Persian rice and tahdig with all the crispiness. This step-by-step tutorial will help you master the art of making rice and tahdig, just as is done in Iran.

 

Rice is one of the staples of Persian cuisine and we have many recipes revolving around rice such as Persian tomato rice, dill rice with peas and tahchin. Today’s rice recipe with tahdig is one of the most essential recipes that you need to know about. Follow my step-by-step tutorial and learn how to make this classic Persian delicacy.

About this recipe

It’s time to get around to one of the most important components of Persian cuisine: the rice with crunchy tahdig! I bet you’ve heard of it, right? The fluffy rice flavored with saffron and the crispy part which can be bread, potatoes or just plain rice. How do these people make it so perfectly? Well, it’s time for you to learn how to master this staple of our food culture.

I’m here with another very detailed recipe that answers all your potential questions about how to make Persian rice which is also called chelow. Rice is the most important part of Persian cooking as stews such as ghormeh sabzi or kebabs like joojeh kabab are always served with it.

Indeed, there are so many rice-based Persian recipes that I would love to share with you. The good news is that the basic process to make all these different rice recipes is the same as this Iranian rice; other rice dishes simply involve the addition of ingredients, such as lubia polo (green beans and lamb rice) and adas polo (lentil rice).

What rice to use

To make Persian white rice, you need a long grain rice such as basmati. Long grain rice keeps its shape while steaming and doesn’t get mushy or sticky easily. Short grains tend to stick together whereas what we need is rice that ends up being fluffy and having separated grains.

Instructions

Making this recipe might seem intimating but it’s actually quite easy. Rice, water, oil and salt are the basic ingredients for this recipe. Here are the steps that lead to a tasty pot of rice, Persian-style:

Par-cook the rice

Start with washing and rinsing the rice 3 to 5 times. This will help remove extra starch in rice. Next, bring water to boil in a large pot and once it’s boiling, add some salt and pour in the rice.

Cook the rice for about seven minutes. Take a grain out and try to break it in half using your fingertips. The rice should be soft on the edges and firm in the middle. We don’t want the rice to cook completely as we are going to cook it again.

Using a colander, strain the rice and immediately pour cold water over it. This will stop the cooking process for now. Dry the pot, put it on the stove and pour 1/8 cup vegetable oil in it, covering the bottom completely. If you like, add some bloomed saffron to the oil.

Prepare the tahdig and cook the rice

To make tahdig with bread place a flour tortilla (or lavash) or two (depending on the size of the pot) at the bottom, covering the bottom of the pot entirely. Transfer the par cooked rice slowly to the pot and shape it like a mountain.

Using the end of the spatula, make 4-5 holes in the rice. This will help the steam escape and prevent the rice from becoming sticky.

Pour some water around the edges. Cover the lid in a towel and place it on the pot. Place the pot over medium high heat for 7 to 10 minutes until the steam comes up.

Once the steam is up, pour 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil on the rice and cover again. Turn the heat to medium low and steam the rice for another 30 to 40 minutes until it’s cooked.

If after 30 minutes the rice is not cooked, add 1/4 cup water to help it steam more. Cooking the rice first on medium high makes the tahdig crispy and golden. Don’t steam the rice over medium high heat for more than 10-15 minutes as it might burn. Also, don’t start steaming over medium low or even medium because the tahdig will end up being soft and not crunchy.

Saffron rice topping

To make the saffron topping, take four or five tablespoons of completely cooked rice and place it in a bowl. Add in one to two tablespoons of bloomed saffron to the rice and mix using a spoon.

Once you transfer the white rice to the serving platter, spread the saffron rice mixture on top. To serve tahdig, reach to the bottom of the pot, take the tahdig out and either serve it whole or break it into pieces.

Tahdig variations

That crispy bottom layer of the rice dish is called tahdig. In the olden days, tahdig was used to preserve the rice and avoid burning. However, over the years, this bottom layer became the most savored part of any rice dish. 

Tahdig can be made with rice, bread, potatoes and even lettuce. Tahdig is usually crispy and very flavorful, as it forms at the bottom of the pot while the rice is being cooked. You can find the detailed rice and tahdig recipe below alongside the full description. Let’s take a look at different types of tahdig recipes: 

• Rice: The most basic types of tahdig, rice tahdig is made simply by pouring some oil into the pot and add the rice all at once. There will be a crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pot. And example would be this saffron rice recipe.
• Potato: One of the most popular tahdig recipes out there, potato tahdig (tahdig sibzamini) is made with golden potatoes placed at the bottom of the pot. The result is crispy golden potatoes flavored with saffron. I have written a complete tutorial on how to make potato tahdig on Epicurious. 
• Lettuce: An interesting twist on the classic tahdig, lettuce tahdig is regularly served with Persian herbed rice. Please check out our Persian herbed rice recipe for our complete recipe for lettuce tahdig. 
• Bread: The most common type of tahdig usually made with thin bread such as lavash or tortillas. The crispy bread at the bottom is super tasty. The full tutorial for this bread tahdig is in the recipe card. 

Serving suggestions

Persian rice is usually served with stews such as ghormeh sabzi, gheimeh, bademjan or fesenjan. You can also serve it with grilled meat such as braised lamb shanks or joojeh kabab with a simple side of salad shirazi.

Frequently asked questions

Notes and tips

• Some advise soaking the rice in water overnight. I don’t do that, especially with basmati rice as its texture is different from the rice found in Iran.
• Choosing the right pot in which to make this recipe is very important. Non-stick pots work best here (usually a 6 quart). Dutch ovens are not suitable for this recipe as they keep too much moisture which will make the tahdig soft and the rice sticky.
• Make sure the vegetable oil covers the entire bottom of your pot. This is the key to a good crispy tahdig.
• The reason we cover the lid in a towel before putting it on the pot to start steaming is that the towel will absorb the steam so it doesn’t drip into the rice.
• It’s best to serve tahdig immediately. However you can store the rice in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

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