Persian Green Bean & Rice with Beef
Persian Loobia Polo

This page contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I use and trust.

Instructions

1. 1 Rinse the basmati rice several times until the water runs mostly clear. Place the rice in a large bowl and cover generously with filtered water. Add a good pinch of salt and soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour while you prepare the rest of the dish.

1. 2 If using fresh green beans, trim the ends and cut into bite-sized pieces. Steam for 5 to 7 minutes until just tender but still slightly chewy. They will continue cooking later, so do not overcook them. If using frozen green beans, there is no need to steam them first. Thaw if convenient or use directly from frozen.

1. 3 Heat the butter or ghee in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden. Add the turmeric and stir for about 30 seconds.
2. 4 Add the ground beef or lamb and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and fully cooked through. Season with salt and black pepper.

1. 5 Add the tomato paste and stir it into the meat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. This cooks the raw taste out of the tomato paste and deepens the flavor. Add ½ cup filtered water and stir.
2. 6 Add the steamed fresh green beans or the frozen green beans to the meat mixture. Stir gently and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to come together. The mixture should be moist but not watery. If there is too much liquid, remove the lid and let it cook a few more minutes. Stir in the cinnamon during the last few minutes of cooking, then taste and adjust the salt if needed.

1. 7 Bring a large pot of filtered water to a rolling boil and salt the water generously. Drain the soaking water from the rice and add the rice to the boiling water. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on your rice, until it is soft on the outside but still slightly firm in the center. Drain the rice well.

1. 8 Return the empty pot to the stove and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter, ghee, or oil to the bottom. We use our Our Place pot for this layering step. If making tahdig, arrange thin potato slices or pieces of lavash on the bottom. This step is entirely optional. If you skip it, simply add the butter and go straight to layering the rice.
2. 9 Add a layer of rice, followed by a layer of the green bean and beef mixture. Continue alternating layers, finishing with rice on top. Do not stir the layers together yet, they will come together as the rice steams.
3. 10 Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make several holes through the rice, allowing steam to circulate. If using saffron, drizzle the brewed saffron water over the top. Cover the pot and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to build up steam, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and the tahdig is golden.

Serving Suggestions

• Plain full-fat yogurt
• Cucumber yogurt dip (Mast-o Khiar)
• Shirazi salad, a simple cucumber and tomato salad
• Fresh herbs
• Persian pickled vegetables (Torshi)
• And the tahdig, if you made it

Adaptations by Age

Storage

Tips

• Frozen green beans are absolutely fine. You do not need to feel like you have to buy and trim fresh green beans every time you make loobia polo. Fresh is wonderful when you have it, but frozen is the shortcut, not a compromise.
• Do not overcook fresh green beans before adding them to the stew. You want them tender but still slightly chewy. If using frozen, avoid cooking them until mushy.
• Fry the tomato paste for a couple of minutes before adding water. It makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
• Do not make the beef mixture too watery. Excess liquid will make the finished rice heavy.
• Keep the cinnamon subtle. You want it to add warmth without making the dish taste sweet.
• Saffron is wonderful but completely optional, as is the kitchen-towel technique.
• If you can find it, choose grass-fed and grass-finished beef or lamb. It makes a genuine difference in flavor and nutrition, though conventional ground meat works perfectly well too.

Why This Nourishes