Persian Tahdig

Okay so I didn't know such a cooking method for rice existed until a couple of weeks ago, and this is my second attempt and I think it's going to be a regular. So what you aim for is a hard or crispy caramalised almost brittle outer, the other side of the potato is creamy and buttery with the lightest rice ever interior. 

So a tahdig can be made from potato, bread such as a flatbread, or just rice, you should be able to tap it and tell how hard it is. In Iran you impress your family with your tahdig. And that's a sentence I've never written before.

So how you ask. 

Soak 250 gm of rice with salt for a few minutes, then rinse it until the water runs clear, bring a pan of water to boil add the rice and boil for 8 minutes only, then drain.

Take a wok or large pan and melt some gee or butter, place a layer of potatoes to cover, sprinkle some salt on them and then carefully add the rice. Dot with pieces of butter. Then put on a high heat and cover with a plate or lid wrapped in a towel (a towel is used so that the steam can escape), when it's steaming turn the heat down to low and leave for about 30 minutes. At this point check if your potatoes have browned. If it's looking good and if you have some saffron you can soak a few strands in boiling water for a minute or two and then take a bowl full of rice out and mix with saffron and then put it back and spread out.

Next using the plate turn over the pan to reveal your tahdig. Swagger to the table and say 'Mesl-e âb khordan' as they stare, 'yes it means like drinking water, that easy, piece of cake'.