Persian Green Bean Rice (Lubia Polo)
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of white basmati rice
2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen work well. If the beans are long, cut them in half so they are bite-size
4 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsp olive/sunflower oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
½ cup soya mince (optional: for plant-based protein)
METHOD
Wash the rice well with cold water until the water runs clear
In a saucepan add the rice with 8 cups of water, 1 tsp of sea-salt and 1 tsp sunflower oil and bring to boil, leaving it to boil for 10 minutes before draining
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, add the oil, tomato puree, cinnamon powder, salt and turmeric and mix well together
Add the green beans and sauté for 5 minutes. If using soya mince, mix the dry soy with ½ cup hot water and 1 tbsp soya sauce (amino acids). Add this to the green beans
Add 1 cup of water, turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, until the beans are tender
Take another large non-stick saucepan and add a little oil (2 tbsp) to the bottom, a sprinkling of sea salt, a pinch of saffron along with 2 tbsp of hot water and swirl the ingredients around for a couple of minutes before adding a thin layer of rice. In Persian cooking, we like a ‘crispy bottom’ which is called ‘tadic’ to our rice dishes and to reduce the amount of rice that gets used up we can use 1 medium potato, peel and wash and thinly sliced and cover the bottom of the saucepan with this. Leave the potatoes in the oil mix on medium/high heat for 2-3 minutes
Now start to layer the rice and bean mixture, starting off with a little rice to cover the bottom of the pan (on top of the potatoes if using) followed with a layer of the tomato bean mixture and repeat until finished
Once all the mixture is in the sauce pan turn the heat up for 5 minutes, add 1 tbsp of oil around the top of the dish and a sprinkling of salt
Cover the pan, turn heat down and cook for 25 minutes
After 25 minutes, turn the heat up so you can make the bottom layer (rice or potatoes) crispy.
Once the dish is ready, find a large round serving dish and put onto of the saucepan using oven gloves. Gently turn over the rice pot onto the serving dish so the rice and the crisp bottom will come out on top and whole (see picture below).
