Delicious and aromatic risotto made in Persian way! You can make the dish completely vegetarian or with some kind 0f meat.
It’s terrific with all the different types of risotto in that peach kitchen! Yesterday I was hungry like a wolf and wanted risotto – chose Estamboli Polo. I have some memories of this dish. The first time I was going to cook it, I read the recipe in Persian and was quite puzzled, my sister called and asked: – should I have the tomato puree in rice water? Gap laughter on the phone, and I did not understand anything! No, my sister answered; you mix it in the meat mixture after a while! So I made the dish according to her instructions, and it turned out incredibly well! Since then, I have done it many times with equally successful results each time.
The dish varies in different regions.
In the southern part of Iran (Khuzestan), you also have smaller pieces of “Estamboli” potatoes (can be replaced with almond potatoes), and most certainly, the dish got its name from the potatoes.
The dish can be made entirely vegetarian. Instead of meat, you can take beans or other substitutes, or why not small cubes of almond potatoes. If you use potatoes instead of meat, do the same as the meat, but make sure to cook the potatoes a little longer than the meat (5 – 7 minutes). By the way, you can follow the recipe.
The meat
You can use turkey fillet, veal, or beef. Cut it into tiny pieces (1 x 1 cm)
Ingredienser för 2 – 3 personer
| 200 grams of meat | Saffron water |
| 1 yellow onion (well chopped) | 0.5 teaspoon saffron |
| 170 – 200 g of green beans (haricot vert) | 3 tablespoons boiling water |
| The spices | 2 teaspoons saffron water for the meat mixture |
| 1.5 teaspoons salt | 1 – 3 Tbsp saffron water for the rice |
| 1 hearty teaspoon of turmeric | Soaking the rice |
| 1/4 of a tsp black pepper | 1.5 – 2 dl basmati rice, |
| 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon | 1,5 Tbsp salt + 1,5-liter water |
| 2 tablespoons tomato puree | Cook the rice |
| 1.5 dl water | 1,5-liter water |
| 1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice | 1,5 Tbsp |
Method:
- Rinse the rice seven times and leave it in water with 1.5 tablespoons of salt for at least an hour. If you do not have time for it, it’s okay – then count on longer cooking time.
- Chop the onion.
- Cut the meat into small pieces. (1 x 1 cm)
- Cut the green beans into smaller pieces.
- Measure and mix all the spices in a small bowl.
- Fry the onion in a pan for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring so that the onion does not burn!
- Add the meat after 10 minutes, and continue to fry everything together for 5 minutes.
- Add the spices and continue to fry for another 1 minute.
- Add tomato puree, mix – continue to fry for another minute.
- Add the water. Bring to the boil – lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the saffron water after 5 minutes, replace the lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes again.
- Taste and add lemon juice and correct the seasoning.
- Pour over the frozen bean curd and leave it – do not mix! Put the lid on the frying pan and remove the stove.
- Pour 1.5 liters of water into a saucepan with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt. When the water starts to boil, pour the water away from the soaked rice and pour the rice into boiling water. The basmati rice I use is ready after about 5 minutes; you can do the rice test. Take a grain of rice between your fingers and pull – if it divides into three parts, it’s time to strain the rice.
- Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter or margarine in the empty saucepan, take the same amount of water and let everything boil.
- Also, add a little saffron water and an ounce of salt.
- Then wrap rice with the meat mixture and finish with rice on top. Finally, build it all up like a mountain in a saucepan.
- Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel.
- Lower the heat and let the rice finish. It takes about 40 minutes.
Feel free to serve crunchy Pimmes Pinnes as an accessory together with Persian Torshi (pickles)..
We also like to have small tomatoes that we cut into small pieces. Or why not a simple Salad Shirazi? You can even serve some yogurt on the side!
Enjoy!
