Lubia Polo Recipe (Persian Green Bean Rice)
User Reviews
4.9
66 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
30 mins
-
Cook Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Calories
512 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Persian
Lubia Polo Recipe (Persian Green Bean Rice)
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Lubia Polo is a Persian rice dish featuring green beans cooked with spiced ground beef, layered with fragrant saffron-infused basmati rice and potatoes for tahdig. The tender beans and richly seasoned meat provide a savory filling, while the saffron rice offers aromatic depth and a satisfying texture.
Description
Lubia Polo combines cooked green beans and spiced ground beef, seasoned with turmeric, cayenne, curry powder, and cinnamon, creating a flavorful filling. This mixture simmers until tender and is then layered with basmati rice, which is parboiled and rinsed to achieve fluffy grains.
The rice is cooked with sliced potatoes or alternatively lavash or pita bread to develop a golden, crisp tahdig—a prized Persian rice crust. The layering of meat and green beans with saffron-bloomed rice infuses the dish with vibrant color and aroma.
Lubia Polo is traditionally served as a main course and can be prepared in advance. The layering method and slow, gentle steaming result in a fragrant, layered rice dish with a contrast of textures between the fluffy rice, tender filling, and crispy tahdig.
The green bean and meat mixture can be made a day ahead for convenience. Leftovers store well refrigerated up to four days or frozen for three months. When reheating, add a little water to maintain moisture and prevent dryness.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb Green bean cut into 1/2 inch pieces, fresh
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 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
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
Rice:
- 6 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 potato sliced (1/2 inch thickness
- 1/4 cup saffron bloomed
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan or a pot. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until golden brown, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add in the turmeric, cayenne pepper, curry, cinnamon and salt to the ground beef and cook for a 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste 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.
- To make the rice, bring a pot of water with the salt to a rolling boil. Wash the Basmati rice two to three times to discard excess starch.
- 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. )
- 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.
- 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 slices so they cover the bottom of the pot.
- 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.
- Pour 1/3 cup water around the edges, wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel and place it on the pot (This is for the towel to absorb the steam, resulting in a fluffy rice). Turn the heat to medium high (but not too high) and cook the rice for about 15 minutes. Lift the lid to see the steam escape and then pour 3 tbsp vegetable oil on the rice.
- 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.
- Serve with Salad Shirazi and plain yogurt sprinkled with dried mint.
Notes
- The green bean filling can be prepared a day in advance and reheated gently before assembling.
- Use a nonstick pot to achieve the best tahdig with potatoes or substitute with lavash or pita bread.
- Vegetarian variation: Replace beef with a mix of white button and baby bella mushrooms.
- Store leftovers airtight for up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for 3 months; thaw overnight and reheat with some water to retain moisture.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
512kcal
(26%)
Carbohydrates
67g
(22%)
Protein
16g
(32%)
Fat
21g
(32%)
Saturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Cholesterol
23mg
(8%)
Sodium
1065mg
(44%)
Potassium
745mg
(16%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
672IU
(13%)
Vitamin C
20mg
(22%)
Calcium
86mg
(9%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 512 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 512kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 67g | 22% |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol | 23mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 1065mg | 44% |
| Potassium | 745mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 672IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 20mg | 22% |
| Calcium | 86mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
66 reviews
Excellent
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