This kalam polo is a traditional Persian dish with an aromatic flavor. You can omit the ground beef if you want to make it vegetarian. Serve it with Shirazi salad, it will taste wonderful.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
Servings: 4
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
Steps
- Pour boiling water over ground saffron; let sit for 30 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup for rice; save remaining brewed saffron for another use.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and turmeric. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Heat remaining oil in another pan over medium heat. Sauté cabbage until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon and ginger. Stir mixture into ground beef mixture and continue to cook over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of water if the mixture is dry.
- Rinse and drain rice; transfer to a pot. Add cold water, butter, and remaining salt. Bring mixture to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is half-cooked and water has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- 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, cover the pot, and let cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
