The Art of Making Persian Tah-Dig

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:

1. 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.
2. 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. 
3. 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.
4. 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. 
5. Transfer parboiled rice back into the pot, building it into a pyramid shape away from the sides of the pot. 
6. To release the steam make 4-5 holes in the rice with the handle of the wooden spatula. 
7. Wait for about 5-7 minutes or until steam starts coming out. 
8. 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. 
9. 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!