I grew up in a household with a dad from Iran (Mashhad) and a mom from Jersey (Italian, Irish). We didn’t have Persian food often, but when we did my dad would make saffron rice to accompany kababs and other accessories. It took me several years to replicate Persian rice to match my childhood memory. This recipe is a hybrid from two others: Food of Life (Batmangli) and Andy Baraghani from Bon Appetit (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crunchy-baked-saffron-rice-with-barberries). One of the most important elements is the rice pot. I purchased a 5 Quart ceramic pot (https://amzn.to/2Yvj7EK) from Green Pan, which prevents the rice from sticking without the Teflon toxin concern. It was a game-changer.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of extra long grain Basmati rice (purchased from a Middle Eastern store – no compromises!)
- 10 cups of water
- 1/4 cup of kosher salt
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed (or 1 tsp whole cardamom)
- 1 Tbsp rosewater
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp ground saffron, dissolved in 4 Tbsp of hot rosewater
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 raw egg yolks
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
The ideal process starts a day before you want to serve. Rinse rice with warm water in a colander until the water runs clear, about 30 seconds. Drain. Soak the rice for up to 24 hours in 8 cups of water that has been salted with 1/4 cup of kosher salt. When you’re ready to cook, drain the salted water. On the stove, bring another 8 cups of fresh water to a boil. Add cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, 1 Tbsp rosewater, and 1/4 cup of kosher salt. Add rice and boil until the rice starts to float at the surface (6 – 8 minutes). Drain the rice again in a fine mesh colander and rice with 2 – 3 cups of cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.While the rice is boiling, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, heat the rosewater and grind up the saffron pedals using a mortar and pestle. I like to use either a tsp of sugar or salt to help grind up the saffron. Add the heated rosewater directly to the mortar and allow the ground saffron to steep a bit.To make the golden crust (tag-dig), do the following:In a mixing bowl, add yogurt, oil, eggs, melted butter, cumin seeds, and some of the saffron-rosewater mixture. Add about 1/4 of your parboiled rice to the mixture and combine.Spread some olive oil around the pot to ensure that the rice doesn’t stick. Take the tah-dig prepared rice and spread it around the bottom of the pot. Then, carefully add the rest of your rice in a pyramid shape on top of the bottom layer. Add another 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup of hot water on top of the pyramid to provide enough moisture during the cooking process. If you have any remaining saffron-rosewater, spread that around the pyramid. Finally, cover the pot tightly with foil and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Cook for 60 – 80 minutes depending on how you prefer the doneness of the crust.Once it’s finished, remove from the oven and allow 10 minutes for resting. Serve with your favorite Persian food. I like to sprinkle sumac on top.
Alex Taghavian 