Lubia Polo, also known as green beans and rice, is a traditional Persian rice dish. It features a rich tomato-based stew of green beans and meat layered between basmati rice. It has aromatic warm spices like turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon that create a truly comforting and inviting aroma and taste.
My recipe takes you step-by-step through the cooking process of lubia polo, so that you can make this at home. It is one of my favorite Persian dishes and an all time comfort food.
For a complete meal, serve lubia polo alongside a simple green salad or Shirazi Salad, which is my favorite way to eat it. I hope that you give my recipe a try and that you love it just as much as I do.
Lubia Polo (also spelled loobia polo)
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Ingredients to Make Lubia Polo
- long grain basmati rice - parboiled basmati rice is the best to use, as the rice grains hold their shape when cooking. The brand that I use often is Khazana.
- yogurt - plain, unsweetened greek or regular yogurt.
- oil - I use avocado oil for cooking, but olive oil or any other neutral oil is fine. If you prefer to cook with butter, use unsalted so that you can control the salt level of your lubia polo.
- protein - I use leg of lamb that I cut into small pieces, roughly ½ an inch per piece. Unlike many Persian recipes that feature large chunks of meat, lubia polo uses smaller chunks of meat, so using ground lamb, ground beef, or a vegetarian protein works as well.
- vegetables- I slice my onions thin, and cut the carrots into matchsticks about 1 inch long. I trim the green beans and cut them to 1 inch pieces.
- spices- I use ground turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin. I add salt and pepper to taste.
- broth - I prefer unsalted bone broth as it has the most flavor and adds protein to my dish. Chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth can be substituted.
- rose water - rose water adds a slight hint of warmth, but if you are not able to find this ingredient, simply omit it.
- lemon juice - a squeeze of lemon brightens the flavors of this dish.
- saffron - saffron is optional, as I know that not everyone always has access to it, including myself. When I do have it, I grind a small pinch in a mortar and pestle, then add a few tablespoons of warm water to allow it to bloom. I mix the bloomed saffron with a bit of oil, or melted butter, and pour it over the top of the cooked lubia polo as the last step.
Step by Step Instructions for Making Lubia Polo
Step 1: Sauté onions on medium-high heat until softened. Add the meat to the onions. Once the meat starts to brown, add the green beans and carrots.
Step 2: To the green beans mixture, add tomato paste and all of the spices.
Step 3: Add the broth, and cook uncovered on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until most of the broth has evaporated. Stir in the rose water and lemon juice and set aside.
Step 4: Meanwhile rinse rice until the water runs clear, then soak it in cold water for at least 15 minutes (this can be done earlier in the day). Cook rice in salted boiling water until it is al dente. Strain and set aside.
Step 5: Mix together the yogurt and rice. Pat the mixture down on the bottom of the pot. Top it with a few heaping tablespoons of white rice before starting to layer the green bean mixture.
Step 6: Now spread the green beans and meat mixture in between layers of rice. Using the handle of your spatula or a chopstick, poke several holes in the rice. Cover the pot with a towel and the lid, and cook.
Most Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, in my opinion, lubia polo is just as delicious prepared meatless! If you want to add a bit more protein to it, add crumbled or cubed tofu to the green bean mixture. I recommend sautéing the tofu with the onions.
I use lamb in this recipe, but lubia polo can be made with the protein of your dietary choice. It is also delicious with beef, chicken or tofu. You can also use ground meat, including ground turkey, chicken, beef, or lamb.
Lubia polo is often served with Salad Shirazi (here is my quick and delicious recipe), yogurt, torshi (pickled vegetables), or a simple green salad.
A nonstick, heavy bottom pot is the best for making most Persian rice recipes, and loobia polo is no exception. A nonstick surface makes it easier for you to remove the tahdig. Heavy pots distribute the heat more evenly than thin pots. Of course, lubia polo can also be made in your Persian rice cooker.
Yes, frozen green beans are a great time saving tip, specially for a weeknight dinner. However, frozen beans can be a bit rubbery if undercooked. To avoid this, sauté them with the meat and carrots and make sure that they are fully cooked prior to adding them to the rice layers.
Is Your Lubia Polo Wet or Soggy?
There are two main reasons why lubia polo might turn out too wet or soggy
- Reason 1: Lubia polo can become soggy if your green bean mixture has too much broth in it, and it gets added to the rice layers. To avoid this, I make sure that almost all of the cooking broth has evaporated before layering it in with the rice. If your green bean mixture has too much broth still in it, continue to cook the green bean mixture longer without a lid, or remove the extra broth with a spoon.
- Reason 2: The second reason for soggy lubia polo is that the rice was overcooked during the boiling stage. Rice should be al dente, meaning that it still has a slight bite to it when you strain it. Remember, the rice will continue to steam on the stove top after you layer it with the green bean mixture. I highly recommend using parboiled basmati rice, which is less finicky and holds its shape much more than regular basmati rice.
Top Tip: Use Parboiled Rice
I always use parboiled basmati rice instead of regular basmati rice in my Persian rice dishes because:
- Parboiled rice has a firmer texture that holds its shape better, making it less likely to become mushy, even when slightly overcooked.
- Parboiled rice claims to have a slightly lower glycemic index, making it a better option for those that are watching their sugar.
How to Make Saffron Water
Saffron water is simply ground saffron that has bloomed in water. Saffron is considered the most expensive spice in the world. It has an aroma and color that is simply irreplicable.
Of course, you can mimic the color with turmeric or even red food coloring, but the sweet aroma of saffron can not be replicated. The good news is that a very small amount goes a long way. Outside of the kitchen, saffron is said to have other benefits, specifically for mood and brain health.
Grinding Saffron:
- Take a pinch of saffron and add it to a mortar and pestle or a clean spice blender. Grind until the strands break up and start to look like sand.
- Transfer the ground saffron to a small non porous container, then add a couple of tablespoons of water to it.
Blooming Saffron:
- The time it takes for the saffron to fully release its flavor (bloom) depends on the water temperature.
- Using ice cubes or cold water will take longer than hot water, but it preserves the fragrance and color of the saffron
- Hot water will bloom the saffron quickly, but you will sacrifice some of the aroma.
Recommendation:
- I recommend using warm water to bloom the saffron. This takes a minimum of 10 minutes and achieves the best balance of flavor and color. Place the saffron water in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Did You Make the Recipe?
I would love to hear your feedback! Please leave a comment and star rating below. You can also pin my recipe on Pinterest or share your creation on Instagram by tagging me @mulberryblvd. Thank you.
Lubia Polo (Persian Rice with Green Beans Recipe)
Ingredients
Green Bean Mixture
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 lb lamb or beef cut into small chunks
- 1 lb green beans trimmed and cut into 1 inch segments
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch long matchsticks
- 1 can tomato paste 6 oz
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 14 ½ fluid oz chicken or bone broth 1 can
- 1 tablespoon rose water optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon saffron optional
- 2 tablespoon butter optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Rice
- 2 ½ cups basmati rice rinsed well then soaked for 15 minutes in cold water
- 3 tablespoon salt
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt unsweetened
- 5 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs nearly clear, then leave the rice to soak in 5 cups of cold water while moving on to step 2, or at least 15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced onion and fry until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the lamb and sauté for an additional 10 minutes, or until the meat starts to brown.
- Add the green beans followed by the carrots and sauté for an additional 10 minutes, or until the green beans have started to soften.
- In the middle of your pan, add the tomato paste and allow it to fry for one minute, before adding the spices (turmeric, cumin, cinnamon) and salt and pepper. Stir together until spices become fragrant.
- Add the bone broth, and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are fully cooked through and most of the liqiud has evaporated.
- Remove the green bean mixture from the heat, and add rose water and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning for salt and pepper.
- Strain the soaked rice.
- In a large heavy buttomed or nonstick pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. To the boiling water, add 3 tablespoons of salt along with the rinsed basmati rice and cook until rice is al dente (which is typically 5-8 minutes after the water comes back to a soft boil).
- Drain the rice thoroughly in a colander and set aside.
- Prepare for the first layer of your rice dish by mixing together 1.5 cups of the rice with ⅓ yogurt.
- In the large pot, add 5 tablespoon of oil, then layer the yogurt rice mixture on top, and top with ½ cup of the plain parboiled rice.
- Loosely layer half of the meat and green bean mixture on top. Follow with a layer of rice, and repeat layering with the remaining green bean mixture.
- Using a long handle, make several holes in the rice.
- Cook on medium high heat for 3 minutes, then pour over ⅕ cup of hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Place clean kitchen towel or paper towel in between the lid and the rice.
- Set the temperature to low and cook for about 45 minutes.
- When the rice is cooked, remove the lid, and optionally, add a few tablespoons of saffron water to the top of the rice. Serve the rice on a platter, and the tahdig next to it. It is easier to remove the tahdig when it gets slightly cooler.