A flavorful and filling Persian rice dish, Lubia Polo (or Loobia Polo) is layered with small cubes of tender beef and fresh green beans. The basmati rice is stewed in both fresh Roma tomatoes and tomato paste to give it extra sweetness and is infused with delicious Persian spices.
By Candice Walker on August 20, 2024 (Last updated August 13, 2024) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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A flavorful and filling Persian rice dish, Lubia Polo (or Loobia Polo) is layered with small cubes of tender beef and fresh green beans. The basmati rice is stewed in both fresh Roma tomatoes and tomato paste to give it extra sweetness and is infused with delicious Persian spices.
Lubia polo is a repeat favorite in our household, and every Persian family has their spin on this dish. It is traditionally made with long-grain basmati rice, green beans (Lubia means green beans), and beef or lamb. I make it with Advieh, a Persian 7-spice blend with cumin, coriander, and cardamom, but I also provide an easy substitution with cumin and turmeric that is also delicious.
It’s got all the core elements of a satisfying and filling dish – protein, rice, and veggies. You can make this a vegetarian recipe by leaving out the meat entirely.
🌟 What Makes Lubia Polo So Satisfying
Incredibly comforting rice dish: Rice dishes are filling for the stomach and comforting for the soul! This is one of those comfort dishes that makes you feel instantly better with just one bite. Persian rice dishes are the ultimate comfort foods – try Baghali Polo (dill rice) or Shirin Polo (jeweled rice) next.
Tender, tomato-infused rice: The rice is next-level in Lubia Polo. It’s cooked to perfection and infused with tomato-onion goodness with the tomato paste providing extra tomatoey flavor. Bonus – you can turn this Lubia Polo into a tahdig dish for an extra crunchy element!
One pot dish: While Lubia Polo takes a while to make, the method is really easy and all comes together in one pot.
Unique spices: The Advieh spice blend enhances the flavor of the elements in the dish, especially the slightly sweet green beans.
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
Rice – Use long-grain basmati rice. This forms the base of the dish.
Green Beans – Use fresh green beans, if possible.
Beef – You can use any cut of beef like stew meat, but I usually use top sirloin. You can also use ground beef in this recipe. See the recipe card notes.
Flavorless Oil – Canola oil, vegetable oil, or another flavorless oil are all great options.
Onion – I use a yellow onion, but a white onion works, too.
Tomatoes and tomato paste – I use Roma tomatoes in this recipe and fresh tomato paste for a tangy yet sweet tomatoy flavor. You can use tomato puree instead of Roma tomatoes, but do not substitute the tomato paste.
Advieh spice – You can make your own Advieh, or substitute this with a simple mix of 1.5 teaspoon cumin and 0.5 teaspoon turmeric.
Salt – Use any salt you have on hand to season to taste.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
Start with your preparation steps. Bring 2/3 of a pot of water to boil. Add 3 tbsp salt. While the water is boiling, wash the rice 3-5 times with cold to lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Slice the onion into thin half-moons or a small dice. And use a knife to cut a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato
Drop the tomatoes gently into the boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the water. Let them cool, then remove the skin. It should peel off very easily.
Cut the green beans into 3/4-inch to 1.5-inch length segments. Add them to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the water.
Add the rice to the water and cook until al dente, strain. Do not overcook! If salty, rinse with cold water. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible.
Sautee the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Season with salt. Cook until it starts to turn a light golden brown. This takes 10-20 minutes. Then add the beef cut into small 1/2-inch cubes.
In the meantime, peel the cooked tomatoes and blend them in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
Add the beef, Advieh (or cumin and turmeric), and season again with salt. Cook until the beef is brown on all sides. If you’re using ground beef, you will need to break it up using your hands as you add it to the pot, then break it up further into tiny pieces using a cooking utensil (my preference is a slotted spoon) as it cooks.
Add the green beans, tomato puree, and tomato paste, and cook until the green beans are tender.
Add in the par-boiled rice and mix well to combine. Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid back on. Cook the dish on medium heat, watching it carefully. When the lid gets foggy, pour a little oil over the rice – about 2 tablespoons. Then put the lid back on (you can wrap the lid in a kitchen towel to absorb extra moisture) and turn the heat to the lowest possible setting. Cook for 30-40 minutes from when the oil is poured on top.
Finally, fluff up the rice with a fork and serve on a large platter. Noushijan!
🥗 Dishes to Serve Alongside Lubia Polo
This recipe pairs well with torshi, which are pickled vegetables. It’s also a good match for a fresh, bright salad like Shirazi salad, or a vegetable platter like sabzi khordan. It also pairs with a creamy yogurt dip like mast o khiar.
🍽️ Special Equipment
I use a high-speed blender to make life easier in this recipe to puree the cooked Roma tomatoes.
🍛 More Excellent Persian Rice Dishes
These are rice dishes that you can (and will!) enjoy time and time again without ever getting bored.
A flavorful and filling Persian rice dish, Lubia Polo (or Loobia Polo) is layered with small cubes of tender beef and fresh green beans. The basmati rice is stewed in both fresh Roma tomatoes and tomato paste to give it extra sweetness and is infused with delicious Persian spices.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
Servings: 6
Calories: 551kcal
Ingredients
2cupsrice
1lb.green beans
1lb.beefany cut like sirloin, see notes if using ground beef
4tbspoilflavorless like canola or vegetable
1yellow onionsmall to medium
1lb.roma tomatoes
2tspadviehor sub. 1.5 tsp cumin and .5 tsp turmeric
2tbsptomato paste
saltto taste
Instructions
Bring about 2/3 a pot water of water to boil. Add 3 tbsp salt.
In the meantime, wash rice 3-5 times with cold to lukewarm water until the water runs clear and slice the onion into thin half-moons or a dice.
Slit a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato and drop them gently into the boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds then remove from the water.
Cut the green beans into 3/4"-1.5" length segments. Add them to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the water.
Add the rice to the water and cook until al dente, strain. Do not overcook! If salty, rinse with cold water. Shake colander to remove as much water as possible.
Sautee the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Season with salt. Cook until it starts to turn a light golden brown. This takes 10-20 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the beef into 1/2-inch cubes. Also, peel the tomatoes and blend them in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
Add the beef, advieh (or cumin and turmeric) and season again with salt. Cook until brown on all sides.
Add the green beans, tomato puree, and tomato paste, and cook until the green beans are tender.
Add in the par-boiled rice and mix well to combine. Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid back on. Cook on medium heat, watching it carefully.
When the lid gets foggy, pour a little oil over the rice – about 2 tbsp. Then put the lid back on (wrap the lid in a kitchen towel to absorb extra moisture) and turn the heat to the lowest possible setting.
Cook for 30-40 minutes from when the oil is poured on top.
Fluff with a fork before serving.
Notes
If using ground beef, break it up using your hands as you add it to the pot, then break it up into tiny pieces using a cooking utensil (my preference is a slotted spoon) as it cooks.You can substitute the tomatoes with tomato puree.If making tahdig, use the instructions in this post about tahdig and line the bottom of the pot with 1/2-inch slices of potatoes.
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
