Recipient Zaresh Polo ba Morgh with Saffron

Zereshk Polo ba Morgh (Saffron Chicken with Barberry Rice):
Arguably, the most popular Persian dish. It is easy to make and the main ingredient saffron makes the food rich in flavour.
Ingredients:
500 grams of Basmati or long-grain rice
1/2 of a chicken
75 grams of cooking oil
50 grams of dried barberries (zereshk)
1 tbsp of sugar
1 whole piece of pita bread
1 medium onion
3/4 teaspoon of crushed Saffron
1 tsp. of tomato paste
Salt
Black pepper
Directions for Rice:
Wash the rice and soak it in a bowl with warm water and salt (2 handfuls) for 2 hours.
After the rice has soaked, add it to a big pot of boiling water.
Once the rice is half cooked, drain it into a strainer.
Add some oil to the bottom of the pot.
Mix a small portion of the teaspoon of saffron with 3-4 tablespoons of boiling water, stirring gently until saffron is completely dissolved.
Add saffron mixture to the bottom of the pot as well.
Place one layer of pita bread at the bottom of the pot, covering the entire area.
Make sure the stove is at medium heat. Slowly begin to add the rice to the pot.
Once all the rice is in the pot, gently form the rice into a mountain shape, and use the back of a wooden spatual to poke holes on the top of the rice (Make sure you don't make the rice compact so it doens't get mushy).
Drizzle a little oil into the holes.
Steam the rice for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low (or medium-low), place the lid on the pot and let the rice steam for 20-30 minutes. For best results, wrap the lid with a cloth before placing it on the pot.
Serve the rice in a large shallow dish.
Crush a tiny bit of saffron with 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water in a small bowl.
Add some rice to the bowl and mix until it turns yellow.
Directions for Chicken:
Wash and clean the chicken pieces thoroughly.
Cook the chicken, chopped onions, tomato paste, salt, and very little water in a pot over medium heat until chicken is half cooked.
Place most of the saffron in a cup and add 3-4 tablespoons of boiling water to it. Stir the saffron mixture gently, until dissolved.
Add 1 cup of water and the saffron mixture to the pot and stir gently.
Place lid on pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir contents in pot.
Put heat to medium-low, place lid on pot and cook for another 15 minutes or until chicken isthoroughly cooked (make sure to not overcook chicken.
You can determine when the dish is ready when there is only half a cup of liquid left in the pot).
Soak the barberries in cold water for 5 minutes. Wash the barberries carefully and drain the water.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the frying pan under low heat.
Add the barberries to the oil, and stir gently. While stirring, add sugar.
Once the barberries become slightly larger, remove ingredients from the heat (Barberries will not taste good if they are overcooked or burnt).
Place rice in a shallow dish and place the cooked barberries on top.
Serve the chicken in a separate dish.