Suthseaxa
Senior Cook
For anyone here who wants to make and/or try Persian tahdig (pronounced tadeeg) rice, I thought I'd share my best method thus far for making it. It can take a few tries. This is for a plain crust tahdig; I have yet to try/perfect others.
Take some good quality basmati rice (enough for your diners and ensure it's enough to cover the bottom of a pot with enough to spare)
Wash the rice until the water runs clear and then soak in lightly salted water for hours. At least two. I tend to do it all day. Some people say overnight.
Drain the rice and allow the water to drip away. I do this in a sieve for ease.
Boil some salted water and add whatever you wish to it for flavour. I tend to use cardamom pods, orange blossom water and a cinnamon stick.
Briskly boil the rice for 5-10mins. Personally, I find 7 is perfect for the type of rice I use. The grains should be soft but not yet cooked.
When done, drain the rice and wash with cold water to stop it from cooking.
Pour enough oil into a heavy pot to coat the bottom and add some cold water (I use saffron water), just so you have about 1mm of liquid in the bottom (excuse any estimation errors I made with the depth!).
Add enough rice to cover the bottom of the pot. Swirl in some nigella or cumin seeds if you like.
Mound the rest of the rice in a pyramid on top. Put a lid on the pot and cook over medium/high heat for 10mins.
Whilst the rice is cooking, whisk a little more oil with some saffron/rose water. When the rice had cooked for 10mins, open the lid and pour over the water/oil mixture. Move the pot over to your smallest flame/ring and turn the heat down low. Wrap a tea towel over the lid of the pot, replace it on the top of the pot and let the rice cook for 60-70mins over a very low heat.
Take the pot from the flame and rest it on a cold or wooden surface for 5mins.
Serve the rice, detach the crust form the bottom, cut into slices and serve!
You can also season it with advieh (a mixture of cumin, cinnamon, rose petals and cardamom) before serving. Enjoy!
Take some good quality basmati rice (enough for your diners and ensure it's enough to cover the bottom of a pot with enough to spare)
Wash the rice until the water runs clear and then soak in lightly salted water for hours. At least two. I tend to do it all day. Some people say overnight.
Drain the rice and allow the water to drip away. I do this in a sieve for ease.
Boil some salted water and add whatever you wish to it for flavour. I tend to use cardamom pods, orange blossom water and a cinnamon stick.
Briskly boil the rice for 5-10mins. Personally, I find 7 is perfect for the type of rice I use. The grains should be soft but not yet cooked.
When done, drain the rice and wash with cold water to stop it from cooking.
Pour enough oil into a heavy pot to coat the bottom and add some cold water (I use saffron water), just so you have about 1mm of liquid in the bottom (excuse any estimation errors I made with the depth!).
Add enough rice to cover the bottom of the pot. Swirl in some nigella or cumin seeds if you like.
Mound the rest of the rice in a pyramid on top. Put a lid on the pot and cook over medium/high heat for 10mins.
Whilst the rice is cooking, whisk a little more oil with some saffron/rose water. When the rice had cooked for 10mins, open the lid and pour over the water/oil mixture. Move the pot over to your smallest flame/ring and turn the heat down low. Wrap a tea towel over the lid of the pot, replace it on the top of the pot and let the rice cook for 60-70mins over a very low heat.
Take the pot from the flame and rest it on a cold or wooden surface for 5mins.
Serve the rice, detach the crust form the bottom, cut into slices and serve!
You can also season it with advieh (a mixture of cumin, cinnamon, rose petals and cardamom) before serving. Enjoy!