SAEDNEWS: Basturma Polo (Basdirma Polo) is a highly delicious and festive dish of the people of East Azerbaijan. This local specialty is made with marinated local duck meat, chicken, red meat, and especially lamb neck or shank.
According to the Family Magazine service of SaedNews, Basturma Polo is one of the local and traditional dishes of Ardabil. The method for preparing this delicious Azerbaijani dish is very simple and easy, requiring only a few accessible ingredients. To fully learn the step-by-step method for making Basturma Polo, follow along below.
Ingredients for Basturma Polo:
500 g lamb
2 large onions
50 g butter
Salt, pepper, saffron as needed
1 piece of cinnamon stick
3 garlic cloves
½ cup water
2 cups rice
Instructions for Making Basturma Polo:
Slice the onions and place them in a pot. Add the meat, garlic, cinnamon stick, pepper, butter, and half a cup of water. Cook for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, add salt and saffron and cook for another 10 minutes. Separate the meat broth and reserve it for cooking the rice.
Let the onions caramelize, then turn off the heat.
Cook the rice with the meat broth, then drain it.
Add oil to a pot and prepare the desired base for Tahdig (crispy rice). I used potato slices for the Tahdig.
Place half of the drained rice in the pot, then add the cooked meat on top. Cover with the remaining rice and press down gently with a spatula.
Let it steam for 40 minutes before serving.
