Persian Crispy Rice with Barberries (تهدیگ با زرشک)
The famous Persian crispy rice! This step-by-step recipe will guide you through to the perfect, crispy golden centrepiece for any feast.
This traditional rice dish, often referred to as ‘tahdiig’ or ‘bottom of the pot, is a common fixture of Persian celebrations and feasts. The rice is par-cooked and combined with a golden mixture of saffron and butter, before being steamed to perfection in a separate pot. The addition of barberries at the end adds a pop of sourness, a favoured taste to many Iranians. You may find barberries in many Middle-Eastern supermarkets, or you can use regular currants, or frankly use nothing at all. The key to a good, crispy tahdiig is the temperature control. This takes practice. Use a good, solid-based pot and you will get a consistently gold crust across the base of your tahdiig. Don’t worry if it doesn’t release from the pot in one perfectly-moulded swoop, this is greatly determined by the doneness of your rice and the sort of pot you use. If you need to remove the crust in sections - like many Iranians actually do - it is just as good. Enjoy this with any other dishes as part of a wider feast, but honestly some days this dish is good enough to make and eat all on its own! Let’s go!
