This recipe is featured in our Recipe of the Day Newsletter. Sign up for it here to have our test kitchen-approved recipes delivered to your inbox! Get ready to have every other type of rice ruined for you. If you’re a stranger to the magical world of crispy Persian rice, or tahdig, let me tell you it’s a game changer. Literally translating to bottom of the pot, tahdig infuses long-grain rice with fragrant saffron and tons of butter to create a luxurious dish begging to be cracked. Given the fact that Nowruz (Persian New Year) is right around the corner, there’s never a better time to give this recipe a try! When I met my husband, I was thrusted into the world of Persian cooking, discovering a new frontier of rich stews and vibrant rices. I became determined to master tahdig for him, so I started shadowing his mother and aunt in the kitchen to learn their ways. While I might not be trying to become an ASMR influencer, I’ve now dedicated a huge chunk of my Instagram to videos documenting the sounds of crunchy rice (give the people what they want!). To put it simply, you par cook rice, then mix some with yogurt, egg, saffron and butter to lay on the bottom of the pot before you add the rest of the rice. You then rely on sound and smell to tell when the bottom has become golden brown perfection. This variety (my husband’s favorite) adds sliced potato first for a crispy starch on starch masterpiece that you’ll be picking at long before it hits the table to serve with any Persian stew or kebab (maybe my recipe for Fesenjan, a Persian pomegranate and walnut stew?!). Here are some tips to help you find success on your first go: 1. Rinse your rice well before soaking in salt water. You want to get off any excess starch, as well as letting the rice start to absorb some of that salty water. 2. Use a cheap non-stick pot! It always works better for an even crust that never sticks. 3. Trust your other senses! This is a Bird Box moment, so you want to make sure you hear a slow and steady sizzle and then pull it when the rice smells toasted and fragrant (it will resemble fresh popcorn!). Give potato tahdig a go. There’s never a better time for starch madness.

Miso might seem like a strange addition to porridge, but it actually makes sense on a lot of levels. For one thing, miso soup is often eaten for breakfast in Japan. For another, letting the miso sit in the oats overnight pre-digests some of their starch, making them taste sweeter. The subtle miso flavor brings oats to a whole new level of comfort food.

Recipe video above. You need more than just curry powder for a great Curried Rice! Basmati adds a beautifully nutty aroma to this rice recipe. Spiciness: Warm hum, not overly spicy. Not intended to be a full-on authentic Indian recipe, but leans more towards Indian than unflavourful Western curry recipes (you know the type I mean!)

Rice Tahdig This unplanned post was brought about due to a reader's question regarding tahdig. She asks: "Is there something I can do to get a better crust?" Great question! I've been blogging about Iranian food for months now but it didn't occur to me to write about tahdig, the tastiest and most sought-after part of a rice dish. If only tahdig could speak it would probably be saying "I get no respect!." I feel I've neglected a precious and very important part of Persian cuisine. I write it as 'tahdig.' You may write 'tahdig'/'tahdeeg', however, it's pronounced tadeeg. "Tah" means bottom and "dig" means pot in Persian/Farsi language. ته دیگ Tahdig refers to the crunchy and crispy bottom layer of rice cooked in a pot. The formation of tahdig is a perfect symphony between the right temperature, the amount of oil, aromatic rice, length of time, right kind of pan, some experience, and a little patience. If you don't achieve the best kind of tahdig the first time, don't worry. There's always the next rice dish you can experiment with. Since rice is a staple of Iranian cooking that's how we have eventually been able to conquer the art of making tahdig. As the old adage goes: "practice makes perfect!" And if this is any consolation, let me tell you that even experienced cooks falter sometimes. Lavash Tahdig Potato tahdig There are many kinds of tahdig. The most well-known is rice tahdig. There's also potato tahdig (my favorite) which goes well with rice and chicken dishes. If you choose to layer the bottom of the pan with potato slices, cut them evenly and not too thin. Add a dash of salt after layering them, wait for a few minutes till they are a little bit fried, then turn them over, pour the rice over the potatoes, and follow the same steps as the rice tahdig recipe. There's also the bread tahdig. Any kind of flatbread could be used such as lavash or pita. I've had lettuce ta-dig too. It's very delicious. Then there's the very tasty macaroni tahdig. A fantastic combination of crispy noodles, fresh tomatoes, and flavorful meat sauce. Rice and Tahdig Ingredients: Serves 4-6 2 cups long-grain white basmati rice Butter or vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron dissolved in 4 tablespoons of hot water Salt Water Method: In a large bowl wash the rice with cool water a few times to get rid of the extra starch. Soak the rice in 6 cups of cool water, add 3-4 tablespoons of salt, set aside for an hour. In a large non-stick pot that has a tight-fitting lid, bring 6 cups of water to a rapid boil on medium-high heat. Drain the rice and pour it into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes or until the grains are long soft on the outside and hard in the center. Drain the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cool water. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of liquid saffron to the bottom of the pot, move the pan in a circular motion or use a wooden spoon to evenly cover the bottom with oil. Transfer parboiled rice back into the pot, building it into a pyramid shape away from the sides of the pot. To release the steam make 4-5 holes in the rice with the handle of the wooden spatula. Wait for about 5-7 minutes or until steam starts coming out. You can add a few cubes of butter on top or pour 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/4 cup water, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 45-50 minutes. It is very customary to cover the lid with a kitchen towel or 2-3 layers of thick paper towels to prevent the moisture from going back in the pot. Nowadays, there are fabric lid coverings especially made for this purpose in Iran. I do recommend using it for making a perfect tahdig. To serve tahdig first serve the rice on a platter. Gently mix some of the rice with the dissolved saffron and arrange it nicely on top. Remove the tahdig with a spatula and cut it into small pieces. The only problem or drawback is that there is usually not enough tahdig to go around. Being the fifth kid out of six children, I know how that feels growing up, fighting over the last piece of tahdig on the dinner table. That's called preparation for life! Enjoy!

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Chelo is Iran’s culinary gift to rice lovers worldwide. This is the traditional two-step method of rice preparation - parboil the rice and drain, add enough oil to the bottom of the pot to turn out (fingers crossed) a crispy, crunchy tahdig, add the rice back to the pot and steam. The result has the tell-tale signs of lovingly prepared Persian rice: long, individual, fragrant, saffron-stained grains of rice, scattered like jewels across a platter with pieces of golden, crispy tahdig shining alongside. I save this method of rice preparation for the weekend and when entertaining.

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This recipe is for a clever easy to serve, easy-to-eat, bite-sized version of Tachin Persian Chicken and Rice Casserole.  We are calling this updated version Persian Crispy Rice Cups, or Tachin Bites.  Tachin is Persian food at its finest, combining royal long-grain rice with aromatic turmeric and saffron.  It is optionally topped with candied, dried barberries (known as zereshk in Farsi) giving it a sweet and sour twist.  Tahchin is easily one of our family favorites as well as an easy go-to weeknight recipe.  In Persian cuisine, the crispy bottom of the pot is a delicacy.  In Farsi we call this crispy rice tahdigh.  Everyone loves tahdigh but it always goes quickly and can be a challenge to share.  With Persian Crispy rice cups everyone gets a personal-sized portion of their very own tahdig every time!

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