam the rice.
   • On the Stovetop: Cook over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes until you hear a steady sizzle from the bottom of the pot, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and steam for 45 minutes.
   • In a Persian Rice Cooker: Set the dial to your desired tahdīg darkness level and let the cooking cycle complete.
7. Serve. Gently fold the rice, black-eyed peas, and dill together in the pot without disturbing the tahdīg. Scoop 1 cup of the mixed rice into a small bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tbsp bloomed saffron water until golden. Mound the remaining rice onto a warm platter, scatter the saffron rice, caramelized onions, and warm dates over the crown, and serve alongside the crisp flatbread tahdīg.

Tips

• Look for smaller heirloom black-eyed peas at Persian or Middle Eastern markets; they cook evenly and hold their skins better than oversized varieties.
• Flatbread tahdīg is Mojdeh’s favorite, and if lavāsh is unavailable, standard white flour tortillas make a great substitute that fries up into an equally crisp, golden crust. Alternatively, replace the flatbread in Step 4 with 1 medium potato sliced into ¼-inch (½ cm) rounds, scattering ½ tsp of ground turmeric and 1 tsp of nigella seeds (sīyāh-dāneh) or white sesame seeds into the oil first for a spiced potato crust.