Baghali Pollow with Quinoa (Persian-Style Quinoa and Beans with Chicken)

Growing up, rice was a staple in my home, integral to my Iranian and Trinidadian cultural traditions. Rice was both a savory and sweet treat, bought by the 10-pound bag. Rice—particularly white basmati rice—was life. In fact, for my Persian relatives, how well you can make rice is a direct reflection on your skill as a cook and your character as a person.

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. 

For me the greatest loss was pollow (also spelled polo)—fluffy layered rice dishes that are often considered the crown jewel of Persian cuisine. Long-grained basmati rice is steamed in alternating layers with herbs, vegetables, meats and even dried fruit, seasoned with turmeric, saffron, cumin, cinnamon and rose. Both delicate and hearty, these dishes were adopted from Iran by India’s Mughal emperors in the 16th century, ultimately evolving into the biryani so beloved in Indian restaurants. It is from the Farsi word “pollo” that the word “pilaf” is derived.

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.