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Category Archives: Kalam Polo

Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice) With Ground Beef

13 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by Mastering Persian Cooking in Kalam Polo With Ground Beef, Polo

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

basmati rice, Persian food recipes, Persian recipes, Persian rice, saffron, tadig, tadigh

Mastering Persian Cooking

I’m always asked for an easier and faster version of traditional Persian dishes. One of my family’s favorite dishes is kalam polo (cabbage rice) which is prepared just like estamboli polo. You just use cabbage instead of the green beans, but the cooking process is the same. In order to make this dish easier and faster, I used ground beef in this recipe and instead of adding ingredients in stages, I added them in fewer steps. I also eliminated the step for sautéing the cabbage. The resulting dish was as delicious as the original recipe.

Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice) With Ground Beef

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 10 min
Yields: 3 to 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For meat mixture:

1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ pound ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon Persian Advieh polo (rice seasoning)*
Pinch of saffron (optional)
½ cup water
½ head small green cabbage chopped into ½-inch pieces

For rice:

1½ cups long grain basmati rice washed and drained
2½ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 tablespoon butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is slightly golden. Add meat, tomato paste, salt, pepper, turmeric, advieh and saffron. Cook the meat over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until it’s cooked through. Add chopped cabbage and ½ cup water. Cover and continue cooking over medium heat for 10 to 15 more minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat and stir to combine the ingredients. If there is too much liquid in the mixture, cook uncovered for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

While the meat mixture is cooking, add all the rice ingredients with 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, until all the water is absorbed by rice, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

To cook the rice in a rice cooker, add all the ingredients and start the cycle. Half way through the cycle, when all the water is absorbed by rice, transfer the rice to another bowl and follow with the rest of the recipe.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the bottom of the same pot used for the rice. Place 1/3 of the rice on the bottom of the pot followed by 1/3 of the meat mixture. Continue layering until you use all the ingredients. Place few layers of paper towel over the pot and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes for the crust to start developing. Lower the heat to medium low. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes.

Use the same procedure for the rice cooker and continue the cooking cycle.

To unmold the rice, if using a non-stick pot, place a round serving platter on top of the pot. Using pot holders, firmly grab the serving platter and the pot flipping them over together, as you would invert a cake pan.

Tips for making rice – There is a substantial variation from one type of rice to another and from one brand to another within a given type, and of course the age of the rice is a factor. Experiment with the water to rice ratio to obtain the desired texture. More water results in softer and stickier rice, and less water results in firmer and more separate grains. When adding any stew of meat and vegetables to your rice, always take the water content of the stew into account and adjust the amount of water you add to your rice accordingly. For best results and until you learn exactly how much water to add for your specific batch of rice, use a 1 to 1 ratio, one cup of rice to one cup of water, as your starting point. You can always add more water if the rice is undercooked, but there are no fixes for overcooked rice.

*Advieh is a spice blend made of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, ginger, cloves and rose bud petals. It can be found in the Persian or specialty stores.

Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking
Mastering Persian Cooking

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Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice)

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Mastering Persian Cooking in Kalam Polo

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Tags

basmati rice, Cabbage rice, cooking rice, crispy crust, Persian rice

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 hour 30 mins
Ready in: 2 hour 45 min
Yields: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

For meat mixture:
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons oil
2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Persian Advieh polo (rice seasoning)*
¼ teaspoon ground saffron (optional)
2½ cups water
1 medium head green cabbage
2 tablespoons oil

For rice:
10 cups water
3 cups long grain basmati rice washed and drained
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter melted

INSTRUCTIONS

Meat Mixture:

Heat oil in a deep nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is slightly golden. Add meat, cook for 10 minutes or until juices are gone and meat is slightly browned. Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper, turmeric and advieh. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. Add 2½ cups water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low, cover and cook for about 50 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, remove the outer layers of cabbage. Place on a cutting board, cut in half. Remove the core; cut into ½-inch thick slices. Cut cabbage slices into 1- inch pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan, add chopped cabbage; cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Take off heat.

Add saffron and cabbage to the meat. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until meat is fork tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. The meat sauce cooks down to about ½ cup to ¾ cup. If there is too much sauce, cook for few minutes longer without the lid to reduce the sauce.

Rice:

Bring 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large nonstick pot. Add rice; stir and return back to a boil. Lower heat to medium; cook for about 6 to 7 minutes or until rice rises to the top. Drain in a fine mesh colander.

Assembly:

Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same pot. Add a layer of rice to the pan followed by a layer of meat mixture. Continue to alternate the layers until all the ingredients are used including the meat sauce. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke several holes in the rice, all the way to the bottom of the pot to allow steam to escape. Place a clean dishtowel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot and cover firmly with a lid to absorb the steam. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Pour butter and remaining oil (2 tablespoons) over the rice. Lower heat to medium low, cook for 50 minutes.

To serve, gently spoon the rice mixture onto a serving plate lightly mixing the ingredients. The bottom of the rice develops a crisp crust that you can serve on a separate plate.

Optional: Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 tablespoon hot water.  Mix in 1 cup of cooked rice and use for garnish.

*Advieh Polo is a spice blend made of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, ginger, cloves and rose bud petals. It can be found in the Persian or specialty stores.

Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice)
Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice)
Heat oil in a deep nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add chopped onions.
Heat oil in a deep nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add chopped onions.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is slightly golden.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is slightly golden.
Add the meat.
Add the meat.
Cook for 10 minutes or until juices are gone and meat is slightly browned.
Cook for 10 minutes or until juices are gone and meat is slightly browned.
Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper, turmeric and advieh.
Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper, turmeric and advieh.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. Add 2½ cups water.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. Add 2½ cups water.
Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low, cover and cook for about 50 minutes.
Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low, cover and cook for about 50 minutes.
Remove the outer layers of cabbage. Place on a cutting board, cut in half. Remove the core.
Remove the outer layers of cabbage. Place on a cutting board, cut in half. Remove the core.
Cut into ½-inch thick slices.
Cut into ½-inch thick slices.
Cut slices into 1- inch pieces.
Cut slices into 1- inch pieces.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan, add chopped cabbage.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan, add chopped cabbage.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Take off heat.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Take off heat.
Add saffron and cabbage to the meat.
Add saffron and cabbage to the meat.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until meat is fork tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until meat is fork tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
The meat sauce cooks down to about ½ cup to ¾ cup. If there is too much sauce, cook for few minutes without the lid to reduce the sauce.
The meat sauce cooks down to about ½ cup to ¾ cup. If there is too much sauce, cook for few minutes without the lid to reduce the sauce.
Bring 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large nonstick pot.
Bring 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large nonstick pot.
Add rice; stir and return back to a boil.
Add rice; stir and return back to a boil.
Lower heat to medium; cook for about 6 to 7 minutes or until rice rises to the top.
Lower heat to medium; cook for about 6 to 7 minutes or until rice rises to the top.
Drain in a fine mesh colander.
Drain in a fine mesh colander.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same pot. Add a layer of rice to the pan followed by a layer of meat mixture.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same pot. Add a layer of rice to the pan followed by a layer of meat mixture.
Continue to alternate the layers until all the ingredients are used including the meat sauce.
Continue to alternate the layers until all the ingredients are used including the meat sauce.
Place a clean dishtowel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot and cover firmly with a lid to absorb the steam. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Pour butter and remaining oil (2 tablespoons) over the rice. Lower heat to medium low, cook for 50 minutes.
Place a clean dishtowel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot and cover firmly with a lid to absorb the steam. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Pour butter and remaining oil (2 tablespoons) over the rice. Lower heat to medium low, cook for 50 minutes.
Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 tablespoon hot water.
Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 tablespoon hot water.
Mix in 1 cup of cooked rice and use for garnish.
Mix in 1 cup of cooked rice and use for garnish.

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