Persian rice is pretty much a staple in most Iranian meals. Persian Tahdig Rice is truly an international treat. Tahdig is a wonderfully crisp layer of cooked rice that originates in the bottom of the pan, but when it is flipped over, becomes a top crust. Tahdig actually translates to mean, “the bottom of the pot”. Although a bit time intensive, it isn’t hard to make. If you want to make a Middle Eastern dish stand out, serve it with Tahdig Rice. This was the first time we made this Persian Tahdig Rice Rice and it turn out fantastic!
Persian Tahdig Rice Recipe Ingredients
- 2 1/2 basmati rice
- water to cover
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron
- 1 cup very hot (not boiling) water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons saffron or vegetable oil
Persian Tahdig Rice Recipe Directions
Rinse with cold water to remove excess starch.
Drain rice and place in saucepan. Add salt and enough water to cover the rice. Bring to a boil and turn down to medium low. Cover and cook until rice is al dente (soft on the outside but still firm, not hard, on the inside).
Remove rice from heat and rinse again in cold water. This will stop the rice from continuing to cook and remove much of the salt. Cover and set aside until you are reading to cook the Persian Tahdig Rice. (You can do this earlier in the day to make the process faster right before your meal.)
In the meantime, place 1/2 cup of very hot water in a bowl or measuring cup. Add saffron to the water and allow to steep for half and hour.
Note: Although saffron provides a subtle and delicate flavor, it is very expensive. If you do not have saffron, there is no taste substitute for this spice, but you can add a drop or two of yellow food coloring to the water to give this dish its beautiful yellow crust.
When you are ready to finish cooking the Persian Tahdig Rice, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan you will be cooking the rice in. Add 4 tablespoons of oil to the melted butter.
Pour the hot butter/oil blend into the steeped saffron liquid and mix thoroughly.
Pour a quarter of the oil/saffron mixture back into the pan you will use to cook the Tahdig Rice.
Place enough of the rice over the oil to cover it completely.
Continue layering the rice and liquid. Save enough liquid so have some to pour on top of your final layer of rice. Note: We had 3 layers of rice.
Using the back of a wooden spoon, make holes in the rice to allow the steam to escape while cooking.
Place a clean towel over over the rice before covering with a lid. Fold the towel up over the lid so it cannot touch the burner or a flame!!! The towel keeps the lid from forming a tight seal, allowing steam to escape. The towel also helps absorb the steam. The secret of success in this rice is allowing the rice to cook but not to become sticky.
DO NOT mix the rice during the cooking process. Cook for 15 minutes on medium low heat. Turn down the heat to low and continue cooking for 1 hour. The end result should be rice that is cooked through and when the rice is inverted, the top should have a hard, golden crust. After an hour, remove pan from stove. Place your serving plate over the pan. The plate should be slightly bigger than the pan.
Holding the plate and pan together, flip the pan over. (Like a pineapple upside down cake.) Slowly remove the pan from the rice.
If all goes well, the top of the rice should be a beautiful golden color and very crispy.
To serve, cut or scoop, making sure everyone gets their fair share of the delicious, crunchy topping!
Serve with kabob koobieden, grilled vegetables, and bread. Follow it up with delicious kooloocheh.
