Loobia Polo: Persian green-bean and beef rice

Ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed and cut into roughly 1/2-inch pieces (or plain frozen cut green beans; do not use canned)
• 4 US cups water for briefly cooking the green beans
• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil for the filling
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
• 8 ounces raw ground beef, kept refrigerated until cooking
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to start, optional
• 2 tablespoons plain tomato paste
• 1/2 US cup water for the filling, with additional hot water only if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt for the filling plus salt to taste
• 2 1/2 US cups dry white basmati rice (not brown or instant rice)
• At least 6 US cups water for parboiling and draining the rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt for the rice-boiling water, most of which is discarded when drained
• 4 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil for the rice pot, divided
• 1/3 US cup hot water for the covered rice stage
• 1/8 teaspoon ground culinary saffron mixed into 2 tablespoons hot water, optional
• Salad Shirazi or plain yogurt for serving, optional

Method

1. Wash and trim the fresh green beans and chop them into short segments. With frozen cut green beans, skip the trimming but do not use soggy canned green beans. Keep the raw ground beef cold while prepping the vegetables; wash hands and utensils after touching it.
2. Bring the four cups of bean-cooking water to a boil. Add fresh or plain frozen green beans and cook until bright and partly tender, checking around five minutes. Drain and rinse briefly with cold water. The beans finish cooking in the filling.
3. Heat the two tablespoons filling oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until softened with golden edges. Add ground beef and break up clumps; cook and stir until fully cooked, and verify a representative thick portion reaches at least 160°F (71°C) with a food thermometer. Stir in turmeric, cinnamon, optional curry and cayenne, salt, and tomato paste for a short fragrant sauté.
4. Add the measured half cup water and drained beans to the beef skillet. Reduce heat and cook gently until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened to coat them rather than running freely off a spoon. Start checking around 15 minutes; add a splash of hot water if the beans are still firm and the pan is sticking. Set aside.
5. While the filling reduces, rinse the basmati two or three times. Bring at least six cups of fresh water with the rice-boiling salt to a rolling boil in a separate roomy pot. Add rice and stir gently. Check around six minutes: a grain should be soft outside and still firm at its center. Drain carefully in a stable colander and briefly rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
6. Put two tablespoons of the rice oil in a heavy-bottomed nonstick pot over low heat. Add a thin layer of plain parboiled rice. Alternate loose layers of remaining rice and filling, with more rice toward the center than the edges. Do not pack it down. Make a few steam channels with a spoon handle. Drizzle optional saffron water over the rice, pour the third cup of hot water around the edges, and distribute the last two tablespoons oil over the top.
7. Cover with a close-fitting lid. Heat over medium until steam builds inside, then reduce to low. Keep covered and check for tender rice after about 30 minutes; continue gently if needed. If the pot smells scorched, reduce the heat immediately. If rice is still firm and the pot has dried out, add a small splash of hot water at the edge and cover again. Stop when the rice is tender rather than forcing a dark crust. Fluff gently and serve with optional salad or yogurt. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers.