Lubia Polo Recipe (Persian Green Bean Rice)

Method11 steps · about 1 hr 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan or a pot. Add the green beans (1 lb) to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

   Blanch green beans in 4 cups water · 5 minUses 1 lb fresh green bean (cut into 1/2 inch pieces) · 4 cups water to blanch green beans; drained · Separate cold water to wash rice and rinse drained beans/rice; discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat the filling’s 2 tbsp oil, sauté chopped onion (1) until golden, then brown 8 oz ground beef. Add turmeric (1 tsp), cayenne, curry powder (1 tsp), cinnamon (1/2 tsp) and only the filling’s 1 tsp salt; cook 5 minutes more. The ground beef must be fully cooked to 71°C/160°F before later tasting.

   Uses 2 tbsp vegetable oil for filling · 1 onion (chopped) · 8 ounces ground beef · 1 tsp turmeric · 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper · 1 tsp curry powder · 1/2 tsp cinnamon · 1 tsp salt for filling

3. 3

   Step 3: Add in the tomato paste (2 tbsp) and water. Mix well until everything is combined. Stir in the green beans and bring it to a low simmer. Cover and cook until the green beans are fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Add in more water if needed, the mixture shouldn't be dry. Taste to make sure the flavors are to your liking. Turn the heat off and put the mixture aside.

   Simmer Green Beans · 20 minUses Fully cooked spiced ground-beef and onion filling base · 2 tbsp tomato paste · ½ cup water for filling · Blanched drained and cold-rinsed green beans · Additional filling water ONLY if needed to prevent drying; quantity unspecified

4. 4

   Step 4: Bring the rice’s 6 cups water with only the rice’s 1½tsp salt to a rolling boil. Separately wash 2½cups basmati 2–3 times with fresh rinse water and drain; do not use½cup filling water here.

   Uses 6 cups water to par-boil rice; drained · 2 1/2 cups Basmati rice · 1½ tsp salt for rice-boiling water; drained · Separate cold water to wash rice and rinse drained beans/rice; discarded

5. 5

   Step 5: When the water starts boiling, add the rice and boil for about 6 minutes until the rice is par cooked or al dente. The rice is ready when you're able to break a rice grain into two pieces using your thumb and index finger, but the rice still has to be hard in the middle. The outer layer is soft but the grain is still hard in the middle. (See more notes about this on How to make Persian rice and tahdig. )

   Parcook Rice · 6 minUses Rinsed basmati and separate rolling 6 cup salted rice-boiling water

6. 6

   Step 6: Turn the heat off and place a colander in the sink. Lift the pot and pour the rice into the colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

   Uses Par-cooked rice in salted boiling water · Separate cold water to wash rice and rinse drained beans/rice; discarded

7. 7

   Step 7: Place the pot back on the burner and turn the heat to medium high. Once the bottom of the pot is dry, pour 3 tbsp vegetable oil into the pot and arrange the potato (2) slices so they cover the bottom of the pot.

   Uses First 3 tbsp rice oil for potato tahdig · 2 potatoes (sliced (1/2 inch thickness))

8. 8

   Step 8: Scoop one third of the rice into the pot over the potatoes. Layer with some bloomed saffron and one third of the green bean mixture. Repeat until you're out of rice and filling, make sure the rice is shaped like a mountain, meaning you have more rice in the middle than around the edges. Poke holes in the rice using the end of a wooden spoon or spatula.

   Uses Potato slices arranged in first 3 tbsp rice oil · Par-cooked drained cold-rinsed rice · Fully cooked green-bean/beef tomato filling · ¼ cup ready bloomed saffron liquid for rice layers

9. 9

   Step 9: Pour the separate⅓cup steam water around the layered rice edges. Fit the lid wrapped with a clean kitchen towel kept away from the burner. Cook medium-high, not excessively high,15 minutes. Then lift the lid and drizzle the remaining 3 tbsp rice oil over the rice.

   First covered rice steam · 15 minUses Layered potato tahdig, rice, cooked filling and bloomed saffron · ⅓ cup separate water for first rice steam · Remaining 3 tbsp rice oil added only AFTER first 15 minute steam

10. 10

    Step 10: Cover again and cook for another 30 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the flavors are fully combined. Fluff the rice a bit to have the filling and rice mix completely.

    Finish covered rice cooking · 30 minUses Rice after first 15 minute steam and remaining oil drizzle

11. 11

    Step 11: Serve the fully cooked rice. If desired, accompany with ready Salad Shirazi and ready plain yogurt sprinkled with dried mint; these are separate optional sides.

    Uses Fully cooked fluffed beef and green-bean rice with potato tahdig · Ready plain yogurt to serve alongside, if desired · Dried mint to sprinkle over optional ready yogurt; quantity unspecified · Ready Salad Shirazi to serve alongside, if desired; separate prepared salad