Chelow ba Tahdig (Persian-Style Rice with Golden Crust)
This classic Iranian dish takes rice to a whole other level, with perfectly plump, separate grains and a crispy, buttery, nutty-tasting crust.
Gather Your Ingredients
Key Equipment
Before You Begin
Plain Greek yogurt will also work here. For the best results, use a Dutch oven with a bottom diameter between 8 ½ and 10 inches. If you own a nonstick pot, this is a good place to use it; omit 1 tablespoon of oil and skip oiling the pot in step 4. It is important not to overcook the rice during the parboiling step, as it will continue to cook during steaming. Begin checking the rice at the lower end of the given time range. Do not skip placing the pot on a damp towel in step 8—doing so will help free the crust from the pot. Serve this dish alongside stews or grilled meats.
Instructions
1.
Stir saffron threads in ⅓ cup water. Place rice in large fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place rice and 1 tablespoon salt in medium bowl and cover with 4 cups hot tap water. Stir gently to dissolve salt; let stand for 15 minutes. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer.
2.
Bring 8 cups water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add rice and remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Boil briskly until rice is mostly tender with slight bite in center and grains are floating toward top of pot, 3 to 5 minutes.
3.
Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water to stop cooking, about 30 seconds. Rinse and dry pot well to remove any residual starch. Brush bottom and 1-inch up sides of pot with 1 tablespoon oil.
4.
Combine remaining ¼ cup oil, yogurt, 1 tablespoon saffron water, and 2 cups parcooked rice in medium bowl. Stir until rice is evenly coated. Spread yogurt-rice mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pot, packing it down well.
5.
Mound remaining rice in center of pot on top of yogurt-rice base (it should look like cone or small hill). Poke 8 equally spaced holes through rice mound but not into yogurt-rice base. Place 1 butter cube in each hole. Drizzle remaining saffron water over rice mound.
6.
Wrap pot lid with clean dish towel and cover pot tightly, making sure towel is secure on top of lid and away from heat. Cook over medium-high heat until rice on bottom is crackling and steam is coming from sides of pot, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pot halfway through for even cooking.
7.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until rice is tender and fluffy, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Remove covered pot from heat and place on damp dish towel set in rimmed baking sheet; let stand for 5 minutes.
8.
Gently fluff rice and spoon onto serving platter. Using thin metal spatula, loosen edges of crust from pot, then break crust into large pieces. Transfer pieces to serving platter, arranging evenly around rice. Serve.
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