Things to know about Kalam Polo Recipe
Kalam in Persian means ‘cabbage’. This delicious dish is made all over Iran complemented with red meat or chicken to get a rich flavor. It’s a tahdig-style rice dish. Tahdig is made when the bottom of the pot is layered with some extra oil or vegetable to get a crunchy layer of rice. This pot is then inverted into a platter to serve with a crunchy layer up. Kalam polo is made in a variety of tahdig styles, most common is the use of potatoes or bread or simply adding a little ghee or vegetable at the base or rice. Cabbage is a favorite vegetable all over Iran, so its use in rice is also liked in the form of polo or other sauces to complement steamed rice.

Savory Iranian Traditional Cabbage Rice. Authentic Recipe of Kalam Polo.
— General Atributes of This Recipe:
— ADAPT THE SERVINGS OR PORTIONS BY ENTERING YOUR DESIRED VALUE —
Ingredients
Cabbage and Meat Sauce
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 pc Onion Large, thinly chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 125 grams (4.41 oz) Lamb Diced, small cubes
- 125 grams (4.41 oz) Beef Diced, small cubes
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder – Curcuma Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 400 grams (14.11 oz) Cabbage
- 1 cup Water Hot
Rice
- 500 grams (1.1 lb) Basmati Rice
- 7 cups Water
- 2 tsp Salt
Layering
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon Powder
Instructions
Cabbage and Meat Sauce
- Take a pan; add vegetable oil.
- Add onion and fry until golden brown.
- Then add garlic, cook until light brown.
- Add oil and add meat cubes.
- Fry the meat for 5-10 minutes, until it’s soft and changes color.
- Then add spices, turmeric, black pepper and salt.
- In another pan add butter, melt it and add chopped cabbage.
- Cook for 5 minutes with the lid on.
- Then fry cabbage for 10 minutes without the lid.
- Mix both fried cabbage and meat in one pan.
- Add hot water and simmer cook for 5-10 minutes.
Rice
- Take a large pot. Add water and bring it to a boil.
- Add rice and salt.
- Cook until rice is soft at the edges and hard at the center. It will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the rice in a colander and run cool water over the rice.
Layering
- Take a large pan, coat its base with oil and add water.
NOTES
- You can use ground meat.
- Chicken or turkey can be added instead of red meat.
- To get a more elaborate tahdig, you can add sliced potatoes or bread at the base.
- Sprinkles with some saffron.
— Specific Atributes of This Recipe:
Nutrition
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