Persian Tahchin with Saffron and Chicken
Tahchin is turned out onto a plate with a golden crust as solid as a cake. The secret is that the base layer is mixed with yogurt, egg yolk and saffron — the fat and protein bind the grains together into the crust the Persians call tahdig.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 75 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Calories
- 520
Tahchin is one of the most beautiful Persian rice dishes, and its name means 'arranged at the bottom'. White rice baked in a dish over a saffron and yogurt layer, then flipped so it emerges like a cake with a golden crust. Its appearance makes any gathering special.
Method
-
1
Soak the rice
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in salted water for at least an hour. Soaking stops the grains breaking.
⏱ 60 min -
2
Part-boil
Boil the rice in salted boiling water for only 6 minutes — it must stay half raw (it breaks between two fingers with a firm core). Drain and rinse with lukewarm water.
⏱ 9 min -
3
The chicken
Soften the onion, add the chicken, turmeric, salt, pepper and a little water, and cook 20 minutes until done. Shred it into strands.
⏱ 24 min -
4
The saffron
Grind the saffron fine and dissolve it in a quarter cup of hot water, leaving it 10 minutes until the colour is strong.
⏱ 11 min -
5
The base mixture
Mix the yogurt, egg yolks, saffron, butter and salt, and fold in a third of the boiled rice gently.
⏱ 6 min -
6
Assemble
Butter a dish or non-stick pot, press the base mixture into it, then half the remaining rice, then the chicken and barberries, then the rest of the rice.
⏱ 8 min -
7
Bake
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 180°C for an hour, then remove the foil and give it 20 minutes more until the base browns.
⏱ 80 min -
8
Flip
Let it rest 10 minutes, set a large plate over it and flip it in one decisive movement. Scatter the pistachios and almonds.
⏱ 12 min
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Tips that actually matter
- The rice is only part-boiled. Fully cooked rice turns to paste in the oven.
- Grind the saffron and dissolve it in hot water — whole threads give no colour.
- Ten minutes of resting before the flip makes it release from the dish.
- If the flip worries you, serve it by the spoonful from the dish — the taste is the same.
People also ask
What is tahdig?
The golden crisp crust that forms at the bottom of a pot of Persian rice. In tahchin it covers the whole dish because it is flipped, and it is the part Iranians prize most.
Saffron is expensive — is there a substitute?
Turmeric gives a similar colour but not the aroma. If you do use saffron, a quarter teaspoon is enough for the whole dish — grinding it and dissolving it in hot water doubles its effect.
Can I use lamb or make it vegetarian?
Yes — seasoned minced meat, or a vegetarian version with browned aubergine and barberries.
Cook mode
Persian Tahchin with Saffron and Chicken
-
1
Soak the rice
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in salted water for at least an hour. Soaking stops the grains breaking.
-
2
Part-boil
Boil the rice in salted boiling water for only 6 minutes — it must stay half raw (it breaks between two fingers with a firm core). Drain and rinse with lukewarm water.
-
3
The chicken
Soften the onion, add the chicken, turmeric, salt, pepper and a little water, and cook 20 minutes until done. Shred it into strands.
-
4
The saffron
Grind the saffron fine and dissolve it in a quarter cup of hot water, leaving it 10 minutes until the colour is strong.
-
5
The base mixture
Mix the yogurt, egg yolks, saffron, butter and salt, and fold in a third of the boiled rice gently.
-
6
Assemble
Butter a dish or non-stick pot, press the base mixture into it, then half the remaining rice, then the chicken and barberries, then the rest of the rice.
-
7
Bake
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 180°C for an hour, then remove the foil and give it 20 minutes more until the base browns.
-
8
Flip
Let it rest 10 minutes, set a large plate over it and flip it in one decisive movement. Scatter the pistachios and almonds.
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