Loobia polo (Persian mixed rice)

Okay I know I am such a disgrace, I can not believe that I have been blogging for this long and the thought of writing about Persian food hasn't entered my mind. The truth is, I didn't use to cook Persian food before I came to Budapest; once I moved here everything changed. I mean when you start to live alone, the responsibilities start to jump on you in their attempt to take you under. Okay nevermind I am going off topic again, as if I can never actually stay on one topic. You might think I have ADHD but honestly it's just that I'm really talkative and have too many topics to mention at once (this is why I say you don't want to know me in real life).

Anyways back to Persian cuisines, we all know that they are probably the best cuisine there is out there (there I said it); I know most of my friends that have tried it, not only love it but are crazy obsessed with it. I mean I don't blame them, have you eaten our food? so this is why I decided to write out a few of my favorite recipes and try to pass on this gem of Persian cooking to you guys. I am not such a good cook myself but well I try. So let's try together?

Okay so Loobia polo used to be my favorite dish as a kid, I used to love how my mom made it and ugh it was just the best thing ever. Nowadays I still like it a lot specially because I get to make it myself. It doesn't taste as good but it doesn't taste half as bad either; (way to go selling my cooking man). let's get to it.

Ingredients:

• minced meat : 200 Grams
• Green beans: 200 Grams
• One medium onion
• Tomato paste -as much as needed
• Rice: half a kiloogram
• Tomato: 2 medium sized ones
• salt, pepper, tumeric etc

How to make it:

Well first we start by chopping the onion into small pieces and placing it on a medium heat in pan, let the onions fry for a little while and then add the minced meat to it, the mixture of meat and onion fry together and then add some tomato paste along side salt and pepper to it. I also like to add tumeric, it gives the rice a better color. I said as much tomato paste as you want but I usually add two spoons, it is enough to give the meat some color and also not ruin the whole taste of the meat. We allow the meat to be stire fried a little longer and then we add the cut green beans, some people cook the beans in hot water for a little while or better say steam the beans but I don't do that. I also usually add some saffron with hot water to it, but that's purely being Persian and you don't have to do it. Now that the beans have been added, we add a little hot water to the whole thing and allow the beans to cook inside the meat and then add the cut tomatoes to the whole thing, don't add too much water as it won't evaporate and later on it will make your rice very sticky. When the whole thing is ready, we go and prepare the rice.

(While making it)

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First of we let some water boil, once boiling we add some rice to it and allow the rice to boil along side the water, remove the water, sieve the rice and then slowly add the meat and beans mixture to the rice, mix it throughly to make sure the rice and the mixture have been fully mixed to avoid white rice areas inside the mixed rice. Once done, allow the rice to cook by putting the lid of the pot, it takes about 15 minutes and then it's ready.

(Final product)

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I usually eat it with yogurt or salad, eitherway it's freaking delicious. Hope you enjoy this short recipe.

Cheers

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