Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig! If you want an impressive rice dish for special occasions and gatherings, try this Iranian cake-style rice dish with a crispy crust. Magic happens when sliced potatoes are fried along with the rice at the bottom of the pot! So delicious, visually impressive, and worth making!
Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig
When it comes to rice dishes, countless varieties and cooking styles are cherished around the world. Among them, Persian (Iranian) rice dishes with a bottom crust are magnificent and so delicious.
You’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips here. I hope you’ll try and enjoy it as much as I do!!
Making Persian rice is an art. Achieving the perfect fluffy rice with a crispy golden crust requires some practice. However, I’m happy to say it is easier to make than you might think and worth making.
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What is TahDig?
The crispy crust of the bottom of the cooking pot, called tahdig, makes the Persian rice recipes extra special and is the most loved part of the dish.
Tahdig comes in many forms from rice to potato, pasta, bread, and even lettuce!
Tah means bottom and dig means pot, hence, Tahdig, pronounced tah-deeg, literally means “bottom of the pot” in Persian.
How Do You Make
Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig?
In this recipe, I used thinly sliced potatoes to make the potato tahdig at the bottom and a mixture of parboiled rice, yogurt, oil, and turmeric to make yogurt tahdig.
It is prepared by layering potatoes, yogurt rice, and parboiled rice into a pot and then cooking in a tightly covered lid wrapped with a cotton towel, where the bottom layer of potato and rice crisp up nicely while the above layer of rice gets steamed to fluffy perfection.
After cooking, the dish is served by flipping the pot onto a serving platter to create an impressive upside-down presentation with beautiful layers of potatoes, yogurt rice, and steamed butter rice.
Ingredients
- Long-grain white rice – Basmati is the perfect rice to use.
- Turmeric powder (or Saffron) – I used turmeric powder but saffron is widely used in Iran.
- Salt – Authentic recipes call for a few tablespoons of salt but I used a few teaspoons of salt as I prefer using less salt.
- Neutral flavored oil – I used olive oil or rice oil to create the Tahdig layer.
- Butter/ghee / or vegan equivalent – will help to create fluffy separate rice grains with a buttery flavor.
- Potatoes – Using potatoes that make a good french fry will work.
What Equipment Do You Need?
- Non-stick saucepan with a glass lid to make the dish
- A clean cotton tea towel or cloth to wrap the lid
- Fine mesh sieve or colander to drain the rice so the cooked grains won’t pass through when you rinse the parboiled rice.
Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig
Steps to Make
Follow these steps to create the best Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig.
- Wash the rice
- Soak the rice
- Par-boil the rice until al dente
- Prepare the yogurt rice
- Prepare the potatoes
- Assemble and Steam the rice
- Rest for a while
- Flip and serve
What type of pot to use?
A nonstick pot with a lid is an essential kit to make the perfect rice and tahdig or crust and it will also allow the rice cake to release easily from the pan without sticking to the bottom and sides. However, nonstick pots easily burn at the bottom if you don’t control the heat throughout the cooking process.
Select the pot size according to the number of cups of rice that you intend to steam. The pot should not be too shallow or too deep. If it is too shallow, the rice dries out after steaming. On the other hand, if the pot is too deep, the rice and tahdig will be sticky and soft.
Heavy pots with tight lids like Dutch ovens are not suitable for making this dish because they are meant to keep moisture in the pot, so you may not get a crispy tahdig.
A nonstick pot helps release the rice cake easily but be careful it easily burns at the bottom if you don’t control the cooking heat.
Use a lid that fits the pot
wrapped with a towel
Use a lid that fits the pot to cover the rice while it cooks. Wrapping the lid with a cotton towel or cloth is crucial to make this dish correctly dish. The towel absorbs excess moisture and helps make a crispy bottom layer. If you cook it without wrapping the lid with a towel, the condensation collects inside the pot and falls back to the rice, making the rice mushy and the potatoes soggy. Make sure to tightly cover the lid and secure the towel so as not to catch it on fire.
What type of rice to used?
Persian rice dishes are made with long-grain white rice that can be hard to find outside of Iran. So basmati rice is the one most commonly used as this rice is known for its ability to absorb flavors well and the grains hold their shape better during the steaming process without sticking together resulting in fluffy steamed rice.
There is no good substitute for basmati rice. It is a must if you want to recreate this kind of delicious and unique rice dish. However, if you cannot find it, you can use fragrant Jasmine rice. Adjust the amount of water you use to cook the rice based on the variety you use as different rice may require slightly different water-to-rice ratios.
Basmati is a variety of long-grained aromatic rice primarily grown in Pakistan, India, and Nepal.
Saffron vs Turmeric
The authentic recipe uses a spice called saffron which is very expensive. For a less expensive alternative to the saffron, I used turmeric powder.
Saffron is a spice made from the stigma of the flower of the saffron (Crocus sativus) plant and is commonly used in Iranian cooking for flavor, color, and aroma in various dishes. It is often referred to as ‘Red Gold’ because it is the most expensive spice in the world.
Ground turmeric is the most efficient spice to replace saffron in a recipe. Turmeric is a superfood and the health benefits of turmeric have been well documented with a focus on its anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric will give a lovely golden color to your tahdig.
Useful Tips for Making
the Best Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig
Here are some tips to help you to get success on your first go without messing this dish up!
Before you Start
- Making the best Persian rice requires practice and patience.
- It might take you a few tries to figure out what works best for you making the perfect one.
- Start by reading the recipe to understand the process.
Ingredients
- Gather all the ingredients before you start cooking.
- Authentic recipes call for a few tablespoons of salt but I used a few teaspoons of salt because I like to use less salt in my recipes.
Preparing
- Rinse the rice thoroughly to remove any excess starch as it prevents the rice from becoming sticky.
- Soak the Basmati rice for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking as it helps moisture to reach the center of the rice grain which helps improve the final texture.
- Par-boil the rice until al dente (partially cooked) with plenty of water for about 5 minutes before you assemble and make the tahdig. Keep a close eye on the pot during the cooking process.
Preparing the Potato Tahdig
- I like to fry one side of potatoes first and then flip before laying the yogurt rice.
- Some people will simply place oil in the pot, place the potatoes in there, and cover it with rice.
- Make sure to toss the potato slices with turmeric and salt before arranging them. It will help to get a nice colored flavorful crust.
- Using potatoes that make a good french fry will work. If you use starchy potatoes, rinse them to wash off excess starch.
Steaming
- Keep a close eye on the pot during the cooking process. How long until the bottom layer of rice crisps will vary.
- My rice took less time (about 25 minutes) for the bottom layer to crisp because I partially fried the potato slices before topping it with rice.
- If your heat is too high, the potatoes will burn before the rice cooks through.
- First, cook the dish on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, and then I adjust the heat later to medium-low or low.
- Overcooking the dish can lead to a burning on the bottom while undercooking can result in unevenly cooked rice with a soggy potato layer.
- Trust your other senses! You need to rely on sound and smell to tell when the bottom has become crispy. Take the pan from the heat just before the rice smells toasted and fragrant.
- Turn the pot every 10 to 15 minutes while the rice is steaming for a more evenly browned tahdig.
Flipping
- Allow the pot to rest for a few minutes before flipping it. This allows the flavors to meld and makes it easier to flip and serve.
- When inverting the rice cake onto a serving platter, make sure to do it in one swift motion to maintain the integrity of the layers.
- You may need to tap the pot to ensure everything releases smoothly.
- You can briefly place the entire pot in cold water or set the pot on a wet kitchen towel to help release the rice cake from the pot.
What to Serve With Persian Rice
This rice dish pairs well with baked chicken, roasted chicken, stewed chicken, grilled meat, grilled vegetables, kebabs, fried fish, cucumber yogurt salad, or any other salad.
You can also try these recipes to serve with Persian Rice;
- Batu Moju (Sri Lankan Eggplant Pickle)
- Seeni Sambol (Sri Lankan Onion Relish)
- Devilled Chicken (Sri Lankan Dewal Chicken)
- Devilled Fish (Sri Lankan Malu Dewal)
- One-Pan Butter Chicken (In 30 Minutes)
- Chicken Curry Without Coconut Milk
- Canned Fish Curry (Sri Lankan-Style)
Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig
Step-by-Step Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Ingredients
For Parboil Rice
300 g basmati rice
2 tsp salt
Water, as needed
For Potato TahDig
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
For Yogurt TahDig
200 g plain yogurt
1 tsp turmeric powder (see the notes)
3 tablespoons of warm water
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/3 of the drained parboiled rice
For Steam Rice
3 tbsp ghee/butter/ vegan equivalent
2 tbsp turmeric water (see the notes)
Notes: Prepare the turmeric water dissolving the powder in warm water. 1 tablespoon of the mixture is used to make the yogurt rice and the remaining mixture is used to drizzle over the rice before steaming it.
Instructions
Prepare the pot
Prepare the pot by greasing it with some cooking oil. I used a 22cm nonstick pot with a lid.
Prepare the Rice
Wash rice in cold water until water runs nearly clear. Place rice with 1 tsp of salt in a bowl and pour in cold water to cover up to 2 inches above the top. Soak for a minimum of 30 mins.
And then drain.
Parboil the Rice
Fill a large pot with approximately 1 liter of water. Add 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir it a couple of times gently with a slotted spoon to make sure the grains are not clumping together. Cook until al dente ( slightly tender but still not fully cooked) 5 to 8 minutes, or as needed (the time might vary with different types of rice).
Do not leave it at this stage. Watch the rice carefully, it tends to foam up and overflow. You may reduce the heat only a little bit, but will need to maintain a continuous boil. Give it a gentle stir once in a while to make sure the rice does not stick to the pan.
Make sure to remove the rice and drain it at the right time. Check the rice to make sure it is cooked. Take a grain and check the texture between your fingers. The par-boiled rice is ready when it is soft around the edges but still firm (not crunchy) in the center.
Once the rice reaches the correct texture, turn the heat off. Transfer the rice into a fine mesh strainer, rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process, and wash off the excess salt. Make sure to choose a colander/strainer where the holes are small so that the rice won’t escape.
Prepare the Potatoes
You will need 2 medium to large potatoes. Wash the potatoes very well. I didn’t peel them and it is up to you.
Slice the potatoes very thin as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle the top with 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir to coat all the slices. It will also stop the potatoes from turning brown as you get the rice ready to steam.
Prepare the Potato Tahdig Layer
Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of the pot. Heat the oil over medium-high until it just starts to sizzle. Then turn the heat off, remove the pot from heat, and slightly shake the pot to spread the oil. Starting from the outer edge of the pot, arrange the potato slices with each slice overlapping the previous one slightly. (try not to overlap them too much to cook them evenly to crisp up) Continue until the bottom of the pot is covered. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of oil.
Cook uncovered over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the Turmeric Water
Combine warm water and turmeric powder in a medium bowl.
Prepare the Yogurt Rice Mixture
In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, and 1 tablespoon of turmeric water. Add one-third of the parboiled rice and mix well.
Assemble
Layer yogurt rice on top of the potatoes and pat down to fill any gaps between the potatoes with the back of a spoon.
Then layer the remaining rice and gently pat down to the shape of the saucepan. Dot the top layer of the rice with the butter cubes (or drizzle with melted butter), then drizzle the remaining turmeric water all over the top. Take the end of a tablespoon and gently poke about 5 small holes in the rice to allow steam to escape while cooking.
Steam the Rice
Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and secure it so as not to get caught on fire. Cover the pot and place over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until golden brown, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice around the edges are golden and crispy. Keep an eye on it, all the way through the cooking process to make sure the bottom layer crisps nicely but does not get burned.
Flip and Serve
When it is cooked enough, turn off the heat and remove the pot. Let the pot cool down slightly. Remove the lid from the cooking pot. Take a serving dish that covers the opening of the saucepan and place it on top.
Carefully flip the pot over, so the bottom crispy layer will be on top.
Serve right away and enjoy!
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Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE
More Rice Recipes to Try
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Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig
Equipment
- A nonstick pot (22cm)
Ingredients
For Parboil Rice
- 300 g basmati rice
- 2 tsp salt see the notes
- Water as needed
For Potato TahDig
- 2 potatoes thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
For Yogurt TahDig
- 200 g plain yogurt
- 1 tsp turmeric powder see the notes
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/3 of the drained parboiled rice
For Steam Rice
- 3 tbsp ghee/butter/ vegan equivalent
- 2 tbsp turmeric water
Instructions
Prepare the pot
- Prepare the pot by greasing it with some cooking oil. I used a 22cm nonstick pot with a lid.
Prepare the Rice
- Wash rice in cold water until water runs nearly clear. Place rice with 1 tsp of salt in a bowl and pour in cold water to cover up to 2 inches above the top. Soak for a minimum of 30 mins. And then drain.
Parboil the Rice
- Fill a large pot with approximately 1 liter of water. add 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir it a couple of times gently with a slotted spoon to make sure the grains are not clumping together.
- Cook until al dente ( slightly tender but still not fully cooked) 5 to 8 minutes, or as needed (the time might vary with different types of rice).
- Do not leave it at this stage. Watch the rice carefully, it tends to foam up and overflow. You may reduce the heat only a little bit, but will need to maintain a continuous boil. Give it a gentle stir once in a while to make sure the rice does not stick to the pan.
- Make sure to remove the rice and drain it at the right time. Check the rice to make sure it is cooked. Take a grain and check the texture between your fingers. The par-boiled rice is ready when it is soft around the edges but still firm (not crunchy) in the center.
- Once the rice reaches the correct texture, turn the heat off. Transfer the rice into a fine mesh strainer, rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process, and wash off the excess salt. Make sure to choose a colander/strainer where the holes are small so that the rice won’t escape.
Prepare the Potatoes
- You will need 2 medium to large potatoes. Wash the potatoes very well. I didn’t peel them and it is up to you.
- Slice the potatoes very thin as evenly as possible.
- Sprinkle the top with 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat all the slices. It will also stop the potatoes from turning brown as you get the rice ready to steam.
- If you use starchy potatoes, rinse them to wash off excess starch – this will help during the crisping process.
Prepare the Potato Tahdig Layer
- Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of the pot. Heat the oil over medium-high until it just starts to sizzle. Then turn the heat off, remove the pot from heat, and tilt the pot to spread the oil. slightly shake the pan
- Starting from the outer edge of the pot, arrange the potato slices with each slice overlapping the previous one slightly. (try not to overlap them too much to cook them evenly to crisp up) Continue until the bottom of the pot is covered. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Cook uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Prepare the Turmeric Water
- Combine warm water and turmeric powder in a medium bowl.
Prepare the Yogurt Rice Mixture
- In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, and 1 tablespoon of turmeric water. Add one-third of the cooked rice and mix well.
- Layer yogurt rice on top of the potatoes and pat down to fill any gaps between the potatoes with the back of a spoon.
Assemble
- Then layer the remaining rice and gently pat down to the shape of the saucepan. Dot the top layer of the rice with the butter cubes, then drizzle the remaining turmeric water all over the top. Take the end of a tablespoon and gently poke about 5 small holes in the rice to allow steam to escape while cooking.
Steam the Rice
- Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and secure it so as not to get caught on fire. Cover the pot and place over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until golden brown, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice around the edges are golden and crispy. Keep an eye on it, all the way through the cooking process to make sure the bottom layer crisps nicely but does not get burned.
Flip and Serve
- When it is cooked enough, turn off the heat and remove the pot. Let the pot cool down slightly. Remove the lid from the cooking pot. Take a serving dish that covers the opening of the saucepan and place it on top.
- Carefully flip the pot over, so the bottom crispy layer will be on top.
- Serve right away and enjoy!
Notes
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