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Photo:Ali Redmond
Ali Redmond
Active Time:55 minsTotal Time:1 hr 30 minsServings:8Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:55 minsTotal Time:1 hr 30 minsServings:8
Active Time:55 mins
Active Time:
55 mins
Total Time:1 hr 30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Servings:8
Servings:
8
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
So imagine my horror when, diagnosed with prediabetes, I found white rice on the list of dietary no-nos. To say I was crushed is an understatement.
“No rice?” I wailed to a Persian friend. “Why even live?”
My reaction may seem melodramatic, but without rice so much of the food of my cultural heritage disappeared. Cue the end of comfort food: A must-have with saucy West Indian stewed chicken or vegetable-rich Persian stews, rice could also be saffron- or coconut-flavored pudding. Rice flour was a key ingredient in crumbly, rose-scented cookies enjoyed with cardamom-flavored black tea.
Unwilling to give up this wonder of ancient cuisine, I desperately cast around for an alternative that wouldn’t spike my blood sugar yet would still provide the complexity of taste and texture as rice in a pollow. As with a traditional pollow, the goal was to find a grain that could hold up to the layering process as well as hold its own within a myriad of flavors—both acting as a backdrop and offering another dimension to the dish. Good basmati rice, for example, has an almost nutty flavor and aroma. The substitute I sought had a lot to live up to.
At first, I experimented with brown basmati rice. And while this fulfills high-fiber requirements for gut health and has a lower glycemic index than white rice, I find that brown rice simply does not cook up “fluffy” like its white counterpart. Plus, the brown rice grains shortened when cooking, retaining a chewy texture. Since lightness is a key to Persian pollows, brown rice wasn’t a good substitute.
Next, I tried white quinoa—knowing that, eaten in moderation, its nutritional value can be a boon to those managing diabetes or prediabetes. A cup of quinoa has double the protein and about 6 grams fewer carbohydrates as a cup of brown rice, along with more fiber. Unlike brown rice, quinoa also has essential amino acids, making it a complete protein—one of the few plant products that have that distinction. Like brown rice, quinoa is dense in mineral micronutrients.
But the real jackpot was how it behaved in a pollow: Quinoa cooks up light and fluffy. A seed rather than a grain, it also has a slightly nutty flavor, reminiscent of white basmati rice.
While many Persian pollows are made with lamb or beef in a tomato-based sauce, I particularly like to use quinoa for baghali pollow, which features lima beans or fava beans, lots of fresh spring herbs and chicken cooked in a light turmeric and saffron sauce. The green, herbaceous flavors don’t overpower the quinoa, allowing it to offer a textural backdrop without losing its place in the dish.
But substituting quinoa for basmati rice in baghali pollow required adapting the dish from its traditional method. Normally, the rice is parboiled and drained and then placed in a pot in alternating layers with herbs, beans and cooked chicken. Once all the layers are complete, they are smoothed into a pyramid shape using a rubber spatula, and butter or olive oil is drizzled on top, along with a small amount of water. The dish is then tightly covered and allowed to steam over very low heat until the rice is cooked.
Quinoa, on the other hand, does not require the same treatment since it’s a fast-cooking grain that needs hard boiling for the seeds to burst open. Because of this, a pollow made with quinoa is, essentially, a one-pot dish that can be made without the layering—cutting cooking time down considerably. Now that’s something to live for: comfort food unlocked, all while maintaining a healthy prediabetes diet.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients1/4teaspoongroundsaffron3ice cubes1tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil1smallonion, chopped2poundsboneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cubed (1-inch)1teaspoonkosher salt1teaspoongroundturmeric1/2teaspoongroundcumin1/4teaspoonground pepper4cupslow-sodium chicken broth2cupswhitequinoa, rinsed well1 bunchfresh dill, minced, plus more for serving1bunchfresh parsley, minced, plus more for serving1bunchfresh chives, minced, plus more for serving2clovesgarlic, halved2cupsfrozenlima beansorshelled edamame
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
1/4teaspoongroundsaffron
3ice cubes
1tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
1smallonion, chopped
2poundsboneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cubed (1-inch)
1teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoongroundturmeric
1/2teaspoongroundcumin
1/4teaspoonground pepper
4cupslow-sodium chicken broth
2cupswhitequinoa, rinsed well
1 bunchfresh dill, minced, plus more for serving
1bunchfresh parsley, minced, plus more for serving
1bunchfresh chives, minced, plus more for serving
2clovesgarlic, halved
2cupsfrozenlima beansorshelled edamame
Directions
Place saffron in a small bowl and add ice cubes. Set aside until the ice melts, about 45 minutes.
Add quinoa, dill, parsley, chives and garlic to the pot. Stir to combine, then stir in beans (or edamame). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cover tightly and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in the remaining saffron water before serving. Garnish with more herbs, if desired.
EatingWell.com, April 2024
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)392Calories8gFat41gCarbs38gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
