Hello Foodies! 🌸

I hope you are all doing well. Today I am sharing a delicious and beautiful Persian rice recipe with you. This dish is called Tahchin. It is one of those rice dishes that looks very special when you turn it onto a large serving tray because it forms a beautiful golden, crispy layer on the outside while the rice inside remains soft and flavorful.

I really enjoy making rice dishes in different ways, and this recipe is especially delicious because of the combination of saffron, eggs, butter or desi ghee, and perfectly cooked rice. You can serve it with meatballs, kebabs, or almost any curry or salan of your choice.

Ingredients

Sella rice

2 eggs

Desi ghee or butter

Salt

Saffron

Milk

Water

Zereshk (barberries) for garnishing

Preparation

First, take your Sella rice and wash it well. Soak the rice in water for about 3 to 4 hours. Soaking the rice helps it become softer and also allows the grains to cook more evenly.

After soaking, drain the extra water from the rice. Now take a large pot, add plenty of water, and bring it to a boil. Add some salt to the boiling water and then add your soaked rice.

Cook the rice until it is about 70% cooked. You can check it by taking a grain between your fingers. It should be soft from the outside but still have a little firmness in the center. At this stage, drain the rice completely and keep it aside.

Now comes the special part that gives Tahchin its delicious taste and beautiful golden color.

Take some of the boiled rice separately in a bowl. In another bowl, crack two eggs. Add some desi ghee or butter. For this recipe, I prefer using ghee or butter instead of oil because it gives the Tahchin a much richer flavor.

Add a little salt, some saffron, and milk to the egg mixture. Mix everything together very well.

Now add the portion of boiled rice that you kept aside into this mixture. Gently mix everything until the rice is well coated with the egg, saffron, milk, and ghee mixture.

Next, take a non-stick pot. Grease the bottom generously with some ghee. Add the prepared saffron rice mixture to the bottom of the pot and spread it evenly. Press it gently so that it forms an even layer.

After that, add the remaining boiled rice on top and spread it nicely. Add some more ghee over the rice. You can also add approximately half a glass of water to help create steam while the rice cooks.

Cover the pot properly with its lid. First, keep the heat a little high for a few minutes so that enough steam develops inside the pot. Then reduce the heat to low and let the Tahchin cook slowly on dum for about 30 to 45 minutes.

The slow cooking is very important because it allows the bottom layer to become beautifully golden and crispy while the rice develops a wonderful aroma.

After around 45 minutes, carefully remove the lid. Take a large round serving tray and place it over the pot. Carefully turn the pot upside down onto the tray.

When you lift the pot, you should have a beautiful golden Tahchin sitting perfectly on the tray. Garnish it with some Zereshk (barberries) for a lovely contrast of color and flavor.

You can serve this delicious Tahchin with meatballs, kebabs, or any curry or salan of your choice. The crispy golden bottom with the soft, saffron-flavored rice makes this dish incredibly tasty.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you try this Persian-style Tahchin at home, do let me know how it turned out. Give this delicious rice recipe a try and enjoy it with your family