Kalam Polo (Persian Cabbage and Rice)

Description

It is a traditional Persian cuisine with an aromatic flavor. You can omit the ground beef if you want it vegetarian. Serve it with shirazi salad it will taste wonderful.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon saffron
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3 cups chopped cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 ½ cups cold water
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup hot water

Instructions

  1. Pour boiling water over ground saffron; let sit for 30 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup for rice; save remaining brewed saffron for another use.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until light brown
  3. 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in ground beef
  4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  5. black pepper
  6. and turmeric. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly
  7. 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
  8. Heat remaining oil in another pan over medium heat. Sauté cabbage until tender
  9. about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon and ginger. Stir mixture into ground beef mixture and continue to cook over low heat
  10. covered
  11. for 5 minutes
  12. adding 1 tablespoon of water if the mixture is dry.
  13. Rinse and drain rice; transfer to a pot. Add cold water
  14. butter
  15. and remaining salt. Bring mixture to a boil
  16. uncovered. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is half-cooked and water has evaporated
  17. 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  18. Add beef mixture to the rice and slowly mix to incorporate. Turn the heat to low. Add hot water and reserved 1/4 cup brewed saffron to the rice
  19. cover the pot
  20. and let cook until rice is tender
  21. about 20 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins

Servings: 4

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