Ninarol with saffron chicken is a rolled chicken-fillet dish filled with garlicky spinach, fried onion, pomegranate seeds and pomegranate paste.

Sliced Ninarol saffron chicken rolls with spinach and pomegranate filling
Sliced Ninarol saffron chicken rolls with spinach and pomegranate filling.

“Ninarol” is the established name used by this recipe. In practical terms, each piece is a thin saffron-and-mustard chicken fillet wrapped around a sweet-tart spinach filling, secured with a wooden toothpick and browned in a cast-iron pan.

What is Ninarol with chicken?

Ninarol is not a sushi roll or a bread roll in this recipe. The wrapper is a whole chicken fillet that has been marinated, pounded thin and rolled around the filling. Pomegranate paste gives the spinach a concentrated tartness, while fresh pomegranate seeds add small bursts of sweetness and colour.

The original recipe makes 12 individual rolls. Keeping them modest in size helps the chicken cook evenly and makes the spiral visible when each Ninarol is sliced for serving.

Ingredients for saffron chicken Ninarol

For the chicken

  • 12 thin chicken fillets
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 1 onion, grated
  • Prepared saffron infusion, as needed
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • A little oil for the pan

For the spinach and pomegranate filling

  • 300 g cooked spinach, squeezed dry
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
  • 2 tablespoons fried onion
  • 1/2 glass pomegranate seeds
  • 3 tablespoons pomegranate paste
  • Salt and black pepper, as needed

You will also need 12 wooden toothpicks or short skewers. Count them before cooking and remove every one before serving.

Marinate the chicken for four hours

  1. Put the chicken fillets in a non-reactive container.
  2. Add the grated onion and enough saffron infusion to coat the fillets without submerging them.
  3. Turn the chicken through the mixture, cover the container and refrigerate for 4 hours.
  4. Lift out the fillets and scrape away the grated onion. Discard the used marinade.
  5. Season both sides with salt and black pepper, then spread the 2 tablespoons mustard thinly across the 12 pieces.

A concentrated infusion gives the chicken saffron character without making the marinade watery. If needed, follow our guide to brewing saffron before measuring it into the container.

Pound the fillets to an even thickness

Place one marinated fillet between sheets of baking parchment and tap it with the flat side of a meat mallet. Work from the thickest part towards the edges until it is thin enough to roll but not torn. Repeat with all 12 pieces.

The original wording says to dip the chicken in mustard and “beat a little on the work board.” This is the pounding step. Use parchment and a washable board rather than striking raw chicken directly on the work surface.

Make the spinach-pomegranate filling

Cook or thaw the spinach, cool it and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop it if the leaves are long. A wet filling produces steam inside the roll and makes the seam difficult to hold.

  1. Warm a small amount of oil in a frying pan.
  2. Add the cooked spinach and sauté briefly to remove remaining moisture.
  3. Stir in the garlic and 2 tablespoons fried onion. Cook until the garlic smells fragrant without letting it brown.
  4. Add the 3 tablespoons pomegranate paste and mix until it coats the spinach.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat, fold in the 1/2 glass pomegranate seeds and season lightly.
  6. Spread the filling on a plate and cool it completely before it touches the chicken.

Pomegranate pastes vary from sharply sour to heavily sweetened. Taste yours before adding extra salt or sweetness. The filling should be concentrated enough to flavour the chicken without running out when the roll is cut.

Roll and secure each Ninarol

  1. Lay a fillet flat with its smoother side facing down.
  2. Place a narrow spoonful of filling near one short end, leaving a clear border around the edges.
  3. Fold the sides in slightly and roll the chicken firmly around the filling.
  4. Secure the seam with one wooden toothpick, inserted so it can be seen and removed easily.
  5. Repeat with the remaining fillets and filling.

Do not pack the centre tightly. Overfilled rolls split when turned in the pan. If a fillet is irregular, overlap a thin edge rather than trying to force it into a perfect rectangle.

Brown the saffron chicken rolls

  1. Heat a cast-iron or heavy frying pan over medium heat and add a thin film of oil.
  2. Place the rolls seam-side down. Leave space between them and brown in batches if necessary.
  3. Turn each roll with tongs as the surface sets, colouring all sides without tearing the chicken.
  4. Reduce the heat and cover briefly, or transfer the pan to a 180°C/350°F oven, until the centre is fully cooked.
  5. Rest the rolls for 5 minutes, remove all 12 toothpicks, then slice or serve whole.

Pan colour alone is not a safe doneness test for a stuffed chicken roll. The official FoodSafety.gov temperature chart lists 165°F (74°C) for poultry. Check the thickest part of a roll with a clean food thermometer, avoiding the empty gap left by the toothpick.

Serve with pomegranate or mushroom sauce

Pomegranate sauce reinforces the filling and gives the plate a vivid sweet-sour finish. A mild mushroom sauce is the original alternative and makes the dish softer and more savoury. Serve either sauce beside the rolls rather than pouring so much over them that the browned surface disappears.

When sliced, Ninarol with Iranian saffron chicken should show a clear ring of fully cooked chicken around the dark spinach and pomegranate centre. Dry filling, thin even fillets and a measured 165°F centre are what make the rolls hold together without becoming dry.