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Ever since I heard of Tahdig, I’ve loved it, even though I’d never tried it. The idea of a plate of rice with a brittle, crackly crown appealed to me. It wasn’t until I was in Dubai with my friend Anissa Helou where she ordered a plate of just the crunchy shards of rice, I made a statement that it may have been the best thing I ever ate. There’s nothing wrong with speaking in superlatives, which is hard not to do about Tahdig. Enthusiasm is a good thing. It’s taken me over ten years to try making it at home, but I finally did. And I’m happy to report that now, I can have Tahdig whenever I want. And so can you.

I’ve always wanted to go to Iran. Those plans have been thwarted over the years by a variety of factors but friends who’ve been said the food was great and the people were lovely. Another friend who was a journalist based there for a few years also echoed that. One thing people have seen and learned in our lifetime is that the government of a country doesn’t necessarily reflect the feelings of the general population. Not everyone in France or the U.S. shares the same feelings projected by their governments, nor do people in other places.

But it’s hard for me not to like anything with rice. Technically the steamed rice dish is called Chelo and the crust is Tahdig so the finished dish I believe would be called Chelo Ba Tahdig. There are a number of variations on it, some which include lentils, dried cherries, and herbs (Sabzi Polo). Tahcheen is an oven-baked crisp rice dish that has chicken, Zereshk is made with tart barberries, and Albaloo Polow has sour cherries embedded in it.

Other variations include baking the rice over a sheet of flatbread, sliced potatoes, or pasta. If you’re anything like me, you want them all, but as much as I’m a friend of all carbs, I wanted to start with just rice. In the years I’ve spent years thinking about making this, I talked to Persian friends (and strangers) to gather intel. But it wasn’t until I saw it in Jew-ish by Jake Cohen (who deftly made it for us at his home) did I get the courage to give it a go myself.

According to Jake, and an Iranian friend who told me her mother did the same thing, one should use a cheap non-stick pan to make Tahdig. The flatter the bottom, the better. I didn’t have one so was planning to use my good-quality non-stick skillet. (Sorry cast-iron skillet aficionados. While they’re great for some things, they don’t have an affinity for rice, which I learned from a stuck-on experience when I tried to make fried rice in mine.)

But I was walking down the street and saw someone had put a cheap non-stick pot out on the sidewalk. With my typical 150% hygiene overdose – which Romain says I have une psychoses about (which is his opinion…) – I carefully picked the pan up and placed in it one of the shopping bags I usually carry and sanitized my hand. When I got home and took off my hazmat suit, I dropped the pot directly into the dishwasher and set the temperature to the Désenfecter mode, and let the machine do its thing.

Continuing to do the work, as they say, of understanding a dish before presenting it, I shared some of my results on social media, prompting helpful tips from Sabrina Ghayour, author of Persiana, who recommended scrunching up a circle of parchment paper and putting it in the pot before the rice and melted butter to keep it from sticking. That trick was echoed during an online class I took from Shayma Saadat. Others had a quibble about it, but I did try it and it works – but who knew “paper shaming” was a thing? (And I certainly hope those people don’t become cake-bakers because if you don’t like rounds of parchment, you’re going to be in for an unpleasant surprise.) But if something works for you, why not do it? It’s just a piece of paper.

So between Sabrina, Shayma, Samin, and Jake, whose husband is Persian, who got tips from his mother-in-law, I learned a lot in my several attempts. (I know I am 25% Syrian but when I get my ancestry DNA results back, they just might find out that I now have some Persian in me.) With all those celebrated cooks peering over my shoulder, including a Persian mother-in-law, I was in good hands. And while I didn’t adhere to one particular recipe, I learned and leaned on all of them for advice to come up with the one here.

A few tips:

The pan and stovetop: Over the years, I heard the same thing: “Use a cheap, non-stick skillet.” I tried that and found the Tahdig slipped out just fine but the cooking was uneven, which makes sense; most are flimsy and thin, so don’t have even heat distribution. So I went with using an All-Clad non-stick skillet, but I don’t want to go against the advice of a legion of Persian cooks, so give it a go with any non-stick skillet if you’d like. Samin Nosrat advises you can use a very well-seasoned cast-iron skillet but I have a bad memory of making fried rice in mine, and the scrape-up afterward, so I stuck with a non-stick skillet. (I used one of these.)

You’ll get better control on a gas stove. Some people have success making it in an electric rice cooker, which Shayma raised an eyebrow at. I haven’t made it on an electric stovetop but Sabrina Gayhour in her book Persiana says it can take up to twice as long to cook. So if using an electric stove, take that into account.

Parchment paper: For some reason, this caused a bit of a ruckus. I don’t think Carême had parchment paper when he was making genoise (sponge cake) in 1814. But boy, are we glad we have it now. If using a cast-iron skillet or a regular skillet (not non-stick) you may want to line the bottom with a round of parchment paper that’s been scrunched up, to make it easier to lay flat, then line the bottom of the pan with it before adding the melted butter in step #6. (To save washing too extra pans, you can melt the butter in the pan first then pour it out, line the pan with parchment, and pour it back in. Or melt it separately.) didn’t need the parchment paper in my non-stick skillet.

Saffron: Saffron is an ingredient I call “A Big Ask” in a recipe since it’s expensive. Like chocolate or garlic, however, there aren’t really any substitutes that match its unmistakable flavor. (If you’ve ever had carob, you know what I’m talking about.) Turmeric and Spigol are sometimes offered up as saffron substitutes, which will give you the color, but not the flavor. So if you can spring for the real deal, I strongly recommend it. The other ingredients are inexpensive so it’s the sole expense in the whole thing. But you can also leave it out. 

When buying saffron, avoid cheap saffron; due to the laborious way it’s cultivated, if it’s inexpensive it’s likely not of good quality, and not a good use of your money. Try to saffron from a reputable source. Iranian saffron is considered the best, although other countries produce saffron. The best saffron I’ve ever had was made by Sahar. Kalustyan’s, Vanilla Saffron Imports, and La Boîte are reputable sources, as is Diaspora. (Saffron is also grown and cultivated in California and on the rooftops of Paris.) There are some good tips for buying saffron here.

Butter and oil: Some cooks use all oil, some use just butter when making Tahdig. I found using all butter made it too rich-tasting for me so went with a combination of butter and oil. If you’re avoiding dairy, replace the butter in this recipe with additional oil.

Yogurt: The role of the yogurt is to help get a nice crust. (Some people add an egg yolk to the mix, too.) I used lowfat plain Greek-style yogurt but you could use regular whole milk or lowfat plain yogurt. While I haven’t tried it, Jake Cohen says in his cookbook that unflavored coconut yogurt works. If you don’t want to use it, just omit it.

Salt: “Salt to taste” in recipes drives some people nuts, but some people like a lot of salt and some like a little. I like food properly salted, which may mean something different to you than it does to me. When I took the online class with Shayma (which I highly recommend, especially if you’d like someone knowledgeable talking you through making the entire dish), she didn’t add any salt at all, since she was serving the rice with a savory stew. Samin, on the other hand, parboils the rice with “a generous 1/2 cup of kosher salt,” which she says drains away. (I didn’t try it.)  I don’t like food undersalted so I like the amount I gave in the recipe but feel free to add more or less.

The rice: You need to use basmati rice for tahdig. Shayma Saadat recommends Tilda rice, which is widely available. I made it with several other brands and had good results.

Checking the rice while it’s cooking: We’re often warned of dire consequences if we lift the lid to check on rice while it’s cooking. Cookbook author and cooking instructor Marion Cunningham use to rail about that, saying it didn’t make a difference. I can happily report that I’ve lifted the lid to check on rice while cooking and lived to tell about it. And I’ve never had any guests complain about “checked-on rice” either. Like grilling a steak, it’s better to check something while it’s cooking rather than ruining it.

To tell if it’s cooking nicely, or close to done, slide a flat utensil down between the rice and the bottom corner of the pan and lift it slightly, and carefully. It should be turning a nice golden brown on the edge of the underside. Unfortunately you can’t really see under the middle, but a golden brown edge will give you a clue as to how it’s progressing.

Once you’ve made this dish, you’ll get to know the heat of your stovetop and timing, so if it doesn’t come out perfect the first time, it’ll still taste wonderful, and you’ll know for next time that it may need a little more time, a little less heat, etc. That’s what I did, until I got it right.

Lastly, some say tahdig can take years to perfect. I’ve seen some amazing examples of Tahdig online but I got mine to where you see it in the pictures here on my third try. What I posted here is the recipe and technique that worked well for me. Due to a number of variables, everything from the material of the skillet to the type of rice, you may have different results. Like a relationship, take the information that you learned from the previous one and use it to make the next one better : )

And if your Tahdig doesn’t quite come out as planned, Samin Nosrat says: “…do what every Persian grandmother since the beginning of time has done: Scoop out the rice, chip out the tahdig in pieces with a spoon or metal spatula, and pretend you meant to do it this way.”

Tahdig

Inspired by recipes and tips from Jew-ish by Jake Cohen, Persiana by Sabrina Gayour, Samin Nosrat, and an online cooking class I took with Shayma Saadat.
There are a variety of ways to make Persian Chelo ba Tahdig (rice with a crispy layer) which is a recipe that's more about the technique than ingredients. It took me three times until I got it right, but once you do, you're set for life.
I gave some notes in the post about the type of skillet to use. I used a good-quality non-stick skillet with a lid that fits. You also want to have a large, flat platter, cutting board, or baking sheet handy for turning out the final rice dish.
Do read the recipe through once before making it. It's not difficult but requires few steps, including rinsing, draining, and parboiling the rice, and making a saffron infusion with yogurt. Read the recipe through first and gathering these utensils first will make it a little easier.
As mentioned in the post, the saffron really does add a lovely color and flavor, but if it's out of your budget or not available, you can make it without it. If you really like saffron, feel free to increase the amount to 1 teaspoon.
Course Side Dish
Keyword rice, tahdig, tahdig, rice
Servings 6 servings
  • 2 cups (390g) basmati rice
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 to 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or flaky sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron
  • 3 tablespoons (total) unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons neutral-tasting vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) plain yogurt, (not nonfat)
  • Wash the rice: Put the rice in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover it well. Swirl it around with your hand, then drain the rice through a colander or large mesh strainer. Do that several more times until the water is almost clear with little to no chalky residue floating in it. It'll take about 5 to 7 times of rinsing and draining to get the rice to that point.
  • Put the washed and drained rice back in the bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it sit for 1 hour, then drain.
  • Parboil the rice: Bring a pot of water (about 4 quarts/liters) to a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt in it. When it comes to a boil, add the drained rice and cook until the rice is just slightly softened and a bit tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Prepare the saffron: While the rice is parboiling, in a medium bowl, use your fingers to crush the saffron. (If you have a mortar and pestle, you can use that to crush the saffron.) Add 2 tablespoons of hot water from the parboiling rice pot to the saffron and let the saffron infuse in the water for 15 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, vegetable oil, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of salt, depending on your preference for salt. (I use 2 teaspoons.)
  • As soon as the rice is cooked, drain the rice in a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water, diffusing the water with your hand or use the sprayer attachment (if your kitchen faucet has one) to cool the rice quickly and thoroughly. Set the rice aside to drain well.
  • Make the rice and Tahdig: Melt the butter in a 10-inch (25cm) non-stick skillet. Spoon 1 tablespoon of that melted butter into the saffron yogurt mixture and swirl or spread the rest of the butter so it's in an even layer in the pan.
  • Mix 2 cups (250g) of the cooked rice into the saffron yogurt mixture then add it to the skillet in a relatively even layer in the skillet, but don't pack it down.
  • Spread the rest of the cooled rice over the saffron rice in the skillet in an even layer. Use the handle of a wooden spoon (or another kitchen tool with a round or oval handle), held vertically, to make 6 indentations in the rice, evenly spaced apart, which will help the steam escape from the bottom layer so it crisps up.
  • Wrap the lid for the pan with a kitchen towel, making sure to tuck or tie the towel up and tightly around the lid to make sure there's no overhang where the flame could be able to reach it. (You want to avoid catching it on fire.) Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 8 minutes. Then turn the heat down to just above the lowest setting and continue to cook, turning the pan a quarter turn on the burner, every 10 minutes, until the Tahdig is ready, which will take about 45 minutes on a gas burner. (An electric burner will take longer.)
  • To give you a clue to when it's done, while controversial, you can lift the lid to peek inside but try not to let any condensation from the lid drip into the rice. If you want to do that, about 30 minutes into cooking, slide a small silicone spatula in between the side of the pan and the edge of the rice. If you see the rice at the bottom of the pan turning brown around the edges, that's a sign that you're on your way to Tahdig success!
  • When ready, remove the lid and place a serving platter upside down over the top of the skillet. Firmly grasp both the skillet and the platter and flip both simultaneously over. Lift off the skillet and serve.

Notes

Serving: You can serve this with a variety of Persian dishes, such as Khoresht (chicken and eggplant with saffron), with a yogurt-cucumber sauce such as Maast-o khiar, or with Ghormeh sabzi, a Persian stew filled with herbs. It also can be served with grilled or roasted poultry, fish, vegetables, or meat. While perhaps untraditional, it was nice alongside the spiced kefta I made recently. 

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76 comments

    • Jennifer

    Love anything involving rice! I recently read Samin Nosrat’s amazing book too. I might have to try this and I appreciate your thoroughness in researching techniques.

    • Dr. CaSo

    This dish is exactly what I needed, thank you! Over the years I’ve taught several students and employees from Iran, and one of them recently brought back some safran from there! It’s so “local” that everything is written in Farsi on the tiny container so I can’t even tell what the name is! But it smells amazing! And I’m going to try this recipe, thanks a lot :)

    • Mary Isaacson

    Every time I read you, I love you more! This post is especially wonderful. Thank you so much for all your work, Daveed!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Thank you! Happy you liked it so much and hope that (maybe) it inspires you to try it, too : )

    • theresa kereakes

    I appreciate your step by step explanations! Can’t wait to try this, and I, too, disinfect EVERYTHING in my dishwasher’s cycle for same. Lastly, I believe I learned all about Jake Cohen & his cookbooks from you, so thanks for that as well. I love his work as much as I love yours.

    • Siobhan

    Gosh, David, this looks fabulous. Tell me, since I don’t do nonstick skillets but do have cast iron, do you think cast iron would work when employing your parchment paper tip?

    (Quick tip, as an editor who’s a faithful reader and adores your blog and books, give your post a quick re-read, as there are a few words missing in places, so you must have been in a rush to post. :-)

    This is going on the week’s cooking agenda for me, Thursday latest, thanks!!

      • Maro

      I made this last night in a cast iron without parchment paper and it turned out beautifully. A tiny darker shade of golden in the middle but added to the complexity of the palate and texture! Absolutely no mess, slid right out of the pan with no cleanup needed. Perfect instructions by Mr. Lebovitz!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Instagram has some really amazing Tahdig photos on it. It’s inspiring although a little intimidating too. More practice!

    • Siobhan

    oh, and I cracked up at the haz mat comment!

    • Taipan Lalo

    How does tahdig compare to socarrat, the perfectly cooked delicious crust that forms at the bottom of a paella? Wonder if the Persians had anything to do with introducing this delicacy to the Iberian Peninsula during the Umayyad conquest of Hispania!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      They called that socarrat when someone made us paella in Girona a few summers ago. You could probably do some reading to find out how it came to Spain and Catalonia, as some of the other food has similar influences.

    • Meryl

    Hi. Im so excited to try this recipe-thank you for sharing. I’m dairy intolerant. If I want to avoid the yoghurt but still add the saffron, do you recommend that I add more water to replace the yoghurt or just omit the yoghurt, but do the rest of the saffron process.
    I will replace the butter with oil or vegan butter

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I think you can just skip the yogurt and leave it at that. However when I made it with one cook she advised sprinkling some water (about 1/4 cup/60ml) over it before cooking, which I did once but didn’t do it the next time, and both worked.

    • Alicia

    Thank you, David! I tasted Tahdig at friends of a friend and thought it was incredible. They wouldn’t share the recipe so I tried to do it, to so so results. Now, with your recipe and all the tips you are providing, I think I will be able to succeed. Thanks again.

    • Tom Flinn

    Hi David
    I have always wanted to try this rice and now I will! Thank you! I have an induction cooktop, is there anything I should know in converting this recipe?

    Thanks for all you do! Take care, Tom Flinn

    • Soha Leach

    Fantastic article! I just made Tahdig this weekend for the first time from Samin Nosrat’s book, and like you I also used a nonstick pan and it turned out beautifully.

    • Gene S.

    Hi David,
    Re: the cheap nonstick pan. I use a flame tamer, a flat aluminum heavyish 11” disc under many pots and pans. It diffusés the heat mitigating hot spots considerably. Perfect under a thin pan. NorPro is selling one now. I also have two 8” ones. Very helpful for careful cooks.

    • Susan R. Kelley

    I always scrape out the caramelized bits of overcooked rice from the bottom of the pan and eat it. I love it. So I must try this. I know I will love it!

    • Lylia B.

    Thank you fir the deep dive into Tahdig making. I loved all of the tips. I don’t use non stick and cast iron seems like it would be a heavy crust sticking nightmare. My Mauviel is a great pan but too heavy as well. I just started using this pan and absolutely love it. A friend had one and the despite being a beekeeper, the honeycomb design was a bit too busy for me but I got over that and bought one. It’s great.

    https://hexclad.com/

    Now what cocktail would pair best with this? :)

    • Nicki

    Hi David,
    So happy you have discovered and enjoy Persian food and the wonderous Tadig! I have been married to an Iranian for over 30 years and took to the food immediately. I too thought I might have had some Persian genes. Your recipe for tadig is so thorough anyone should be able master it. My very favorite is potato tadig!

    • leah

    are you supposed to make the indentations all the way to the bottom of the rice?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      It’s not necessary. Just make indentations close to the bottom and you should be good to go.

    • Taipan Lalo

    Chinese, too, have a rice dish cooked in a clay pot, like a French tian, and the hallmark of this rice dish is the crispy bottom. Wonder if a clay pot or tian is as good as a non-stick pan? https://thewoksoflife.com/hong-kong-style-clay-pot-rice/

    • Carrie Bulger

    Thanks for the note about electric burners–that’s what I’m stuck with at the moment and the lack of control has made me loathe to try for a tahdig. Nice to know my instinct was likely right. Though I’m sure someone has made tahdig on an electric burner! :-)

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I think you can make it but just know that the advice I came across was that it’ll take longer, but I’m sure it can be done.

    • Peace and Plenty Farm

    Thank you so much for the link to our farm and saffron ❤️ We’re proud of our beautiful “red gold” grown here in Northern California.

    • Francis Harriman

    I was a kid in the 70’s and lived in Iran for a couple of years. Lovely country, lovely people. I still use the Rice Cooker that we brought back with us (c 1976). It’s like the ubiquitous electric rice cookers that are a great way to cook rice on point… but it doesn’t have the ‘turn of & keep warm’ option… so that it allows you to go beyond the normal cook and get the golden crust. If you type Persian Rice cooker, I think you can get them online… but my 45 year old one is still doing the job nicely!!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      When I mentioned the Pars cooker, one cooking teacher said you’ll get something that resembles Tahdig but it’s not quite the same. And wasn’t sold on it. But I know they are quite popular however I’ve not used one. Thanks for sharing your experience in the country.

      • Iranian boy

      I’m an Iranian and I’m so glad that you’ve been in Iran and enjoyed being here. By the way, we export rice and we have large farms of rice. I can claim that gilan’s rice is one the best type of rice in the world. Excuse me If I made mistake (as you know English is not my mother tongue, so It’s clear that I make an error.)

    • Marie

    Would you believe me if i said children in iranian families, are always fighting for the last piece of tahdig? Its like the iranian version of last piece of pizza
    So the recepie thats here is more like tahchin rather than tahdig, just without the meat or chicken. Tahdig doesnt have yoghurt as its just the rice thats eaten with most meals; just a bit more crisp.
    And if youre worried if might turn too crisp or not the right texture, low heat and a good lot of veg oil/butter will do the trick( and iranian rice would be nice too).

    • Margot

    Cannot wait to try! Is it possible to use whole grain (brown) basmati rice? Any adjustments to keep in mind?

    • Nosrat (not that Nosrat)

    I absolutely lift the lid
    I think it actually helps to let out the steam that builds up and keeps the rice from getting sticky.
    I don’t like your lifting the rice off the bottom to check it’s golden butt. I put (preferably my own) finger in my mouth to get it wet and put it on the side of the pot. Start close to the flame and move up. When you hear the sizzle about 1/2 way up the pot, you are pretty much done (about 45 min)
    You want to use low heat to allow the rice or whatever is at the bottom (bread, potatoes, lettuce, macaroni) to caramelize, not burn. That takes time

    Blow off the steam!!!

    • Lydia

    As a vegan, I can vouch for using plain coconut yogurt with success. I’ve made Samin’s Persian-ish rice a couple of times now, and it’s so good.

    • Hannah

    David, when are you going to take us to the Festival of Female Chefs (La fête des cuisinières) in Guadeloupe? It’s been a thing for 90 years. I’d be first in line. :)

    • se

    sabzi polo does not include either lentils or cherries. sabzi means herbs and sabzi polo is an herbed rice with variations including fresh garlic,and is the dish eaten right before Persian new year (norooz). lentils show up in “adas polo”, literally lentil rice, which may or may not include raisins – depending on the taste of the family, and maybe eaten with a spoonful of sugar sprinkled on top (the way my grandfather would like). cherries show up in aalbaaloo polo, sour cherry rice, like you mentioned.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Oops. I had the order wrong and think I snuck in lentils, which changed the order in the sentence. Fixed!

    • Karura

    I had my first go at making tahdig a couple of months ago after a colleague shared a recipe. My crust was more blackened than deliciously golden, but I will definitely be giving it another go!

    • Bunny

    When I lived in the Bay Area, my friends and I would go to Persian restaurants just for this rice (and the pistachio rose ice cream). I’ve often wondered how it was made. It sounds like it might be a challenge since I’ve got an electric stove. But, I’ve still gotta try it. Thanks for the recipe!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      There’s also Tachin (or tahchin), which is a baked rice dish that has a caramelized crust. It’s baked in the oven so you might want to give that a try. No reason to deprive yourself of crispy rice :)

    • theresa kereakes

    happy to read this reply to Bunny’s comment. Where I live, we cannot have gas appliances, and that is… well… you know. I’m going to try Tachin then!

    • Sohela .Damian

    Hi David, you did a great job on this.
    I am Iranian.

    Do you know how to make a tahdig with potatoes also?
    You can put some oil in the put then slices of potatoes on top of oil, and put the rice on it. It’s so easy.
    Enjoy it.

    • Teri L.

    Love this dish and your easy-to-follow recipe. Thank you! But I’ll be using saffron from Rumi Spice. Supporting farmers and women in Afghanistan!

    • Marianne McGriff

    David,
    Thank you for this recipe. I’m anxious to try it. A few years ago, I cut out a recipe by Sabrina Ghayour: Spiced Lamb Kefta which is fabulous and I make often. Yesterday, I did an online course with our mutual friend, Darina. She demonstrated: Ottolenghi’s Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey. I have two reasons to buy Saffron. Thank you, again. Blessings, Marianne McGriff

    • Ali

    Hello ,
    As a Persian, I am glad that you experienced the joy of eating Tahdig. And thanks to the artist chefs of my country.
    نوش جانتان

    • Charlotte

    We had Persian neighbors her long time ago. She taught me how to make this. Their favorite way was to put a tortilla buttered well on both sides in the bottom of the pan.. then cook the rice over that. Instead of saffron she used tumeric. When she described it to me, it didn’t sound like much, but it’s delicious.

    • Lex

    Bonjour David,
    Any reason one could not halve the recipe using a smaller non-stick pan?
    Merci!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Lex: Sure, give it a try. You’ll have to adjust the timing to adjust for a smaller pan, but let us know how it turns out.

    • Fran

    I have recently made Persian Jeweled Rice several times, so I’m glad to see you used the same technique as I do of ‘poking’ 5 holes into the rice to ensure the steam can escape. I’m going to look up Shayma’s online cooking classes (I also teach online classes)! Thank God for zoom!

    • Sohela

    Hi David have you heard about tahdig with potatoes. When can slice potatoes put them in first and add the rice.
    I am Iranian if you want I can send the recipe.
    Have a wonderful week.
    And stay safe please.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Yes, I mentioned that in the fourth paragraph. I like the idea of crisp rice but glad you like potatoes on yours!

    • Sev

    Hi,

    Thank you for sharing a true Iranian delicacy with the western world, and in such a detailed and thoughtful manner, true and respectful to the original.

    As mentioned in other comments, as children and adults receiving pieces of tahdig goes with immense excitement for the subsequent sensation when one bites into it.

    I cannot say that we (my partner and I) have ever had friends or family (from his side, as mine are already Iranian-Armenian) eat tahdig and not fall in love and beg for it ahead of every dinner or lunch!

    I just wanted to clarify a few small things:

    When it comes to electric stoves, it is important to note that there are two main types: traditional and induction. While the former is not the best choice, a good tahdig can be made on it, and the length of time would depend on the strength of the specific burner. However, the latter, induction, is as fast and controllable as gas, if not faster, and makes amazing tahdigs. In the past twenty years, I have cooked for several years on all three kinds, with regular electric being the most difficult to master.

    Lastly, as a couple who eats rice for its tahdig several times a week, I would like to mention that the point about not opening the lid is not at all related to the tahdig, but the rice itself. In fact home-cooked Iranian/Persian rice is all about the balance between getting an amazing tahdig while allowing the non-tahdig part of the rice grow to its tallest, fluffiest best. This cannot happen in the absence of lots of steam. And anytime the lid is opened, we are left with less steam. With a good amount of oil or butter, the steam will not affect the crispness of the tahdig, but the reduction in steam will affect the fluffiness of the rice.

    Your rice and tahdig look just amazing, but if you permit me a suggestion, I would say that if you boiled your rice slightly longer and did not open the lid, you would achieve a much taller and slightly puffier grain that I know Tilda can reach, since I used it for years. Such rice absorbs the stew that we put on the rice much better, and its texture is as delicate as a soft cloud. Of course, the longer it is boiled, the more delicately it must be handled. For example, you could tease the rice into the pot from the colander, instead of spooning it. Lastly, I highly recommend that you try the sabzi or even just dill (the herb) rice tahdig—for me, it is worth it’s weight in truffles haha!

    Thank you again and amazingly well done!

    • Andrew Lage

    I haven’t heard of a non stick skillet with a lid. I’m heading to my local consignment shop, I’m a recycler, and look for one.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Bed, Bath and Beyond (in NYC) sells lids to go with the All-Clad nonstick pan. (Sold separately!) But I just used a Dutch oven lid I had that fit my non-stick skillet.

    • Gavrielle

    I’ve always been too nervous to try making tahdig because of the sticking problem, but the baking paper idea is genius! And I will definitely be including saffron. My mother visited Iran a couple of years ago and left me with two plump packets of high-quality saffron and an addiction to barberries.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      The paper is a good idea (still not sure why some people were so against it…) but the two Persian cooks recommend it for newbies. I didn’t need it with the non-stick skillet, but people could use it just for insurance : )

    • Elnaz

    Made by Iranian at first.

    • J

    Hi David, longtime reader here, your recipes have given me so much pleasure over the years and I always learn something new. Just wanted to chime in today because if you love Tahdig, you might like the Korean version, nooroongji. Traditionally it was the byproduct of cooking rice over the fire in cast iron pots, now people make it just because they like it (I think you can buy dedicated machines for it even). People like to pour hot water over it and sip the nutty broth the scorched rice creates and spoon up the rest of the soaked rice. You can also deep-fry it and eat it sprinkled with sugar. Some Korean-Chinese restaurants do a dish where you order the nooroongji and they serve it in a spicy seafood stew/soup, so it absorbs the liquid and you get crispy+chewy bits at the same time.
    Here’s a Google image look at noorongji. And the stew/soup combo I mentioned.

    Thanks again and take care!

    • Cynthia Rieth

    David, do you slide it out of the pan? Flip it out? I feel your recipe needs a bit more info at the end – can’t wait to try!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Added!

    • B.froude

    Step 11. You place a serving platter over the top of the skillet and flip simultaneously.

    • Val

    I’m so excited….my Tahdig looked almost like the picture (I followed the instructions word for word). Except, I halved the recipe and used a 8″stainless steel pan and the parchment paper. It was done (gas cooktop) in about 30 minutes. Next time, though, before turning out onto a plate I’ll run a spatula around the edge to loosen the sides as some rice did stick (to the sides). This might not be a problem with a non-stick pan. Thank you for this great recipe.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Glad it worked out for you!

    • jane

    I’ve never seen a more beautiful tahdig and so I will try this tonight even though I’m not a big rice eater. I’ll try it with a vegetarian version of the Gormeh Sabzi you recommend above. I have an Indian friend who actually gave me dried fenugreek leaves and I can use lime zest for the dried lime even though it won’t be the same. Need to get some dried lime!! Thanks!

    • Kamal

    Enjoyed reading your TAHDIG instruction, MY BEST tahdigs are TAHCHIN TAHDIG and Roman lettuce tahdig,
    FOR TAHCHIN TAHDIG, Greek yogurt+ zafran+egg yolk+ rice is mixed spread evenly at bottom of your pan
    For ROMAN LETTUCE TAHDIG simmly spread thick roman lettuce leaves at the bottom and add rice on top.
    For both, pleanty of cooking oil (refined olive oil) and medium low flame make tahdig better.

    • Karen

    A minor tip, my Friend who grew up in Iran taught me to bloom the saffron by rubbing it with the salt as an abrasive with a spoon in the bowl. Then add your water. Keeps your fingers, and your mortar and pestle clean. Thank you for a wonderful tutorial.

    • SusanU

    Great post on rice! I love potato tahdig the best, and it works every time. Perhaps kinder to the bridgework, crowns, etc. I have also, at Iranian friend’s houses, had it made with a flour tortilla and also pieces of lavash bread torn to fit the pan. Both of these were incredible, maybe lavash a little better. It’s worth the practice, and I never lift the lid. You can listen to the pot and hear sizzling when the potatoes are browning, and you can smell the rice when it’s done. Served with eggplant badmejhan, or gourmeh sabsi, this is unforgettable!

    • Bella

    I only have a just under 8 inch pot.. would you strongly advise against using this? I was planning to scale the recipe down a touch. Would timings remain the same?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I am sure you could use it but yes, the quantity may be a bit much depending on how deep it so. So you could likely cut the recipe down by 20-25%. If you do, let us know how it turns out!

    • Jasmina

    I have long wanted to make tahdig. I especially appreciated your describing the way you got to your recipe; it took out some of the mystery. Made it last week. Turned out as I hoped. And, having tried it once, next time should be no problem, no stress. Thank you!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I waited to long too – glad you dove in and had success!

    • Adele Schmitz

    Made it with a 10″ non-stick skillet and it worked beautifully! Also, I used cumin seeds instead of the saffron.

    • Les B Labbauf

    Used this recipe as a refresher on the method for a good Tahdig. My father was from Iran and we had this all the time. One “Upgrade” I used was to add some spices to the water for par boiling (All Spice, Cardamon Pods, Star Anise, Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaves, Coriander Seed, Fennel Seeds, Cloves.)

    • madeline m.

    Okay, I am not going to say I will make it because I -did- make it. Tonight. And it was fantastic!! I used lavash at the bottom of a regular non-stick All-Clad saucier and it flipped out without a hitch. You always make recipes less intimidating, which is why I chose yours over any Persian blogger. I love it. A keeper.

A

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