Desserts & Sweets🌸Saffron & Fragrant Rosewater

Laboo (Beets)

لبو (چغندر قرمز پخته شیرین)

I know many of you probably don’t like beets… but Persian Laboo is something else! I personally never thought I would find beets to be tasty, but even I found myself enjoying them. In Iran, hot steaming Laboo is the ultimate street food on a cold winter night.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hr 10 min
Servings
3-4 servings
Difficulty
Super easy
Laboo (Beets)
The Authentic Sofreh Pairing

In Persian tradition, dining is a harmony of hot and cold temperaments (Garm o Sard). Serve this dish alongside:

Persian Black Tea with CardamomPersian Chai with NabatRoasted Nuts & Seeds (Ajil)Pomegranate Seeds (Anar)
🌸Blooming Saffron & Golab

Fragrant Finishing Secret: Grind saffron threads with a pinch of sugar in a mortar and steep in warm water for maximum crimson color. Always stir in rosewater (golab) and crushed cardamom during the final minutes of cooking so their delicate floral oils stay vibrant.

Ingredients

مواد لازم
Servings Stepper
3 servings
Unit System
Prep ready: 0 of 3

Step-by-Step Instructions

طرز تهیه
1
Bake the beets: Wash the beets thoroughly and wrap each beet tightly in aluminum foil. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender when pierced with a knife or skewer.
2
Peel and slice: Once the beets are out of the oven and cool enough to handle, peel the skins off (the skins should slip right off easily) and slice them into thick rounds or wedges.
3
Sweeten and simmer: (If you prefer unsweetened beets, you can eat them right now!). If you prefer them sweetened the traditional street-cart way, place the sliced beets into a saucepan. Mix 1 cup of water with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar until dissolved, and pour the mixture over the beets. Cover with a lid and let them simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes so they absorb the sweetness and turn glossy. You don’t want the liquid to boil away completely.
4
Serve warm: Take the beets out of the pan, spoon a little of the sweet ruby syrup over the top, and serve warm. By cooking them in the syrup, they become wonderfully soft, tender, and sweet. Serve warm 😀!
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