tahdig

Tahdig, pronounced tah-deeg, literally means &quot;bottom of the pot&quot; in Persian. And it refers to a beautiful, pan-fried Persian rice that is fluffy and buttery on the inside with a perfectly golden crust, which is the layer at the bottom of the pot. This tahdig is laced with saffron and scented with orange zest. Be sure to use a nonstick pan for this recipe. Step-by-step photos and more tips in the post.

Tahdig Recipe (Crispy Persian Rice)

saffron

basmati rice (like Royal Basmati Rice (affiliate link))

salt

tbsp whole milk yogurt (Greek or otherwise)

cherries, (finely chopped)

orange

cinnamon

tbsp pistachios, (roughly chopped for garnish)

Mix the saffron into 1 cup very warm (but not hot) water. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to let the saffron release all of its flavor.

In a sieve, rinse the rice under cool running water until the water almost runs clear.

In a large pot, combine 8 cups of water and the salt (this is your one shot to season the rice itself). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook until al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the rice.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the cooked rice, the yogurt, grapeseed oil, and 2 tbsp of the saffron water. Mix thoroughly.

Spread the rice-yogurt mixture evenly on the bottom of a 10-inch lidded nonstick pot. Sprinkle 1 cup of the remaining cooked rice on top, followed by 2 tablespoons of the dried cherries, a pinch of orange zest, and a pinch of cinnamon. Add another layer of rice and repeat with the cherries, orange zest, and cinnamon, reserving a couple tbsp of the cherries for garnish. As you go about layering, the rice will start to dome and look &quot;pointy&quot; in the middle--that&#039;s okay! Keep it that way. Finish by dotting the top with the butter and pour the rest of the saffron water all over the top.

Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and secure it around the handle with a rubber band. Cover the pot and cook over low heat, 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice around the edges is golden and crispy; it&#039;s okay to peek under the lid! (See note #2) Be sure not to burn the bottom layer of the rice, though you do want a nice crust in the bottom.

Remove the lid, invert a large serving plate over the pot, and carefully flip them over together. No worries if it sticks, just scrape it out and run with it! Sprinkle the tahdig with the reserved dried cherries and pistachios and serve right away.

Recipe adapted from Turmeric and Saffron and many other Youtube searches

Tah-Dig (Persian Rice)

basmati

canola oil

turmeric

In a large bowl, rinse rise several times until the water drains clear.

Fill bowl with water again and add a large pinch of salt. Allow rice to soak for about 20 minutes while you boil water. Reserve 3 tablespoons of boiling water for later use.                                *I've read/heard different soaking times, anywhere from no soaking to overnight.

Bring a large pot with 4 cups of water to a boil. Drain rice and add to boiling water. Allow to cook, uncovered on medium-high heat for exactly 8 minutes (Set your timer.) Skim the foam off the top.

When rice is done, it should begin to puff up, be soft on the outside and hard on the inside. Drain rice and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

Using a mortar and pestle, grind a large pinch of saffron until it becomes powdery. Dissolve saffron in reserved 3 tablespoons hot water and stir with a spoon. Set aside.

Heat a medium size non-stick skillet on medium high heat and add oil, 3 Tb plain water, turmeric and saffron liquid. Gently swirl pan around so bottom is fully coated.

Add rice back into the pan, making sure the entire bottom is covered. Using the back of your large spoon, poke holes into the rice mound being careful not to go all the way down. Allow to cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, you should see steam coming out.

Cover pan lid with a kitchen towel and close pan. The towel will catch any moisture from the rice. Allow to cook for another 35 minutes. When it's done, you should hear a sizzle and crackling sound.

To serve: remove lid and place plate on top, carefully inverting the pan so the bottom of the rice is up. Or you can scoop the rice out and break the tahdig apart and scatter around the edges.

Saffron &amp; Yogurt Tahdig (Crispy Persian Rice)

Mahatma® Basmati Rice

tbsp butter

tbsp neutral oil

full fat plain yogurt

Measure 2 cups of Mahatma® Rice&#39;s basmati rice. Rinse with cold water until the water runs clear.

Soak the rice in water and a hefty pinch of salt for 1 hour.

After 1 hour bring a large pot of water to a boil then add 1/4 cup of salt.

Drain the soaked rice then add it to the boiling salt water and parboil for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, the rice should puff up slightly and be soft on the outside but still a little hard on the inside.

Strain into a fine mesh colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Taste the rice- if it is too salty, rinse it some more.

Strain the rice well.

Grind up the saffron threads with your fingers or a mortar and pestle. Dissolve with 2 tbsp of hot water. Let it infuse for 10-15 minutes.

Mix 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the rice with yogurt, oil, saffron water, and 1 tbsp melted butter.

Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter in a non stick pan or dutch oven. Use a little more butter if you&#39;re using a pan with a larger diameter, like 10 + inches.

Add the saffron &amp; yogurt rice, spreading evenly but do not pack it down too tighlty.

Then add the remaining parboiled rice on top. Poke 6 to 8 holes into the rice using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. This allows steam to escape so the bottom can get crispy.

Wrap the lid with a kitchen towel, then cover and turn up the heat to medium for 7 minutes. Then turn the heat down to low for 40 minutes.

Turn the pot by 1/4 turn every 10 minutes so the bottom cooks evenly.

When finished, you can use a flexible spatula to carve around the edges to help it come out cleaner. Press down and let the spatula bend underneath the tahdig to release it from the pan.Remove the lid and place a plate upside down over the top of the pot. Carefully grasp both sides and flip it over, then lift the pot upwards to release the tahdig onto the plate.

Inspired by recipes and tips from Jew-ish by Jake Cohen, Persiana by Sabrina Gayour, Samin Nosrat, and an online cooking class I took with Shayma Saadat.There are a variety of ways to make Persian Chelo ba Tahdig (rice with a crispy layer) which is a recipe that&#039;s more about the technique than ingredients. It took me three times until I got it right, but once you do, you&#039;re set for life. I gave some notes in the post about the type of skillet to use. I used a good-quality non-stick skillet with a lid that fits. You also want to have a large, flat platter, cutting board, or baking sheet handy for turning out the final rice dish. Do read the recipe through once before making it. It&#039;s not difficult but requires few steps, including rinsing, draining, and parboiling the rice, and making a saffron infusion with yogurt. Read the recipe through first and gathering these utensils first will make it a little easier. As mentioned in the post, the saffron really does add a lovely color and flavor, but if it&#039;s out of your budget or not available, you can make it without it. If you really like saffron, feel free to increase the amount to 1 teaspoon.

Tahdig

(390 grams) basmati rice

(total) unsalted butter

neutral-tasting vegetable oil

(60 milliliters) plain yogurt ((not nonfat))

Wash the rice: Put the rice in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover it well. Swirl it around with your hand, then drain the rice through a colander or large mesh strainer. Do that several more times until the water is almost clear with little to no chalky residue floating in it. It&#39;ll take about 5 to 7 times of rinsing and draining to get the rice to that point.

Put the washed and drained rice back in the bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it sit for 1 hour, then drain.

Parboil the rice: Bring a pot of water (about 4 quarts/liters) to a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt in it. When it comes to a boil, add the drained rice and cook until the rice is just slightly softened and a bit tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Prepare the saffron: While the rice is parboiling, in a medium bowl, use your fingers to crush the saffron. (If you have a mortar and pestle, you can use that to crush the saffron.) Add 2 tablespoons of hot water from the parboiling rice pot to the saffron and let the saffron infuse in the water for 15 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, vegetable oil, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of salt, depending on your preference for salt. (I use 2 teaspoons.)

As soon as the rice is cooked, drain the rice in a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water, diffusing the water with your hand or use the sprayer attachment (if your kitchen faucet has one) to cool the rice quickly and thoroughly. Set the rice aside to drain well.

Make the rice and Tahdig: Melt the butter in a 10-inch (25cm) non-stick skillet. Spoon 1 tablespoon of that melted butter into the saffron yogurt mixture and swirl or spread the rest of the butter so it&#39;s in an even layer in the pan.

Mix 2 cups (250g) of the cooked rice into the saffron yogurt mixture then add it to the skillet in a relatively even layer in the skillet, but don&#039;t pack it down.

Spread the rest of the cooled rice over the saffron rice in the skillet in an even layer. Use the handle of a wooden spoon (or another kitchen tool with a round or oval handle), held vertically, to make 6 indentations in the rice, evenly spaced apart, which will help the steam escape from the bottom layer so it crisps up.

Wrap the lid for the pan with a kitchen towel, making sure to tuck or tie the towel up and tightly around the lid to make sure there&#039;s no overhang where the flame could be able to reach it. (You want to avoid catching it on fire.) Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 8 minutes. Then turn the heat down to just above the lowest setting and continue to cook, turning the pan a quarter turn on the burner, every 10 minutes, until the Tahdig is ready, which will take about 45 minutes on a gas burner. (An electric burner will take longer.)

To give you a clue to when it&#39;s done, while controversial, you can lift the lid to peek inside but try not to let any condensation from the lid drip into the rice. If you want to do that, about 30 minutes into cooking, slide a small silicone spatula in between the side of the pan and the edge of the rice. If you see the rice at the bottom of the pan turning brown around the edges, that&#39;s a sign that you&#39;re on your way to Tahdig success!

When ready, remove the lid and place a serving platter upside down over the top of the skillet. Firmly grasp both the skillet and the platter and flip both simultaneously over. Lift off the skillet and serve.

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