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Tahdig - Persian Crispy Butter Rice

Servings 5
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 585 grams basmati rice 3 cups
  • 6 cups water for parboiling the rice
  • 96 grams yogurt 4 tbsp
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 85 grams butter (divided) 3 for the base and 3 for dotting 6 tbsp
  • 4 tbsp salt
  • tsp saffron threads
  • cup hot but not boiling water (to soak saffron)
  • 138 grams golden raisins 1 cup

Instructions

  • Add 1 tsp of saffron to 1½ cups of hot but not boiling water, give it a stir and allow it to sit for 10 min.
  • Rinse the rice under some cool water until the water coming out is clear.
  • Boil 6 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of salt (do not skip this step, it's the only chance to salt this dish).
  • Add in the rice and boil for 6 minutes stirring occasionally. The texture should be al dente.
  • Strain the rice and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.
  • Add 2 cups of your parboiled rice to a bowl and mix with yogurt. Set aside.
  • Add 3 tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp of oil to a 25cm (10-inch) nonstick pan on medium heat, and cook until the butter is melted.
  • Once melted, spread the rice we mixed with the yogurt on the bottom of the pan in an even thin layer pushing some up the edges of the pan.
  • Add one cup of the parboiled rice, a handful of raisins, and a few tablespoons of the saffron water. Continue layering adding another 1 to 1½ cup of rice, a handful of raisins, and saffron water. Keep layering until you run out of rice.
  • Add another handful of raisins on the top of the rice and drizzle on the remaining saffron water.
  • Dot the top of the rice with the remaining butter.
  • Using the handle of a wooden spoon create a few holes in the rice reaching all the way down to the bottom of the pan. Make sure you see enough butter at the bottom, if you find it dry do not hesitate to pour on some additional melted butter.
  • Cover the pan and cook slowly on low heat for 25 minutes.
  • Gently flip the rice on a serving plate don't worry if part of it sticks. Scrape any leftover tahdig pieces and just add them to the top of your rice. Serve it with stews or your favorite barbequed meat or chicken.
Course: Side Dish