How to Cook Tahdig or TahChin Dish?

Tahdig, also called TahChin in Afghanistan, is a Persian and Afghani dish which means bottom of the pot. This is a very popular dish in Iran and Afghanistan.

Tahdig is also called crunchy rice. Saffron and rice are the main two ingredients of this cuisine. It is produced during the cooking of rice over direct heat from a flame.

List of Ingredients with measurements:

• 2 cups of basmati rice

• Salt as needed

• 4 tablespoons plain yogurt

• 5 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil

• 2 Eggs

• 20~25 saffron threads/ground and dissolved in water

• Lettuce and cilantro (optional)

• Cooking directions:

  1. Fill a large stock pot with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat.

  2. In the meantime, place rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water, swirling

     vigorously with your fingers and changing the water at least five times, until the

     start has run off and the water runs much clearer. Drain the rice.

  3. Once the water comes to a boil, salt it heavily. The precise amount will vary

     depending on what kind of salt you’re using, but it’s about 6 tablespoons fine sea salt or a generous 1⁄2 cup kosher salt. The water should taste saltier than the saltiest seawater you’ve ever tasted. This is your big chance to get the rice seasoned from within, and it’s only going to spend a few minutes in the salted water, so don’t panic about oversalting your food. Add the rice and stir.

  4. Set a fine-mesh sieve or colander in the sink. Cook rice, stirring from time to time, until it’s al dente, about 9 to 13 minutes. Drain into the sieve and immediately begin rinsing with cold water to stop the rice from cooking further. Drain.

  5. Mix the eggs, yogurt, saffron, and 1⁄4 tablespoon of salt to make your saffron rice.

  6. Remove 1 cup of the rice and combine it with your saffron sauce.

  7. Set a large, very well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan

     over medium heat, then add the oil and butter. When butter melts, add the yogurt-

     rice mixture into the pan and level it out.

  8. Pile the remaining rice into the pan, mounding it gently toward the center. I prefer

     using a Glass Bakeware dish pan. Add the rest of the rice on top. I also like to add

     chicken breast or even lamb if you are not vegetarian.

  9. Then, place an aluminum foil to cover the glass ware pan.

  10. Create few holes on the foil so the rice gets cooked well it gets crispy. 11.Put it

      inside the stove and leave it for 400 Fahrenheit. For about 1 hour, until

  11. you start to see a golden crust begin to form at the sides of the pan. Once you see the crust turn from pale amber to gold, wait another 10-15 minutes. The edges of

      the crust should be golden, and the rice should be cooked completely through.

      There isn’t a way to tell what Tahdig will look like until you flip it.

  12. To unmold the rice, carefully run a spatula along the edges of the pan to ensure

      that no part of the crust is sticking. Tip out any excess fat at the bottom of the pan into a bowl, gather your courage, and then carefully flip it onto a platter or cutting board. It should look like a beautiful cake of fluffy rice with a golden crust.

  13. Add the cilantro and lettuce around the Tahdig dish, to look more beautiful and healthy.

• Credit

  Some of the information is taken from Food52