Jeweled Pomegranate Rice
A festive Persian-inspired rice dish with dried apricots, cherries, pistachios and pomegranate — rooted in Sephardic tradition and made entirely my own.
Jeweled rice — Javaher Polow in Persian — is one of the great festive dishes of the Sephardic table. Persian Jews have traditionally served it at weddings and celebrations, and the name says it all: pomegranate seeds like rubies, pistachios like emeralds, dried apricots like amber, all scattered across fragrant spiced rice. It is a dish that is more than the sum of its parts. The beauty is not incidental — it is the whole point.
My version is a simplified, personal one. It connects to my Sephardic identity and my constant interest in how the same ingredient — rice, dried fruit, a handful of nuts — appears across cultures in slightly different clothes. The spice base here is my own: paprika, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper instead of the traditional saffron, which makes this accessible without losing the warmth that defines the dish. It is perfect for Purim, Rosh Hashanah, or any meal that deserves something beautiful on the table.
- 1½ tspfine salt
- 1½ tspsweet paprika
- ½ tspground turmeric
- ¼ tspground cumin
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbspextra virgin olive oildivided, plus 1 tsp extra
- 1large onionfinely chopped
- 5dried apricotsquartered
- 30 gdried cherries
- 30 gpistachiosfinely chopped
- 200 glong-grain ricebasmati or similar
- 360 mlvegetable brothhot
- 2 tspfresh lemon or orange zest
- 60 gpomegranate seedsto finish
In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes until soft and translucent. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the rice and the spice mixture. Cook for 3–4 minutes, tossing frequently, until the rice is fully coated and toasted in the oil and spices.
Pour in the hot vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 16–18 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for 20 minutes without lifting the lid — the steam will finish the cooking.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the dried apricots, cherries, and pistachios. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, adding a tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent scorching.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Fold in the cooked onion and the dried fruit and pistachio mixture. Stir through the lemon or orange zest. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer to a wide serving bowl or plate. Scatter the pomegranate seeds generously over the top just before serving — their ruby colour and freshness are what make the dish.
Mixing the spices separately before adding them to the rice ensures even distribution and prevents any one spice from clumping or burning. Take the 30 seconds to do this — it makes a visible difference to the colour and flavour of the finished dish.
Dried cranberries, golden raisins, or barberries all work well in place of or alongside the cherries. Slivered almonds can substitute for pistachios. Use what you have — the combination of sweet dried fruit, a little crunch, and the pomegranate finish is what matters.
This rice is a natural fit for Purim or Rosh Hashanah — sweet, festive, and generous-looking on the table. It also pairs beautifully alongside roast chicken, lamb kofta, or the Sephardic eggplant stew. Make it a day ahead and reheat gently with a splash of water.