Persian herb chilau recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Wash the rice well and rinse it in a sieve until the water runs clear. Cover it with water and leave it to soak for two hours. Wash and rinse again.

Bring a saucepan of water up to the boil then pour the rice into it. Cook the rice for about 6 minutes, until it's just beginning to soften on the outside. Drain and rinse in lukewarm water.

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan until foaming then add half of the drained rice. Cover this with half the herbs, then the rest of the rice and finish with the rest of the herbs, seasoning as you go along.

Turn the heat down and make three steam holes in the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon. Wrap the lid of the pan in a tea towel and put the covered lid onto the saucepan (the tea towel stops condensation from falling back into the rice). Let the rice cook for a further 20-25 minutes and make sure the heat is on very low.

Empty the rice into a bowl, dislodging the lovely crisp bits at the bottom. Break these up and add to the rest of the rice. If you like it rich, serve with extra melted butter and a squeeze of lemon on top. Persians put saffron in the butter before pouring it over.