How to make the perfect Lubia Pollow: A Persian rice dish for midlife kitchens

There’s something about Lubia Pollow…

Lubia Pollow isn’t the dish you serve to impress at a formal dinner, yet somehow it has wormed its way into my heart as a comfort and celebration rolled into one. There’s just something special about the combination of tender green beans, saffron-streaked rice, and gently spiced meat that makes my mouth water. The first time I made it, the rice resembled beige lumps, and my son, ever politely, asked, “Do you want one lump or two with your yoghurt?” It took years to get it right, and even now and then it goes wrong.

Mastering the rice makes or breaks this dish – here’s a guide to cooking the perfect rice.

Ingredients for Lubia Pollow

• 500g beef or lamb mince
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 medium hot green chillies (optional)
• 1 large potato (optional, for a golden layer at the bottom)
• 1½ lb green beans
• 2 small tins of tomato purée
• 1–2 tbsp advieh (Persian spice mix)
• 3 tbsp liquid saffron 
• 2½ cups rice
• Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper

Saffron gives lubia pollow its golden glow, here’s how to use it properly.

Cooking Lubia Pollow

Frying onions until golden, adding garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon, the smell alone is amazing. Brown the mince, fold in the tomato purée, and briefly stir in green beans. Cook the rice just enough to give it a bite, then layer it with potatoes, beans, and meat. Butter and saffron tie it all together.

Serving Lubia Pollow

Present it on a large plate with mast-o-khiar, the cooling cucumber and yoghurt side that cuts through richness. A crisp Shirazi salad and perhaps saffron ice cream. 

“Lubia Pollow is about sharing food that feels like home.”