Maygoo Polow-Khuzestani - Southern Iranian Spicy Shrimp & Rice

My earliest memories of shrimp go back to my childhood in Bandar Mah-Shahr, the port-city of the moon, a coastal town in the southwestern region of Khuzestan. I don't recall much about what the town looked like and what life was like beyond the walls of our home, but I vividly remember the food my mother cooked using the local shrimp. There was ghalieh maygoo, the fragrant shrimp and herb stew, and a simple spicy sauteed shrimp dish, which I still make often. And then there were these tin containers in our kitchen filled with large, salted shrimps. Those were never destined for the pot; we ate them as snacks, pulling off the heads, tails, and shells one by one, messy work, but such fun at the time.

Seafood is an essential part of the Khuzestani cuisine. And while Iranian cooking as a whole is neither hot nor particularly spicy, many dishes from Khuzestan are boldly seasoned. Of course, this varies from town to town and from one household to the next, depending on personal taste. For example, even though I grew up eating spicy food, I now cook it only rarely; when a recipe calls for hot peppers, I usually add just a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little extra zest. So feel free to adjust the heat to your liking, and add more cayenne pepper when marinating the shrimp. 

میگو پلو Maygoo Polow is a fragrant layered rice dish made with spiced, marinated shrimp. and rice. When using shrimp, fresh or frozen, make sure that they have no off-odor, especially for this dish, where rice and shrimp cook together; any unpleasant smell affects the entire pot. 

Maygoo Polow - Rice with shrimp

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

For the Rice:

-2 1/2 cups basmati rice
-Salt
-Oil
-2-3 tablespoons butter, melted (for drizzling; optional)
-1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron dissolved in 4 tablespoons hot water

For the Shrimp:

-2 cups fresh baby shrimps
-4 large garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric

-1/2 teaspoon cumin

-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

-1 teaspoon dried dill
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon red pepper
-1/3 ground Persian limes (limoo amani)
-1/4 teaspoon dried fenugreek
-1/2 teaspoon Salt or to taste
-Oil

Method:

1. Wash rice with cool water and soak in 6 cups of water mixed with 4 tablespoons of salt for 1-2 hours. Drain.
2. Rinse shrimp with cool water, drain well. 
3. In a bowl, combine the shrimp with minced garlic, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, ground coriander, dried dill, fenugreek, turmeric, ground limoo amani, and salt. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. In a non-stick pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add drained rice. Boil for about 7 minutes, until the grains are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. Drain and rinse with cool water.
5. Wash the pot and return it to the heat. Add 4 tablespoons of oil to the bottom. Using a large spoon, layer the rice and marinated shrimp, building the mixture into a pyramid. Make a few holes in the rice so steam can escape. Cook over medium-high heat for 7 minutes, until steaming. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 2-3 tablespoons of water, and the saffron. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and steam for about 45 minutes. 

Serve warm on a platter with yogurt and pickles.

*Variation: Sauté a large, thinly sliced onion in 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, turmeric, stir, add the shrimp, salt, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, ground cilantro, dried dill, ground lime, and fenugreek, cook for a few minutes or until shrimp begin to change color. Then add the shrimp mixture over the rice after serving the rice on a platter.

Enjoy!