My Mother's Polo Recipe (پولو)
pov: you crave rice but you're central asian
As Seen on Tiktok: @dilmibaby
Ingredients
1/3 cup Olive Oil
4 cups of White Rice
1 pound of Beef or Lamb (in the video, my mother used lamp chops)
1 White Onion
8 Carrots (I highly recommend using 1/2 orange carrots and 1/2 yellow carrots)
2 whole Roma Tomatoes
1/4 cup of Raisins
2 tsp Sugar
3 tbsp Salt
5 cups of Water
1. Prep Your Meat & Veggies
Your lamb should already be cut if you purchase lamb chops, however, if you decide to use beef then roughly cut the meat in big chunks (it needs to be in big chunks, or the beef will become overcooked)
Julienne (thinly slice) your carrots
Julienne (thicker slice) your white onion
Medium dice your Roma tomatoes
2. Prepare the rice
Rinse your white rice until the water runs clear (this usually takes at least three rinses). Let the rice soak while you cook your polo.
3. Cook Your Polo
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, gently add the lamb and stir. When the lamb is browned, add salt and stir again. Next, add the white onion and Roma tomatoes, stirring until the onion softens.
Place the carrots on top of the lamb and stir. Allow them to cook halfway for about 7–10 minutes. Once the carrots soften, add water and reduce the heat until the water begins to simmer for 5 minutes.
Next, remove the meat from the pot and sprinkle the sugar over the carrots. Stir the mixture, then take out two cups of broth and set them aside for later. Now, it's time to introduce the rice.
3. Add the Rice
You can discard the rice water or repurpose it for other recipes (like soup) or skincare! However, for this recipe, you only need the rice.
Add the rice on top of the carrot mixture, spreading it out evenly as shown in the video. Do not stir—stirring will disrupt the dish’s texture. Simply layer the rice on top and spread it out.
Pour the two cups of reserved broth over the spread-out rice, then gently spread the rice further. Carefully place the meat on top of the rice, arranging it neatly.
Next, sprinkle the raisins over the meat and close the lid. Let the polo simmer on low to medium heat for 35 minutes. This step is crucial—there should be no burning smell at all.
4. Finish the polo
It's time to open the pot! After 35 minutes of simmering, remove the lid and gently stir the rice. Take the meat out of the pot and set it aside. Once it has cooled slightly, dice the meat and remove it from the bone.
Transfer the mixed rice onto a large serving plate and place the diced meat on top. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot—that’s the best part! The crispy, caramelized rice adds incredible flavor (it’s sooo good!).
Now enjoy that bowl of polo, you deserve it.