Rinse the rice thoroughly and soak it in water with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Prepare the carrots by cutting them into julienne strips, and chop the onions.
In a large pan, sauté the onions until they become translucent. Add the ground meat and cook until browned. Season the meat with cinnamon and ground cardamom.
In a medium pan, melt the butter and add the carrots—season with sugar, a pinch of salt, and ground saffron. Cook for at least 5 minutes. Add the cooked meat to the carrot mixture and cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the soaked and drained rice. Cook the rice until it is half-cooked, then drain the water.
In a large pot, layer the sliced potato at the bottom and add some melted butter and a little oil. Add one-third of the parboiled rice to create the first layer. Top this with halfof the carrot and meat mixture. Repeat with another layer of rice and the remaining carrot and meat mixture. Finally, cover with the remaining parboiled rice. Make three holes in the layers of rice using the handle of a spatula or wooden spoon.
In a small cup, mix 1/2 cup of hot water with 3 tablespoons of melted butter and a pinch of saffron. Sprinkle the mixture over the rice. Once the rice starts to steam,wrap the pot lid with a kitchen towel, lower the heat, and cook for about 45-50 minutes. The towel will absorb the excess condensed liquid, allowing the rice to beme fluffy.