Persian New Year recipe: Tahchin (Iranian Savory Crispy Saffron Rice “Cake”)

If Oakland’s Helia Sadeghi had to eat one dish for the rest of her life, it would be crispy, buttery, comforting tahchin. In Sadeghi’s childhood home in Iran, the golden domed rice “cake” layered with saffron-tinged yogurt and chicken made an appearance for special occasions. Birthdays. Getting good grades. Sometimes, tahchin was the occasion.

“My mom worked two jobs, so if she had a day off, she would ask me what I wanted her to make, and I always asked for tahchin,” she says. “Hers was the best.”

This recipe, which is featured on Sadeghi’s Big Dill Kitchen website and requires a large nonstick pot with a lid — would be the perfect centerpiece for a Nowruz meal, she says. While the traditional Persian New Year meal is herbed rice with fish to represent rebirth and fertility, Sadeghi says you should make what feels special to you. For her, that’s tahchin.

“It is a celebration food, a showstopper,” she says. “And Nowruz is definitely a special occasion.”

Tahchin (Iranian Savory Crispy Saffron Rice “Cake”)

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups basmati rice

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt, strained

2 eggs

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 teaspoons sea salt or more to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup strongly brewed saffron, divided use (see note below)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 stick butter, softened, divided use

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup barberries, rinsed

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1/4 cup pistachio kernels or 2 tablespoons slivered pistachios

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large pot half to two-thirds full of salted water and bring to a boil.

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then add it to the pot of boiling water. Boil until tender but not thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. A good rule is that when you squish a grain of rice between your fingers, it is soft but still feels grainy. Use a strainer to drain the rice and thoroughly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, turmeric, salt, black pepper and all but 2 tablespoons of the saffron water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the shredded chicken. Pour the 2 tablespoons of reserved brewed saffron over it, then mix. Add 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture over the chicken and saffron and mix. (To make vegetarian tahchin, simply omit the chicken.)

Place a large nonstick pot over medium heat. Cut the stick of butter into three equal pieces. Add the vegetable oil and a third of the butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Pour 1/3 cup of the yogurt mixture into the bottom of the pot, followed by half the parboiled rice. Top with half the yogurt mixture, gently mix to combine, then gently flatten it on top.

Spread the shredded chicken mixture on top of the rice layer. Sprinkle a handful of barberries on top, if you wish.

Mix the rest of the rice and another third of the butter with the rest of the yogurt mixture in the mixing bowl. Spread it over the chicken layer in the pot and gently flatten it on top, so the filling is sandwiched between the two layers of rice.

Wrap the pot’s lid in a towel and tie it at the top. Place the lid on the pot. Cook on low heat for 40 to 50 minutes. (Cooking time may vary by stove. Use the lowest setting and check on it every 10 to 20 minutes, if your stove is especially hot.) Turn the heat up to medium for the last 5 to 10 minutes, but keep a close watch so it doesn’t burn.

While the tahchin is cooking, add the remaining 1/3 stick of butter to a pan set over medium heat, followed by the barberries and sugar, if using. Sauté for 30 seconds to a minute, then remove from heat. Add the pistachios and mix.

When the bottom of the tahchin is nice and crispy, flip it onto a platter. (This is best accomplished by placing a platter over the pot. Grasp the platter and the pot handles, say a little prayer, wiggle the pot around and flip it in a quick move! Then remove the pot.) Top the tahchin with the buttery barberries and pistachios. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: To brew saffron, bring water to a boil in a kettle. Add a generous pinch of saffron strands and a pinch of salt to a mortar and grind it using the pestle. Transfer the saffron to a small heatproof bowl. Pour 1/3 cup boiling water over the saffron, cover with a towel and allow it to brew for 10 minutes.

— Recipe courtesy of Helia Sadeghi, BigDillKitchen.com