• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Hungry Paprikas logo

  • Home
  • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
  • By Category
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Desserts & Sweets
    • Dips & Sauces
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups & Stews
    • Vegetarian
  • E-Book
  • About
  • Photography
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Search
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Food Photography
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Holidays » Ramadan Recipes » Iftar » Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla (Dill Rice)

    Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla (Dill Rice)

    5 from 6 votes
    January 3, 2021 (last updated January 16, 2022) by Amina Al-Saigh

    20 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Baghali Polo in Persian, or Timmain Bagilla in Arabic is a delicious dill rice traditionally made with fava beans. It's so easy to make and full of flavour as well as protein. You must try it if you're a dill lover!

    Table of contents

    • What is Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla?
    • Ingredients you will need
    • How to make Baghali Polo
    • How to make it with meat or vegetarian
    • What to serve this dill rice with
    • Check out these other rice dishes
    Dill rice / Baghali Polo served in a white platter garnished with radish

    What is Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla?

    I grew up eating Timman Bagilla because it's a classic Iraqi dish. It wasn't until recently that I found out there is an almost identical Persian version of this dish called Baghali Polo. It doesn't surprise me though because there are so many similarities between Persian and Iraqi cuisine!

    I believe that Baghali Polo made can be cooked with layers of thin potatoes on the bottom of the pot along with saffron water, like most traditional Persian rice dishes. Other than those additional steps, the rice is made the same way we make it.

    It can also be cooked with bone-in chicken pieces if you were looking to make it more of a complete meal. I love making mine both ways, depending on what I'm serving with it. This method is really easy and it's the way I make it to save on time but never compromise on flavour. It's a must try!

    Ingredients you will need

    You will need the following ingredients to make dill rice using my easy method:

    • Basmati rice
    • Olive oil (you can also use any vegetable oil)
    • Fresh dill (I don't recommend using dry dill because the flavour is not as strong)
    • Fava beans, which can be really hard to find depending on where you live. I get frozen and peeled fava beans from my local Arabic grocery store. If you can't find it, you can use fresh fava beans, boil them until tender, then peel them. If you can't find any fava beans at all, substitute lima beans or chickpeas
    • Chicken broth, or substitute vegetable broth, or simply use water. But the broth will be a lot more flavourful
    • Salt and pepper
    • Optional: you can also cook this with bone-in chicken pieces to serve on top. Simply boil the chicken with bay leaves, cardamom pods, and a cinnamon stick until cooked, then remove them. Strain the broth to use for the rice, and lightly fry the chicken to brown it, then serve it on top of the rice
    Dill rice / Baghali Polo served in a white platter garnished with radish

    How to make Baghali Polo

    Dill rice is really simple to make, there are just a few added steps to a regular pot of rice.

    • Wash and drain your rice until the water runs clear, then soak it for 10 minutes
    • Cook the finely chopped onions in the olive oil until softened
    • Add the cooked (and peeled) fava beans (or cooked lima beans or cooked chickpeas). If using frozen beans, allow them to thaw in the pot for a few minutes
    • Finely chop the dill and remove any thick and long stems, then add it to the pot along with half the chicken broth and the salt. Allow everything to come to a boil, which should take 5 minutes
    • Add the drained rice and the rest of the chicken broth. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat to low, cover with a well-sealed lid and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes
    • Fluff the rice and allow it to stand for 10 minutes then serve

    How to make it with meat or vegetarian

    I usually cook this dill rice just using chicken broth (you can substitute vegetable broth to make it completely vegetarian). But sometimes if I want it to be a full meal on its own, I make it using chicken.

    To do that, use bone-in chicken pieces and boil them with bay leaves, cardamom pods and a cinnamon stick until cooked (about 30-40 minutes). This will create your chicken broth. Remove the chicken pieces, strain and use the broth following the recipe.

    I like to then brown the chicken pieces slightly with a bit of oil in a pan and serve them on top of the rice. Turns out really delicious and it's a quick way to make it more of a hearty meal.

    Dill rice / Baghali Polo served in a white platter garnished with radish

    What to serve this dill rice with

    Baghali Polo is full of flavour and can be served as a full meal on its own with a simple yogurt cucumber salad or any other salad like Fattoush. Or you can serve it as a side to a protein dish like Kafta or roasted chicken. I love to also serve it with a plate of fresh radish and green onions.

    Check out these other rice dishes

    • Arabic Rice with Vermicelli
    • Carrot Rice (Timman Jizar)
    • Instant Pot Tomato Rice
    • Hashweh Rice
    Baghali polo served on a white platter, garnished with radish and dill, with a white side plate full of rice

    Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla (Dill Rice)

    Baghali Polo or Iraqi Timman Bagilla is a popular rice dish made with fava beans and dill. It's so flavourful and comes together in one pot. You can make it with meat or keep it vegetarian. A must try if you are bored of plain old rice!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: middle eastern
    Keyword: Baghali Polo, Dill Rice
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 -8
    Author: Amina Al-Saigh

    Ingredients

    • 3.5 cups basmati rice
    • 800 g cooked frozen & peeled fava beans OR 800g cooked lima beans
    • 1 large onion
    • 1 large bunch fresh dill approximately 3 cups packed
    • 5 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons for rice
    • 4 teaspoons salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth or replace with water

    Instructions

    • Start by washing the rice well until the water runs clear, then soak it for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients
    • Finely dice the onion and cook it in a non-stick pot on medium heat with the 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until softened for about 5-7 minutes
    • Wash and finely chop the dill, ensuring to remove any really large and long stems
    • Once onions have softened, add the frozen and peeled fava beans and allow them to thaw for 5 minutes. Or, add the cooked lima beans if you're using that instead
    • Add the dill, salt, and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes
    • Drain the rice and add it to the pot along with the rest of the broth. The liquid level should be approximately even with the surface of the rice (not much more). Turn the heat to high and allow it to come to a boil for a few minutes
    • Cover the pot (with a well-sealed lid), turn the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes undisturbed
    • After 20 mins, fluff the rice with a fork and check on it. If it is still slightly under, you can add a small splash of water (¼ cup), cover it and allow it to cook for a further 10 minutes. If it is perfectly soft, turn the heat off and allow it to stand for 10 minutes
    • Serve with Jajik and enjoy!

    Notes

    • If you can't find frozen and peeled fava beans, you can cook fresh fava beans, then peel them. Or you can use cooked lima beans, or if you can't find any of those, you can just use chickpeas
    • You can make this dish with bone-in chicken pieces. Simply boil the chicken pieces with bay leaves, cardamom pods and a cinnamon stick, then use the broth to cook the rice, and brown the chicken to serve on top of the rice
    • This recipe makes a large batch (roughly 6-8 generous servings) so if you're cooking for a smaller family, you can halve the recipe
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HungryPaprikas or tag #HungryPaprikas!
    « Bechamel Pasta Bake (Macarona Bechamel)
    Honeycomb Bread Stuffed with Cheese (Khaliat Nahl) »

    Reader Interactions

      Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

      If you loved this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment as well as any recipe questions you have. Star ratings help people discover my recipes, and your support means so much to me!

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      Comments

    1. Amina says

      November 25, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      I was a little intimidated to make timan bagila as it’s hubby’s favorite food that his mom usually makes but I found this recipe and it was so easy to follow, turned out delicious!

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        December 13, 2021 at 8:54 am

        I'm so glad to hear that Amina. And nice name 😉

        Reply
    2. Jean says

      May 31, 2021 at 12:58 am

      5 stars
      Quick simple and easy! This is such a wonderful recipe when the farmer's market season starts with fresh bundles of dill. Thank you this is a keeper!

      Reply
      • Amina says

        June 08, 2021 at 3:47 am

        So glad to hear! Fresh dill is wonderful 🙂

        Reply
    3. Khalida says

      January 23, 2021 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much , very easy and delicious rice recipe

      Reply
      • Amina says

        January 27, 2021 at 8:58 pm

        You're very welcome thanks for the review!

        Reply
    4. Fouzia says

      January 11, 2021 at 9:50 pm

      5 stars
      One more easy, quick and delectable recipe!Will try for sure!Thank you Amina ♥️

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    ABOUT ME

    Hi friend! I'm Amina, a wife and busy mother of two. And I know you're super busy too. I'm here to help you figure out dinner for your family with my easy, quick, and Middle Eastern inspired recipes. Hope you enjoy your stay - and please - have a look around and get in touch!

    FIND OUT MORE

    Popular Recipes

    Crispy Kunafa served on a round plate, garnished with pistachios.

    Kunafa Recipe with Mozzarella Cheese (Easy!)

    Quzi which is lamb shanks served over yellow rice with almonds and raisins

    Quzi (Authentic Iraqi Lamb over Rice)

    cheese manakish served on a tray with tea cups

    Manakish with Cheese and Za'atar

    iraqi dolma served in a blue patterned plate

    Iraqi Dolma (Middle Eastern Stuffed Vegetables)

    Hashweh rice served in a platter garnished with almonds, raisins and parsley

    Hashweh Rice (Arabic Rice with ground beef)

    Maqluba served in a platter garnished with almonds and parsley. Forks, water cups, a plate with almonds in it, and a bowl with cucumber and yogurt is on the right top side of the frame

    Maqluba (Makloubeh) with Lamb (Arabic rice dish)

    Ramadan Recipes

    Sigara Boregi, a middle eastern cheese spring roll, on a newspaper covered plate, served with a bowl of yogurt.

    Sigara Boregi (Crispy Cheese Rolls)

    Luqaimat which is fried dough balls are stacked on a pink plate, bring drizzled by sugar syrup in a clear jug

    Luqaimat / Awamat (Middle Eastern Crunchy Fritters)

    vegetarian stuffed grape leaves served on a platter with one cut open and dipped in yogurt

    Yalanji (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)

    Lebanese malfouf served on a pink plate and garnished with lemon wedges and fresh mint

    Malfouf (Lebanese Cabbage Rolls)

    Spinach fatayer served in a bread basket alongside cucumbers, parsley, lemon, yogurt and black tea

    Authentic Homemade Fatayer (Spinach and Cheese)

    Meat stuffed onions and eggplants served on a platter.

    Sheikh El Mahshi (Stuffed Eggplant and Onions)

    Copyright © 2022 Hungry Paprikas · Support by Foodie Digital

    20 shares