Heartwarming and delicious. Two words used to describe a bowl of Lubio polo, also known as green beans with lamb and rice. TO DRINK: A spicy rosé (using a grape such as Shiraz or Merlot) is a juicy match for warming flavours like
saffron and turmeric.
Lubia polo (green beans with lamb and rice)
Ingredients
- 10ml (2 tsp) olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 500g beef short ribs, cut into chunks
- 1 x 50g tin of tomato paste
- 5ml (1 tsp) turmeric
- a pinch of saffron infused in 30ml (2 tbsp) warm water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 250ml (1 cup) water
- 300g green beans, sliced
Rice
- 3 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked in water
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and fry until golden.
Add the ribs to the pot and fry until well browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, turmeric and saffron water.Season well and add the water.
Simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced, about 40 minutes. Add the green beans and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
For the rice, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add to the pot. Parcook for 3 minutes and drain the rice in a colander.
Place the pot back on the stove and turn the heat to low. Add the olive oil to the pot. Spoon enough rice into the bottom of the pot to create a layer. Spoon more rice into the pot and start alternating a layer of the meat and green beans, and drizzling with the sauce. Repeat until all the rice and meat has been used, ending with a rice layer.
Cover the pot with a tea towel and then the lid so that it fitstightly. Steam until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.
