Mahin Joon'S Lubiah Polo (Crispy Persian Rice With Beef And Green Beans)

• 1 pinch high-quality saffron
• 2 large yellow onions
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons advieh or Persian spice mix (easy to find on Amazon!)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 16 tablespoons tomato paste
• Neutral cooking oil
• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Crush the saffron in a mortar and pestle and transfer the saffron powder to 1/3 cup of hot, hot water. Stir and steep: You'll be left with bright orange liquid saffron.
2. Roughly chop one of the yellow onions, then blitz in a food processor until it's a slushy texture. In a large pot, mix it with ground beef.
3. Season with salt and pepper, turmeric, advieh, and cinnamon, and cook on medium heat, mixing gently with a spatula or wooden spoon, until the beef is browned and the liquid has cooked off. then add tomato paste, mix gently until incorporated, and cook for another 3 minutes before removing from heat.
4. Dice your second onion finely. In a separate pan with a lid, heat a glug of neutral oil, then saute the diced onion and green beans, cooking for 10 minutes, until the color deepens slightly. Remove from heat and add to the beef mixture.
5. Cook the rice just like pasta: Bring water to a boil in a large stainless steel pot, salt generously, and add the rice. Continue to cook on medium-high heat and cook until al dente (this time will vary baed on the size of your pot), then remove from heat and rinse with cold water in a colander.
6. Add a hearty glug of oil and a spoonful of water to the same pot, and spoon the rice over gently, until a thin layer covers the bottom. Continue to add the rice, heaping it in the shape of a pyramid and adding the green bean and beef mixture halfway through. Drizzle with the liquid saffron and butter, and use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently poke holes in the mixture: You're shooting for a thin layer of delicious, crunchy rice at the bottom and these little pockets will help. Wrap the pot lid in a dishtowel and place on top snugly.
7. Leave covered for 25 to 30 minutes (until the bottom is a crunchy, light brown!) on very low heat, then invert the pot (you might need an extra set of hands!) onto a serving dish and cut into like a cake. If your lubiah polo falls apart, don't fret: Scrape the crunchy bits off the bottom of the pan, then make sure each person gets some of that tahdig along with the fluffy, more pilaf-like rice, too.

saffron, yellow onions, lean ground beef, salt, turmeric, advieh, cinnamon, tomato paste, cooking oil, green beans, basmati rice, butter

Taken from food52.com/recipes/68942-mahin-joon-s-lubiah-polo-crispy-persian-rice-with-beef-and-green-beans (may not work)