Tahcheen Iranian Food

TAHCHEEN (TAH-CHIN)

Steps:

• Chop onions and fry in oil until slightly golden then add the turmeric to it. Fry chicken in onions until color changes. Add 1/2 - 1c water and bring to boil. Turn heat down and let boil slowly until chicken is cooked.
• While chicken is cooking, beat the yogurt until it is smooth. Dissolve saffron in half a cup of hot water. Add saffron, salt, pepper and optional eggs to the yogurt and mix very well.
• Wash rice and pour 3c water in a large pot and bring to boil. Pour in rice and cook while stirring occasionally until rice is al dente. Drain. (Basmati will cook a lot quicker than regular rice).
• Pour several spoons of oil and several spoons of the yogurt mix into a non-stick pot. Add a thin layer of rice and flatten using the back of a spoon. Add a layer of chicken on top followed by another layer of rice. Again flatten the rice. Spread several more spoons of the yogurt mix on the rice. Continue in this fashion until chicken, rice and the yogurt mix have been used up. Add some more oil on top.
• Put the lid on and cook for about 1.5 hours on medium low heat. Note that the longer Tah-Chin is cooked, the thicker the TahDig (delicious crispy layer of rice at the bottom) will be. When cooked, remove the lid and let cool for a few minutes. Place an inverted large dish over the pot and turn it over. Tap the pot in order to loosen the contents inside. The contents should fall on the dish in one piece with the Tah-Dig on the outside.

TAHCHEEN (IRANIAN)

Steps:

• Cut onions in large pieces and crush garlic cloves. Place vegetables in a pan.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place on top of onion and garlic.
• Add 1 cup water. Cover and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
• While your chicken is cooking, mix the yogurt, egg yolks, and saffron in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• When chicken is done, shred it into medium-sized chunks with two forks.
• Add chicken to the yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate over night.
• Parboil your rice by washing it several times under water until it runs clear. Then, soak the rice in water and salt over night, or at least an hour. After soaking, bring fresh water to a boil. Add fresh salt and drained rice. As soon as the water starts to boil, lower the heat and cook 10 minutes. While the rice cooks, gently scoop the rice from the bottom of the pot and bring to the surface and release. You are not stirring here! Drain the rice in a colander and check for done-ness (soft and cooked, but not mushy). rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and add your parboiled rice to the remainder of the yogurt marinade and mix well. Season as needed.
• Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a casserole/Pyrex dish. Coat the dish, including the sides, with the oil.
• Place half of the rice in the dish and make sure it is even.
• Arrange the chicken on top of the rice in a single layer.
• Add remainder of the rice on top and flatten the top slightly by pressing down with a spatula.
• Pour the 2 tablespoons melted butter over the rice.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for 2 1/2 hours.

EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM TAHCHEEN

Steps:

• Pre-heat your grill to medium-high.
• Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then leave to soak in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. (Don't worry about the large amount of salt here, the rice has a very short time to absorb the water and the final result won't be too salty.) Add the rice and cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium heat. Taste to test; the rice should be soft on the outside but still hard and firm in the middle. Drain, then rinse with tepid water to stop it cooking any further and set aside.
• Make a saffron liquid by using a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron strands with a pinch of sugar and then add the boiled water. Leave to steep.
• Drizzle the eggplant slices with some sunflower oil and season generously with salt. Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the eggplants are cooked through.
• Meanwhile, make the rest of your filling. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
• Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a small pan for a minute and then crush them with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder, and add them too. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and then take off the heat.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the yogurt, saffron liquid, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Fold the rice in until it is evenly coated with the yogurt and saffron.
• Rub 1 tablespoon butter over the base and sides of a 10-cup ovenproof glass dish. Spoon half of the rice into the dish and press it down evenly. Add a layer of eggplants and mushrooms and finish with a final layer of rice.
• Dot with the remaining butter, cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the base of the tahcheen is crisp and golden brown.
• When the tahcheen is ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly while you make your topping. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the barberries, pistachios, and sugar for 2 minutes until the sugar has melted and the dried fruit has plumped up.
• To serve, run a butter knife around the sides of the tahcheen to separate it from the dish. Place a large board over the top and quickly invert the whole thing. Garnish with a sprinkling of the barberry and pistachio topping.