Green Beans Rice (Loobia Polo)

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This one pot Persian dish is an easy comfort food and unbelievably delicious! A perfect one pot meal with a complete mix of vegetables, carbohydrate, and protein you’ll love. 

Vegan: Substitute the ground turkey with Plant-based meat.

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 95 minutes

Total Time: 110 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 6) 

Sauce:

  • Olive oil, 2 tbsp

  • Onion, 1 medium finely chopped

  • Garlic, 1 clove minced

  • Ground cumin, ½ tsp

  • Ground turmeric, ¼ tsp

  • Cardamom, 2 pods

  • Salt, 2 tsp

  • Pepper, ½ tsp

  • Ground turkey (traditionally ground lamb), 1lb

  • Green beans, 6 oz cleaned and chopped ½ inch cut

  • Tomato Paste, 1 tbsp

  • Tomatoes, 3 big skinned and chopped

  • Lemon juice, 1 tbsp

Rice:

  • Basmati rice, 3 cups

  • Water , 7 cups

  • Salt, 3 tsp

  • Avocado oil, 1 tbsp

Method

Sauce

  1. Warm up the olive oil in a medium pot over a medium heat stove-top.

  2. Add chopped onions, cover the pot and let them sweat for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent, stirring occasionally.

  3. Stir in the minced garlic, and all the spices for a minute.

  4. Pour in the ground turkey, stir, and separate the chunks as they brown for about 5-7 minutes. 

  5. Mix in chopped green beans.

  6. Pour in chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover, and bring to a boil.

  7. Turn the heat to the lowest, stir occasionally, and let the sauce cook for at least an hour or until the green beans are soft.

  8. Take the cardamon pods out and dispose.

Rice

Layered Rice and Sauce in the pan
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  1. Add water and salt to (preferably) a non-stick pot and place it over a high heat stove top.

  2. -When the water is boiling, add the rice and boil it uncovered for about 15 minutes or until al dente (you want it to be more crunchy than usual).

  3. Drain the rice.

  4. Place the empty pot back over the high heat stovetop.

  5. Add the oil and let it heat up for about a minute. 

  6. Add the cooked rice and the sauce layered in the pot.

  7. place the pot back over medium heat and cover.

  8. When the rice starts to steam, reduce the heat to the lowest mark, and wrap the lid in a piece of paper/dish towel making sure no extra piece is hanging down (fire hazard) .

  9. Let the rice steam over low heat for about 20 minutes.

  10. -Serve immediately.


Happy Cooking!