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Laboo
لبو · Tehran's hot winter beetroot, cooked in its own dark syrup
On cold Tehran evenings, vendors push carts piled with steaming beetroot through the bazaars and past school gates, and a paper cup of laboo is what people reach for when the first snow falls. Whole beets are simmered for well over an hour with a little sugar until the cooking water reduces to a glossy, almost purple syrup that clings to every slice. You eat it hot, cut into chunks and spooned with the syrup, sometimes with a pinch of salt to wake up the sweetness. The common mistake is peeling or cutting the beets before cooking, which bleeds out the colour and leaves them pale and watery. Chef's tip: choose beets of the same size so they finish together, and keep the skins on until the very end.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Scrub the 6 medium beetroots gently under running water without breaking the skin. Leave the root tail and the short stalks on; they stop the colour leaking.
5 minStep 2: Put the beets in a heavy pot just big enough to hold them in one layer, pour in the 6 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil over a high heat.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat to a steady simmer, half-cover and cook for 50 minutes. Turn the beets now and then so they cook evenly.
50 minStep 4: Stir in the 3 tbsp sugar and simmer uncovered for another 20–25 minutes, until a knife slides into the centre of the largest beet with no resistance and the liquid has reduced to a thin, shiny syrup. If the pot looks dry before the beets are tender, add a splash of hot water.
25 minStep 5: Lift out the beets, let them cool for 2 minutes, then rub off the skins with kitchen paper. Cut into wedges or thick slices.
5 minStep 6: Pile into cups, spoon the hot syrup over and add a pinch of 1 pinch salt if you like. Eat warm; leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge in their syrup.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does laboo take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 85 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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