Estamboli Polo with Beef

Layered tomato and beef rice with measured saffron infusion.

Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 1 hr 10 min · Total: 1 hr 30 min · 2 servings

Ingredients

• 240 ml Basmati rice, measured dry before rinsing
• Medium tomatoes, finely chopped — 2
• 0.25 tsp Ground turmeric
• Small raw onion, chopped — 1
• 150 g Raw ground beef
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil for meat sauce
• 2 tbsp Butter for rice
• 0.125 tsp Dry saffron threads, lightly crushed
• 30 ml Hot water for saffron infusion, separate allowance
• 1500 ml Initial rice parboiling water, discarded
• 30 ml Retained rice steaming water, separate allowance
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Conditional extra hot water, measure only if needed

Instructions

1. Infuse saffron

   Infuse the lightly crushed dry threads in all 30 ml hot infusion water for about 10 minutes. This is separate from cooking/process water; use the whole infusion at the stated finishing stage.

   Infuse saffron: 600 seconds

2. Soften onion

   Heat all measured vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion from 5 minutes until softened without scorching.

   Soften onion: 300 seconds

3. Cook mince

   Add raw ground beef, break up lumps and cook to selected 74°C throughout; official minimum guidance is 71°C for ground beef. Stir in turmeric and seasoning. Do not use an unspecified cubed-meat timing instead.

4. Reduce sauce

   Add the 2 finely chopped tomatoes and measured tomato paste. Simmer from 10 minutes until a thick moist sauce, stirring to prevent scorching; measure a little hot water only if needed, not an extra fixed sauce yield.

   Reduce sauce: 600 seconds

5. Parboil rice

   Rinse the measured dry basmati. Bring the initial 1500 ml parboiling water to a boil, salt to taste and add rice. Check from 7 minutes: grains should soften outside but retain a firm centre, not become fully cooked. Measure any needed extra boiling water separately.

   Parboil rice: 420 seconds

6. Drain safely

   Drain the partly cooked rice through a suitable colander, discarding its process water. Use dry grips and manageable batches, away from children. Continue promptly to the hot assembly stage; do not leave parboiled rice waiting warm.

7. Layer promptly

   Layer drained partly cooked rice with the hot beef-tomato sauce in suitable cookware. Keep sauce moist, not watery or scorched. Do not hold parboiled rice warm while waiting for other components.

8. Add measured finishing liquids

   Gently melt all listed butter and pour it, the whole saffron infusion and the separate 30 ml steaming water over the rice. No potato, extra fat or unmeasured saffron rice is added.

9. Steam with a normal lid

   Cover with a normal fitted lid, no cloth and no blocked vent. Cook very gently on low heat from 40–45 minutes until rice is fully tender and the layered mixture reaches 74°C throughout. Check before liquid dries out; add only measured hot water if needed. Crisp tahdig is not guaranteed.

   Steam with a normal lid: 2400 seconds

10. Serve rice

    Lift the lid away from you, loosen the fully cooked rice gently and serve promptly. Cool leftover rice ideally within 1 hour and use within 24 hours refrigerated at 4°C or colder.

Tips

• Base batch: quantities are for 2 catalogue servings (minimum 1, maximum 8). Cup = 240 ml; tbsp = 15 ml; tsp = 5 ml. Scale ingredients, not temperatures or automatically the cooking times. Wash produce with potable water and keep raw meat/tools away from ready-to-eat food.
• Timers mark first checks, not guaranteed doneness. Keep water/fat allocations separate, use appropriate cookware and manageable batches, normal fitted lids and no towel seals or blocked vents. Conditional top-ups are measured, never guaranteed final yields.

Common mistakes

• Do not mistake browning or elapsed time for cooked-through food, omit named process inputs, add unlisted garnish fats or leave perishable food waiting warm.

Substitutions

• Use the specified foods, quantities and dry/cooked preparation states. No unmeasured ingredient swap is approved for this master; separate accompaniments do not replace its measured ingredients.

Storage

Chill promptly in shallow portions within 2 hours (1 hour in hot conditions), at 4°C or colder; selected household limit 24 hours, or any shorter label/use-by limit. Cool rice ideally within 1 hour and use within 24 hours. Keep bread/garnishes separate. This is not a validated shelf life; reheating cannot rescue mishandling.

Reheating

Reheat only once to 74°C throughout, steaming hot, checking several places. Reheat only the needed portion and add only a measured amount of water if necessary. Add separate ready-to-eat garnishes with clean tools.

About this recipe

An owner-selected Iranian household version with explicitly measured ingredients and practical home-kitchen steps. Historical exclusivity, medical benefits and exact traditional-origin claims have not been independently verified.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.