Description
Chelow ba tahdig is the foundation of the Iranian table, served with khoresh and kebabs, featuring long, separate grains and a prized golden crust.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400g (2 cups) extra-long grain basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, ground
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil or clarified butter (ghee)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons full-fat plain yogurt (optional for base)
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the rice in cold water with salt for 30 minutes.
- Bloom the saffron threads in hot water and set aside.
- Parboil the rice in salted boiling water for 5–7 minutes, then drain.
- Make the tahdig base by mixing yogurt with parboiled rice and saffron water.
- Mound the remaining rice on top of the tahdig base and add butter cubes.
- Steam the rice with a towel-wrapped lid for 30–40 minutes, rotating halfway.
- Release the tahdig by cooling the pot on a wet towel for 5 minutes.
- Serve the rice and tahdig on a platter, either together or separately.
Notes
Don’t be afraid of the tahdig process; trust the timings and sounds. For beginners, the yogurt-rice tahdig is recommended.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Persian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 20mg