Kalam Polo Shirazi

White cabbage and herb rice with fully cooked small beef meatballs.

Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 1 hr 5 min · Total: 1 hr 25 min · 2 servings

Ingredients

• 240 ml Basmati rice, measured dry before rinsing
• 200 g Trimmed white cabbage, finely shredded
• 0.25 tsp Ground turmeric
• 150 g Raw ground beef for small meatballs
• Small raw onion, grated — 0.5
• 30 ml Fresh dill, measured chopped
• 30 ml Fresh tarragon, measured chopped
• 30 ml Fresh parsley, measured chopped
• 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil for cabbage
• 0.75 tbsp Vegetable oil reserved for meatballs
• 0.25 tbsp Vegetable oil reserved for rice pot
• 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. Soften cabbage

   Sauté 200 g shredded white cabbage with its reserved 1 tbsp oil, measured turmeric and lemon juice over controlled medium heat from 8 minutes until softened. No unspecified kohlrabi or extra cooking fat is added.

   Soften cabbage: 480 seconds

2. Make small meatballs

   Mix raw ground beef with the grated half onion and listed seasoning; form similar small marble-sized meatballs with clean tools. Keep raw mixture cold and separate from cooked cabbage and ready-to-eat food. No prepared meatball or egg binder is added.

3. Cook meatballs completely

   Pan-cook the small meatballs in only their reserved 0.75 tbsp oil, turning over controlled medium heat from 6 minutes. Check several centres at selected 74°C BEFORE layering. Brown surface is not sufficient; do not leave partly cooked meatballs waiting.

   Cook meatballs completely: 360 seconds

4. 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 6 minutes: grains should soften outside but retain a firm centre, not become fully cooked. Measure any needed extra boiling water separately.

   Parboil rice: 360 seconds

5. Add measured herbs briefly

   At the rice parboil check around 6 minutes, stir in all measured chopped dill, tarragon and parsley for about 30 seconds. No undefined herb mountain, story-only basil or saffron is used.

   Add measured herbs briefly: 30 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 hot components

   Coat a suitable pot with only reserved 0.25 tbsp rice oil. Promptly layer drained herb rice, soft cabbage and fully cooked hot meatballs. The total oil is 2 tbsp, split 1 cabbage + 0.75 meatballs + 0.25 pot, not extra fat at assembly.

8. Steam with a normal lid

   Add the separate 30 ml steaming water and use a normal fitted lid, no towel seal or blocked vents. Steam very gently over low heat from 45 minutes until rice is fully tender and assembled food reaches 74°C throughout. Add only measured hot water if needed; browned tahdig is not guaranteed.

   Steam with a normal lid: 2700 seconds

9. Serve and cool rice promptly

   Lift lid away from you, check tender rice and hot meatball centres at 74°C, adjust listed seasoning and serve. Cool leftover rice ideally within 1 hour, refrigerate at 4°C or colder and use within 24 hours.

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.