Persian Tahdeeg Rice And Potatoes Recipes

TAHDIG RECIPE (CRISPY PERSIAN RICE)

Steps:

• 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 "pointy" in the middle--that'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'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.

PERSIAN RICE WITH POTATO TAHDIG

Steps:

• Rinse and drain rice 2 times.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rice and salt; cook for 6 minutes. Drain in a colander. Rinse rice and drain again.
• Put oil in the bottom of the pot and place potato slices in a single layer over top. Pour cooked rice on top of potato slices, cover, and cook over low heat until rice and potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Invert carefully onto a serving plate so sliced potatoes are on top of rice.

POTATO TAHDIG

Steps:

• Stir saffron and 2 Tbsp. lukewarm water in a small bowl; set aside to bloom.
• Meanwhile, place rice in a strainer or fine-mesh sieve and rinse with lukewarm water, swishing around with your hands to get rid of excess starch, until water runs clear. Cook rice in a large pot of boiling generously salted water for 7 minutes. Check one grain; it should be soft on the edges but firm inside. You should be able to break it into two using your fingertips, but the grain should still be firm in the middle. If not, cook 1 minute longer and check again. Drain rice and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
• Wipe out pot. Pour 1/3 cup oil into pot and heat over medium. Add saffron mixture, tilting pot to make sure it covers the bottom.
• Arrange potato slices in an even layer in bottom of pot. Season with 2 tsp. salt. Return rice to pot on top of potatoes in a mound (so it's higher in the middle than the edges) without pressing or packing it down. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make 5 holes in rice, going all the way down to the potato layer, so steam can escape. Pour 1/2 cup water around outer edge of potatoes. Cover lid with a clean dish towel, tying the ends up over the handle so they don't catch fire, then cover pot with lid. Cook over medium-high heat until steaming, 7-10 minutes (check after 7 minutes; if you don't see steam, cover and continue to cook).
• Pour remaining 1/4 cup oil evenly over rice, cover pot, and let steam over low heat until rice and potatoes are cooked through, 30-40 minutes. Taste to make sure rice is fully cooked; if not, add 1/4 cup more water, then let steam another 10 minutes.
• Spoon rice onto a platter. Using a spatula, lift crispy potatoes and rice off bottom of pot (this is the tahdig) and arrange, browned side up, over rice.

PERSIAN TAHDEEG (RICE AND POTATOES)

Steps:

• For best results, soak the rice for a few hours in hot water and some salt before cooking.
• Peel the potatoes and slice them in a round shape.
• You could use the potatoes unpeeled as well since they add lots of fiber to your diet (I don't do this, I have picky kids).
• In a medium size pot, half-way filled with water, bring the water to a boil.
• Add the rice (and the water it was soaking in), and let it cook for a few minutes until it starts boiling.
• Occasionally pick a few of the rice grains with a spoon and chew on them to see if they have softened.
• When the rice is half-crunchy half-soft, take it out and drain it in a kitchen strainer.
• Run tap water on top of it to wash out some of the salt.
• Pour the oil in the pot, add 4 oz of water.
• Lay the potatoes in the bottom of the pot, add a bit of salt, then pile up the rice loosely in the shape of a mountain, on top of the potatoes.
• With the back of a spoon, make five holes, one in the center and four around it so that the rice can breath in the cooking process.
• Spread a little water on top and close the lid.
• Let it cook for a couple of minutes on high heat.
• When the rice starts to steam, change the setting to medium heat and let it cook for about 15 minutes.
• Then turn the heat to medium-low, sprinkle some cooking oil to stop it from drying, and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
• Most likely by this time the smell of the potatoes has filled the kitchen, and the dish is ready to eat.
• Note: If you have a choice, use Basmati rice and be careful not to overboil, it can get pretty sticky if you overcook it.

PERSIAN TAHDIG RICE

Steps:

• Grind saffron threads with sugar in a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl and dissolve in boiling water. Set aside to soak.
• Wash starch from the rice by rinsing it in a nonstick 4-quart pot. Rinse 3 or 4 times in lukewarm water until water runs clear. Fill the pot 3/4 full with cold water, covering the rice. Bring to a boil. Add olive oil and cook until rice is soft on the outside and still crunchy in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Drain rice and rinse with cool water. Set aside. Rinse any excess rice starch out of the pot.
• Melt butter in the clean, dry pot. Mound rice over the butter; add enough water to reach 1/3 of the height of the rice. Sprinkle salt over the rice. Wrap the lid with a kitchen towel and cover the pot to seal tightly. Simmer over medium heat until all water is absorbed and a crispy crust starts to form on the bottom, about 10 minutes.
• Fluff the rice with a fork while turning it out on a plate. Measure 1 cup rice and mix with the saffron water. Scatter saffron rice over plain rice. Detach the layer of crust, or 'tahdig', from the bottom of the pot and serve in a separate dish as a special treat.

PERSIAN RICE WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it; add rice and cook, adjusting heat to maintain a steady boil. Stir occasionally. When rice is nearly done, about 10 minutes later, drain it.
• While rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a wide skillet or casserole, preferably nonstick. Arrange potatoes in butter. Pour cooked rice over potatoes; turn heat to very low. Add 2 tablespoons butter and cover. Cook over lowest possible heat, undisturbed, for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until potatoes are crisp (use a spatula to peek). Keep the dish on minimum heat for another half hour, or turn off heat and reheat over medium-low heat for 15 minutes before serving. During last few minutes of cooking, add black pepper and, if you like, 2 more tablespoons of butter.
• Cut potato-rice cake into pieces and serve.