Estamboli Polo with Ground Beef (Green Beans Rice)

Tags

basmati rice, green beans, ground beef, loobia polo, Persian food recipe, persian recipe, Polo, saffron, turmeric

This version of estamboli polo uses ground beef instead of the stew beef used in the original estamboli polo recipe. This was the recipe I always cooked when I was going to college, because it was much faster and easier. You easily shave off an hour of cooking time by using ground beef. Back then I used canned green beans which didn’t require any cooking, so I was able to save even more time. If using canned beans, there is no need to add water. Simply cook your ground beef and combine with the green beans.

Estamboli Polo with Ground Beef (Green Bean Rice)

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1.5 hr
Ready in: 1 hour 40 min
Yields: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Meat Mixture:

1 medium onion peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 pound ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
¼  teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
3 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound frozen cut green beans
1/8 teaspoon saffron (optional)

Rice:

2 cups long grain rice washed and drained
3½ cups water
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

For meat mixture: heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground beef and cook until juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper and turmeric. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add frozen green beans , saffron and ½ cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Add more water if needed.

For rice: Bring 3½ cups water to a boil in a 4.5-quart pot. Add rice, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the water and formed small holes on top (do not cover the pot). Pour rice into a bowl and set aside.

If using a rice cooker method, add all the ingredients to the pot of the rice maker. Start the cooking cycle and half way through the cycle, when all the water is gone, pour the rice into a bowl and set aside.

Assembly: Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot used to cook the rice. Place 1/3 of the rice on the bottom of the pot followed by 1/3 of the meat mixture.  Continue to alternate the layers until all the ingredients are used. 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.

Simmer on medium-high heat for 5 minutes then lower heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes.

To serve, gently spoon the rice mixture onto a serving platter, lightly mixing the ingredients. The bottom of the rice develops a crispy crust (tadigh) that can be served on a separate plate. To make a thicker crust use more oil on the bottom of the pot and simmer the rice longer, up to an hour.

Quinoa and Kale Ash

Tags

ash, kale, persian recipe, Persian soup, Persian vegetarian, quinoa, vegan Persian ash, vegetarian Persian ash

Although quinoa and kale are not part of traditional Persian ash (soup) dishes, I’ve added a good dose to this recipe to create an even more nutritious ash for the vegans and vegetarians in our family. This ash recipe, which is not traditional by any means, is also gluten free and offers good amount of protein in the form of quinoa and beans. I like using a lot of fresh herbs in my ashes, but this recipe would taste just as good if you use less. Less fresh herbs equals less work :).  Just make sure to fry your onions for at least 15 minutes to build flavor and add some dried herbs like mint, fenugreek or dill to your onions for an extra flavor boost.

Quinoa and Kale Ash 

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 hr 30 mins
Ready in: 1 hour 50 mins
Yields: 6 to 8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fresh or frozen kale chopped
1 pound fresh or frozen spinach chopped
1 small bunch fresh parsley chopped
1 small bunch fresh cilantro chopped or ¼ cup dried
1 small bunch fresh green onions chopped

½ cup olive oil
2 large onions peeled and chopped
6 large garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 cup mung beans picked over and rinsed
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, about 1 cup raw*
1 cup quinoa rinsed in a mesh strainer
¼ cup basmati rice washed and strained
Three 32 oz. low-sodium vegetable broths plus 2 cups water (add water as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden, stir occasionally. When onions start to turn golden on edges, lower heat to medium. Stir in chopped garlic, salt, pepper and turmeric. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Add dried mint and fenugreek, cook for 1 more minute. Add the mung and garbanzo beans, quinoa, rice and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and stir in all the herbs, a little at a time. Herbs will fit in the pot as they welt down. Lower heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the ash is too thick, add more water or vegetable stock and simmer for few minutes longer to blend the flavors.

*If using raw garbanzo beans, soak them overnight by washing them and covering them with few inches of water. Since some garbanzo beans take longer to cook depending on how old they are, it’s best to pressure cook them for 15 to 20 minutes before adding them to the pot.

Another option is to skip the garbanzo beans and use 1 cup raw lentils or ½ cup barley (don’t require presoaking). You can also use brown rice instead of white rice.

Quinoa and Kale Ash

Clean parsley and cilantro by cutting off the stems as shown below. There is no need to remove all the stems. Cut off the root ends of green onions. Remove tough stems of kale. Wash, drain and coarsely chop all the herbs either by hand or in a food processor. 

Clean parsley and cilantro by cutting off the stems.

Cut off the root ends of green onions.

Remove tough stems of kale