Baked Persian Rice Food

BAKED PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Soak rice to cover for 1 hour; drain through a strainer.
• Heat oven to 350F and grease a 2-quart souffle' or other baking dish.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foam subsides; add onion and saute' for 4 minutes; add garlic and saute' another 2 minutes; add spices and salt and saute' for 30 seconds, stirring to combine.
• Combine the drained rice and onion mixture and put in prepared baking dish; pour in chicken stock and water.
• Place dish in oven (uncovered) and bake for 1 hour or until there is a golden crust on top.

PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Bring water and kosher salt to a boil in a pot; add rice and cook, stirring, for exactly 7 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cover bottom of pot with 1 layer of potato slices. Sprinkle cumin and salt over potatoes. Cook until potatoes are sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes; top potatoes with rice to form an even layer. Reduce heat to low and place butter slices over rice.
• Top pot with a layer of clean paper towels and place lid over towels. Steam until rice is fluffy, about 45 minutes.
• Grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle. Mix crushed saffron with 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a large bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of rice to saffron mixture and stir until rice is yellow.
• Spoon remaining rice into a serving bowl, top with saffron rice, and line edges of bowl with potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add the salt, and then boil the washed rice for ten minutes; drain and reserve.
• Dip the potato slices in the melted butter and use them to line the bottom AND sides of the same pot you just boiled the rice in.
• Pour any leftover butter in the bottom of the pot.
• Now, very carefully (don't move the potatoes), place the partially cooked rice into the potato-lined pot.
• Cover the pot with a teatowel and then its lid and place over medium-low heat; this steams the rice and cooks and browns the potatoes.
• This will take about 1/2 hour, but carefully check the rice for doneness and the potatoes for browning after about 20 minutes.
• When the rice and potatoes are done (potatoes will be browned and crispy), remove from heat and remove lid and teatowel.
• Place a large platter over top of pot and very carefully invert the pot.
• The whole thing should slide out; if some potatoes come away, put them back where they belong.
• I was told the crust is called the"tadiq" and it is the part the family members all fight over.
• I admit that, when I tried to make this dish, it all fell apart; it was tasty though.

CRUNCHY BAKED SAFFRON RICE WITH BARBERRIES (TACHIN)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 large palmfuls of salt (about 1/2 cup). While you're waiting for the water to boil, place rice in a strainer or sieve and rinse with lukewarm water, swishing rice around with your hands to get rid of excess starch. Continue to rinse until water from rice runs clear.
• Add rice to pot and give it a few stirs to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice begins to rise to the top and is tender but still has a slight bite to it, 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook barberries, stirring often, until plumped slightly and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rose water, if using.
• Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Combine saffron and 2 Tbsp. hot water in a large bowl. Let sit 10 minutes to allow saffron to steep and draw out as much color as possible. Mix in egg yolks, yogurt, 1/2 cup oil, and 2 tsp. salt. Scatter rice over yogurt mixture and gently toss to ensure every grain is coated.
• Coat a 10"-diameter glass pie dish with oil (glass lets you check on the color from underneath). Add half of rice mixture and use the palms of your hands or a measuring cup to gently pack and compact rice into dish. Scatter half of barberries over and top with remaining rice. Press down again, this time more firmly (this helps with unmolding).
• Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until rice on the bottom and around edges is a deep golden brown, 65-80 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; discard foil. Loosen the rice around the edges using the point of a knife. Place a large plate on top and invert rice onto plate like a cake. Scatter remaining barberries over top.

PERSIAN BASMATI RICE CHELO (TAHDIG)

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat if using gas, or a medium-high heat if using electric. Fill the pan with boiling water and add the rice with a generous handful of crushed sea salt flakes. Boil for 6-8 mins until the rice is parboiled. You will know it is parboiled when the colour of the grains turn from the normal dullish white to a more brilliant white, and the grains become slightly elongated and begin to soften.
• Drain the rice and rinse it immediately under cold running water for a couple of minutes until it is cool. Line the bottom of the saucepan used to parboil the rice with some non-stick baking parchment (see tip).
• Return the paper-lined saucepan to the hob and pour in a generous drizzle of the oil with the butter. Season the base of the pan with some crushed sea salt flakes. Scatter the rice into the pan. Ensure you scatter it, don't pack it in - you want the lightness of the falling rice to allow for steam to rise up. Wrap the pan lid in a tea towel (to lock in the steam and make for a secure, tight seal), cover the pan and cook the rice on the lowest temperature possible for 45 mins if using gas, or a medium-low heat for 1 hr 30 mins if using electric. The grains should be puffed up when cooked.
• Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the pan (it can help to place a large serving dish over the pan and flip the rice onto the dish). Scrape out the tahdig (this is the crusty bit, it means 'bottom of the pan') and serve on top of the rice.