Lubia Polo Recipe (Persian Green Bean Rice)

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Lubia polo or Loobia polo is one of Persian mixed rices which is very popular. In our house, my mom loves this food. Making Loobia polo is easy, and it just needs rice and green bean sauce made from green bean, minced meat (beef or lamb), tomato paste, onion, turmeric, and other general spices used in Persian foods.

Do you want to watch the lubia polo recipe on YouTube? if so, here it is:

Lubia polo is one of the best choices for making Tahdig (torched bread, rice, or potatoes). Our today’s meal can be a great vegetarian food if you omit the meat.

You can serve Loobia polow with delicious Persian side dishes like salad Shirazi, pickled vegetables (I used Pickled cauliflower), yogurt, and marinated olives.

Stick with me to see how to make this delicious dish with the Persian Lubia Polo Recipe.

Lubia Polo Ingredients

Loobia polo in Persian language means green beans with rice. As it is obvious from its name, its main ingredients are green beans and rice. In the following, we are going to be familiar with some facts about them.

500 gr green beans
300 gr minced meat
1 tablespoon of turmeric
2 medium-size onions
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ tablespoon cinnamon
¼ tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups of water
2 ice cubes
¼ teaspoon ground saffron
3 cups rice
2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
sesames (optional)
flatbread

Green bean

Green beans are from the legume family, high in vitamin K. They are also a rich source of proteins and have no cholesterols. All these facts made this food nutritious because its main ingredient is green beans.

Rice

Rice is very popular in Iran, and there are many foods with rice like Zereshk polo ba morgh (barberry rice with chicken), Adas polo (lentil with rice), and so on. Persian rice has an amazing flavor, but it is not long grain. Because of that, it might not be suitable for ceremonies but it is great for daily use.

Lubia Polo Recipe with Ground Beef

For making Lubia polo, you should make Lubia and meat sauce and parboiled rice separately. Finally, mix them layer by layer, and let them cook with each other.

Lubia (green bean) and meat sauce

The first step for making the sauce is chopping two medium-sized onions and 500 gr fresh green beans into small pieces (you can chop green beans into every size you prefer).
Add 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pan, and heat them. Add chopped onions into the pan, and sauté them till making them golden brown. Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric to the onions and stir them.
Then add 300 gr minced meat to the pan (if you are not a fan of meat, you can omit it). Sauté meat, and add ¼ tablespoon cinnamon, ¼ tablespoon cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon of salt to meat.
At this stage, add chopped green beans to the meat. It has great colors! Sauté green beans and meat for a few minutes, then dilute 3 tablespoons of tomato paste with a cup of water, and pour it into the mixture. After mixing them, add 2 cups of water to the sauce, and let it cook for about 30 minutes.

Bloomed saffron

For making bloomed saffron, bring a cup, and put 2 ice cubes in it. Then pour ¼ teaspoon of ground saffron on ice cubes. When the ice is melted, our bloomed saffron is ready to use.

Parboiled rice

The first step for making parboiled rice is washing and soaking the rice. For washing and soaking the rice:

Pour 3 cups of rice into a bowl of water, and stir them.
Pour the water, add fresh water again to the rice, and stir.
Repeat it till the water is clear after stirring.
Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the bowl of clear water and the rice, and let them soak for an hour.

Bring a half water pot, and heat it till boiling. When the water is boiling, remove the water of soaking rice and pour the soaked rice into the boiling water. Let the rice boil till it comes up and is not rare and solid. Then pour rice into a colander, and splash cold water on them. Our parboiled rice is ready!

Layer rice with meat and bean sauce

one of the important things about making Loobia polo is to decide your Tahdig! You can use potato, rice, or flatbread Tahdig.

I decided to make flatbread Tahdig (Tahdig noon) with my Lubia polo.

Tahdig Loobia polo

For making bread Tahdig:

Bring a non-stick pot on the heat, and add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Add a few sesames (optional) and 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron.
Put the flatbread in the bottom of the pot, and splash a little water on it.

Last step for making Lubia polo

The last step for cooking Loobia polo is steaming sauce and rice with each other. Pour a layer of rice on the flatbread Tahdig, then add green bean and meat sauce on the center of rice with 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron. Repeat these layers of rice, sauce, and bloomed saffron till the end. At last, it should be like a mountain of Loobia polow (rice and sauce should be more in the middle of the pot than around.)

Add ½ cup of water to the sides of the mixture. Let it cook with high heat for 5 minutes till steaming. Then cook with low heat for about 30 minutes.

Vegetarian Lubia Polo Recipe

If you are a vegan and you like to taste Lubia Polo, no worries. There is a vegan version of this dish which is very delicious. In order to make it, you should just omit the ground beed, and use mashroom instead.

Vegan Lubia Polo with mushrooms is a flavorful Persian dish made by layering sautéed mushrooms and green beans, seasoned with turmeric, cinnamon, and tomato paste, between partially cooked basmati rice. The dish is then steamed to perfection, allowing the flavors to meld together. It’s a hearty and aromatic meal, perfect for a comforting dinner.

Tips for Making Persian Lubia Polo Recipe

When preparing Persian rice dishes, it is crucial to wash and rinse the rice beforehand. This gets rid of extra starch and any dirt. Removing the extra starch from the parboiled rice requires rinsing it.
When parboiling rice, take care not to overcook it. The rice should still be al dente.
The key is layering. Try to distribute the green bean mixture evenly and gently as you layer the rice, green beans, and herbs in the pot so that every grain of rice is coated and turns a beautiful reddish-orange hue.
Rice Crust in Gold. Let the meal simmer for a little while longer on the lowest heat for the “Tahdig,” or crispy rice crust. This permits the formation of a crispy, golden brown coating on the bottom layer. The most valuable component in Persian rice meals is this. Make sure the lid has holes that serve as air pockets, then cover it with a fresh kitchen tea towel to trap the steam and produce the crispy tahdig.

How to Serve Persian Rice with Green Beans?

After steaming, mix the rice and sauce gently (be careful not to knead the rice). Then serve Loobia polo with a piece of Tahdig.

You can serve it with salad Shirazi, pickled vegetables (I used Pickled cauliflower), and creamy yogurt.

How to Store Polo Lubia

For up to four days, keep the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat for ten to fifteen minutes over medium heat in a pan with two teaspoons of water.

Lubia polo freezes really well; you can store it for up to three months if you put it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a pan before serving.

Did you make this Loobia polo recipe?

Please let me know how it was by leaving a comment!
You can ask me questions about Loobia polow in the comments. I will answer your questions as soon as possible.
I would love to see your Persian Lubia polo! Please tag me with @cookingcounty on Facebook or Instagram and make me happy!

FAQs on Lubia Polo Recipe

What kind is ideal for Lubia Polo rice?

In Lubia Polo, long-grain basmati rice is typically utilized. The large grains, smell, and cohesiveness of basmati rice when cooked make it highly valued.

Is it possible to make Lubia Polo sans meat?

Yes, you can make Lubia Polo vegetarian by leaving out the beef. Add more green beans, mushrooms, or a plant-based meat alternative in place of the beef.

What variety of green beans need to I utilize?

If fresh green beans aren’t available, you may use frozen ones instead. Fresh green beans work best with Lubia Polo. Make sure the green beans are trimmed and sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Lubia polo recipe (Persian green bean rice)

Recipe by FerdosCourse: Main coursesCuisine: Persian foodDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

minutes

Calories

495

kcal

Loobia polo (green bean rice) is an easy delicious Persian mixed rice dish made with rice, ground meat, and green beans.

Ingredients

Lubia (green bean) and meat sauce
500 gr green beans
300 gr minced meat
1 tablespoon of turmeric
2 medium-size onions
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ tablespoon cinnamon
¼ tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups of water
Bloomed saffron
2 ice cubes
¼ teaspoon ground saffron
Parboiled rice
3 cups rice
2 tablespoons salt
Tahdig Loobia polo
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
sesames (optional)
flatbread

Directions

Lubia (green bean) and meat sauce
Chop 2 medium-size onions and fresh 500 gr green beans into small pieces (you can chop green beans into every size you prefer).
Add 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pan and heat them.
Add chopped onions into the pan and sauté them till making them golden brown.
Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric to the onions and stir them.
Add 300 gr minced meat to the pan (if you are not a fan of meat, you can omit it).
Sauté meat and then add ¼ tablespoon cinnamon, ¼ tablespoon cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon of salt to meat.
Add chopped green beans to the meat. Sauté green beans and meat for a few minutes.
Dilute 3 tablespoons of tomato paste with a cup of water and pour it into the meat and green bean mixture.
Add 2 cups of water to the sauce and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
Bloomed saffron
Bring a cup and put 2 ice cubes in it.
Pour ¼ teaspoon of ground saffron on ice cubes. When the ice is melted, our bloomed saffron is ready to use.
Parboiled rice
Pour 3 cups of rice into a bowl of water and stir them for washing.
Pour the water and add fresh water again to the rice, and stir. Repeat it till the water is clear after stirring.
Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the bowl of clear water and the rice, and let them soak for an hour.
Bring a half water pot and heat it till boiling.
When the water is boiling, pour the water of soaking rice then pour the soaked rice into the boiling water.
Let the rice boil till it comes up, and it is not rare and solid.
Pour rice into a colander and splash cold water on them. Our parboiled rice is ready!
Layer rice with meat and bean sauce
one of the important things about making Loobia polo is to decide your Tahdig! You can use potato, rice, or flatbread Tahdig.
I decided to make flatbread Tahdig (Tahdig noon) with my Lubia polo.
Tahdig Loobia polo
Bring a non-stick pot on the heat and add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Add a few sesames (optional) and 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron.
Put the flatbread in the bottom of the pot and splash a little water on it.
Last step for making Lubia polo
Pour a layer of rice on the flatbread Tahdig.
Add green bean and meat sauce on the center of rice with 2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron.
Repeat these layers of rice, sauce, and bloomed saffron till the end. At last, it should be like a mountain of Loobia polow (rice and sauce should be more in the middle of the pot than around.)
Add ½ cup of water to the sides of the mixture.
Let it cook with high heat for 5 minutes till steaming. Then cook with low heat for about 30 minutes.
After steaming, mix the rice and sauce gently (be careful not to knead the rice). Then serve Loobia polo with a piece of Tahdig.