Tahdig

Tahdig

Persian rice with a crisp crust, 1 hr, serves 4

Ingredients

basmati rice     400g
butter           75g
oil              3 tbsp
yoghurt          3 tbsp
saffron          pinch, in 3 tbsp hot water
salt             to season

The Le Creuset does this better than anything else. Heavy even base, no hot spots.
Tahdig means bottom of the pot. The crust is the dish, the fluffy rice above it is the side.

Recipe

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak 30 minutes in salted water.

Rinsing washes off loose starch. Skip it and the grains clag together.

2. Boil in plenty of salted water for 5 minutes, until a grain bends but still has a hard bite in the middle. Drain.

3. Mix two ladles of the rice with the yoghurt and half the saffron water:

[parboiled rice 2 ladles, yoghurt 3 tbsp, saffron water half]

The yoghurt is what makes the crust golden and crisp rather than just brown.

4. Melt the butter and oil in the pot, then spread the yoghurt rice flat across the bottom.

5. Pile the rest of the rice on top in a mound. Poke a few holes down through it with the handle of a spoon.

The holes let steam escape so the top cooks evenly.

6. Wrap the lid in a tea towel, put it on, and cook on the lowest heat for 30 to 45 minutes.

The tea towel catches the condensation. Without it, water drips back down and the crust goes soggy.

Start checking at 30 and do not leave it to 45 unchecked. Most recipes say 25 to 30 minutes, the longer end here is because the Le Creuset base holds more heat than the thin pans they assume.
You want crackling and a smell of toasted rice. Any smell of burning and it is done, take it off.
To check without turning it out, lift the pot and tilt it, the crust should have shrunk slightly from the edge.

7. Run a knife round the edge and turn the whole thing out onto a plate, crust up. Pour the rest of the saffron water over.

Eat the day you make it. The crust doesn’t survive the fridge.

Sources: The Mediterranean Dish, Feel Good Foodie.