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1
Crush the saffron in a mortar and pestle and transfer the saffron powder to 1/3 cup of hot, hot water. Stir and steep: You'll be left with bright orange liquid saffron.
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2
Roughly chop one of the yellow onions, then blitz in a food processor until it's a slushy texture. In a large pot, mix it with ground beef.
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3
Season with salt and pepper, turmeric, advieh, and cinnamon, and cook on medium heat, mixing gently with a spatula or wooden spoon, until the beef is browned and the liquid has cooked off. then add tomato paste, mix gently until incorporated, and cook for another 3 minutes before removing from heat.
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4
Dice your second onion finely. In a separate pan with a lid, heat a glug of neutral oil, then saute the diced onion and green beans, cooking for 10 minutes, until the color deepens slightly. Remove from heat and add to the beef mixture.
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5
Cook the rice just like pasta: Bring water to a boil in a large stainless steel pot, salt generously, and add the rice. Continue to cook on medium-high heat and cook until al dente (this time will vary baed on the size of your pot), then remove from heat and rinse with cold water in a colander.
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6
Add a hearty glug of oil and a spoonful of water to the same pot, and spoon the rice over gently, until a thin layer covers the bottom. Continue to add the rice, heaping it in the shape of a pyramid and adding the green bean and beef mixture halfway through. Drizzle with the liquid saffron and butter, and use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently poke holes in the mixture: You're shooting for a thin layer of delicious, crunchy rice at the bottom and these little pockets will help. Wrap the pot lid in a dishtowel and place on top snugly.
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7
Leave covered for 25 to 30 minutes (until the bottom is a crunchy, light brown!) on very low heat, then invert the pot (you might need an extra set of hands!) onto a serving dish and cut into like a cake. If your lubiah polo falls apart, don't fret: Scrape the crunchy bits off the bottom of the pan, then make sure each person gets some of that tahdig along with the fluffy, more pilaf-like rice, too.
