Shredded chicken with barberry rice (Zereshk Polo)

Put the rice in a pot and add 6 cups of water (2 cups for each cup of basmati rice). Then add 4-5 spoonful of oil and some salt to it. Reduce the heat, cover and let it cook for 35-40 minutes. (See here)

While the rice is cooking, we put chicken, chopped onion, garlic, turmeric and pepper in another pot, add some water and let it cook for 40 minutes. 

Now remove the chicken from the pot and then shred it. Remember to save the chicken broth to prepare the sauce later.

Pour some oil in a pan and sauté the chicken. Add two spoons of brewed saffron to it and stir well until our aromatic chicken is ready to serve.

To prepare the sauce, sauté 3 spoons of tomato paste in oil and then add it to the chicken broth and shredded chicken and mix them altogether. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. Then pour this sauce into a suitable container to later add to the barberry pilaf.

Put the barberry in a strain and soak for 5 minutes. We use the strain to soak, because this is the best way to remove the dirt and remnants of the soil if any. Sauté the barberry with sugar and butter in a pan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and barberries have come to life and brightened—about 50 seconds. Make sure not to overdo and burn the barberries. The barberry should maintain its original color. Now add a teaspoon of dry saffron to this mixture and stir to blend. 

Put the white rice in a tray. Mix some rice with the sauteed barberry and saffron and pour it on the rest of the rice in the tray. You can add the chicken to one side of the rice or in a separate plate and serve it.