Crusty Persian Rice With Cinnamon And Pistachios Recipes

TAHDIG RECIPE (CRISPY PERSIAN RICE)

Steps:

• Mix the saffron into 1 cup very warm (but not hot) water. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to let the saffron release all of its flavor.
• In a sieve, rinse the rice under cool running water until the water almost runs clear.
• In a large pot, combine 8 cups of water and the salt (this is your one shot to season the rice itself). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook until al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the rice.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the cooked rice, the yogurt, grapeseed oil, and 2 tbsp of the saffron water. Mix thoroughly.
• Spread the rice-yogurt mixture evenly on the bottom of a 10-inch lidded nonstick pot. Sprinkle 1 cup of the remaining cooked rice on top, followed by 2 tablespoons of the dried cherries, a pinch of orange zest, and a pinch of cinnamon. Add another layer of rice and repeat with the cherries, orange zest, and cinnamon, reserving a couple tbsp of the cherries for garnish. As you go about layering, the rice will start to dome and look "pointy" in the middle--that's okay! Keep it that way. Finish by dotting the top with the butter and pour the rest of the saffron water all over the top.
• Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel and secure it around the handle with a rubber band. Cover the pot and cook over low heat, 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice around the edges is golden and crispy; it's okay to peek under the lid! (See note #2) Be sure not to burn the bottom layer of the rice, though you do want a nice crust in the bottom.
• Remove the lid, invert a large serving plate over the pot, and carefully flip them over together. No worries if it sticks, just scrape it out and run with it! Sprinkle the tahdig with the reserved dried cherries and pistachios and serve right away.

CRUSTY PERSIAN RICE WITH CINNAMON AND PISTACHIO

Steps:

• Put rice in medium bowl with water to cover. Drain and repeat procedure 5 times. Return rice to the bowl and gently fill the bowl with cold running water. Keep the water running gently into the bowl until the liquid runs clear. Drain, return rice to the bowl with water to cover, and let stand for at least 6 hours. Can let stand at room temperature overnight. Bring 4 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons salt to boil in a soup kettle. Keep the water boiling while slowly adding the drained rice. Simmer for 5 minutes; rinse with cold running water and drain thoroughly. Remove 1 cup of rice and stir in the saffron threads; set aside. Put the plain rice in a large bowl. Peel a 3- by 1-inch strip of zest from the orange and cut into ⅛ -inch dice. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan, add the zest, and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the zest and pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and sauté the zest for 15 seconds; add the sugar and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in cinnamon, pistachios, raisins, and ¼ teaspoon salt; sauté, stirring continuously to coat with butter-sugar mixture. Stir zest mixture into the plain rice. Melt the remaining butter. Coat the bottom and sides of a heavy, lidded, 3-quart saucepan (preferably cast iron) with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter mixed with the oil. Heat the coated pan until hot. Remove from the heat and spread half of the zested rice over the bottom of the pan, pressing down well with a spoon. Cover with a mound of the remaining zested rice. Sprinkle the saffron rice over the top. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of the rice deep enough to reach the bottom of the pan. Make 2 or 3 additional holes in the rice to allow steam to escape. Drizzle rice with remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Cook rice for 6 minutes over low heat, uncovered. Wrap lid in a linen towel, securing towel ends under or around lid handle. Cover the pot with the towel-wrapped lid and steam over low heat for 40 to 60 minutes, until a crisp golden crust forms on the bottom of the rice. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. SERVING: Spoon soft, fluffy rice onto a platter. Break the bottom crust into pieces and arrange around the fluffy rice. Serve immediately.

POLOW (PERSIAN RICE WITH PISTACHIOS AND DILL)

Steps:

• Using lid of pot as guide, trace circle on parchment paper and cut out. Set aside.
• In large bowl, rinse rice in several changes of cold water until water runs clear. Drain well.
• In pot over moderately high heat, combine 4 quarts cold water, rice, and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to moderate and boil, uncovered, 5 minutes. Drain well.
• In small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup warm water and saffron until dissolved.
• Transfer 1 cup cooked rice to medium bowl and stir in yogurt and 1 tablespoon saffron water (reserve remaining saffron water).
• In cleaned pot over moderately low heat, melt butter. Add rice-yogurt mixture, smoothing into flat layer. Top with 1/2 of remaining rice. Sprinkle with 1/2 of dill and pistachios and top with 1/2 of remaining rice, mounding loosely. Sprinkle with remaining dill and pistachios and top with remaining rice, mounding loosely into pyramid. Using round handle of wooden spoon, make 5 or 6 holes in rice to bottom of pot and pour in remaining saffron water.
• Cover rice with prepared parchment paper round then with lid and steam, undisturbed, until tender and crust forms on bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Spoon loose rice onto platter without disturbing bottom crust. Dip bottom of pan into large bowl of cold water 30 seconds to loosen crust. Using spatula or wooden spoon, lift crust and transfer atop rice.

PERSIAN RICE WITH CINNAMON, PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a saute pan heat the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and saute for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains begin to turn golden.
• Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic, orange peel, cinnamon and curry powder. Saute another minute, stirring until the mixture starts to smell fragrant. Now add the water, cover the pan, turn down the heat to a simmer.
• Cook the rice for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pistachios and golden raisins/sultanas. Remove the orange peels before serving or warn everyone not to eat them.

PERSIAN RICE WITH PISTACHIOS AND DILL

Steps:

• Rinse rice in several changes of cold water in a large bowl until water runs clear. Drain in a large sieve.
• Bring water and salt to a boil in a 6-quart heavy pot and parboil rice, uncovered, 5 minutes. Drain in large sieve.
• Melt butter in bottom of cleaned pot and spoon rice over it, alternating with sprinklings of dill and pistachios and mounding loosely, ending with rice. Make 5 or 6 holes in rice to bottom of pot with round handle of a wooden spoon, then cover pot with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid (to keep towel from burning) and cook rice, undisturbed, over moderately low heat until tender and a crust forms on bottom, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Spoon loose rice onto a platter and dip bottom of pan in a large bowl of cold water 30 seconds to loosen tah-dig (the rice crust on the bottom). Remove tah-dig with a large spoon and serve in a separate bowl or over loose rice.

PERSIAN RICE WITH GOLDEN CRUST

Steps:

• In a large saucepan bring water with salt to a boil. Add rice and boil 10 minutes. In a colander drain rice and rinse under warm water.
• In a 2- to 3-quart nonstick saucepan melt butter. Spoon rice over butter and cover pan with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid and cook rice over moderately low heat until tender and a crust forms on bottom, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Spoon loose rice onto a platter and dip bottom of pan in a large bowl of cold water 30 seconds to loosen tah-dig. Remove tah-dig and serve over rice.