Here's How to Make the Crispiest, Most Perfect Tahdig

Rice is the most cherished grain in Iran, where it is produced in the fertile landscape in the north of the country, by the shores of the Caspian Sea. Over the centuries, Iranian cooks have developed unique techniques to create rice that is light and fluffy, but with a crispy component as well. That crispy layer is called tahdig, which is two Persian words combined. In Persian, tah means the bottom, and dig is a pot, so tahdig is literally “the bottom of the pot.” While tahdig cooks on the bottom, it is most often served on the top by inverting the whole dish onto a platter, like an upside-down cake.

To be clear, tahdig isn’t a dish all on its own; rather, it is the most prized part of many different Iranian rice dishes, both simple and complex. This means that you’ll likely make tahdig while following the recipe for another rice dish, for example, Havij Polow Ba Morgh.

Havij Polow Ba Morgh

Here are 17 tips on how to make the tahdig component of any dish as spectacular as it can be.

• Select the right type of rice.  In Iran, numerous regional varieties are used, including sadri, domsiah, tarom, champa, and many others. Outside the country, basmati is the preferred variety—not only does it offer delightful aromas, it can also be crispy on the bottom while remaining light and fluffy in the center of the pot.
  
  
• Don’t think too small. It will be difficult to pull off a good tahdig with anything less than about two cups of uncooked rice, which will serve 4-6 people. Don’t be afraid to cook more than you need immediately; the tahdig will almost certainly be eaten up first, and any remaining fluffy rice can be reused the next day. 
  
  
• Soaking and rinsing are key. The rice should be soaked for at least 1 hour, and should then be rinsed with cool water several times to wash away the natural starches that would otherwise make the rice more sticky.
  
  
• Don’t be afraid of salt. Just as for cooking pasta, the parboiling liquid needs to be generously salted. While you may be surprised by the amount of salt used, this will bring out the flavor of the rice, and will be washed away after the parboiling stage. 

• Aim for al dente. Depending on the brand of rice you use, you will need to parboil the rice for about 5-8 minutes. Look for the grains to be visibly lengthened, translucent, and no longer crunchy but still firm. To borrow a term from Italian cooking, you are looking for rice that is al dente.
  
  
• Don’t lose any grains. A fine mesh strainer is preferable to a colander for rinsing the rice after the parboiling stage, to avoid excessive loss of rice grains. 
  
  
• Use a nonstick pot if you can. While it is possible to use any type of pot, nonstick pots make it much easier to flip out the tahdig so that it can be served in one spectacular piece.
  
  
• The more surface area, the more tahdig. A 2-quart pot offers an adequate surface area to produce the tahdig layer of a dish for 4-6 people. However, you can swap your 2-quart pot for a wider nonstick frying pan, yielding a greater surface area and a higher ratio of tahdig to fluffy rice.
  
  
• Select an oil to match the specific dish. If you want to highlight the fragrance of the basmati rice, use a neutral unflavored oil such as avocado, safflower, or sunflower. For a richer, buttery flavor, choose butter or ghee. 
  
  
• Measure your oil. Too much oil will essentially fry the rice and make the texture unpleasant, but too little will dry out the tahdig and leave it too crunchy. Follow your recipe, but as a general guideline, there should be a very thin layer of oil covering the bottom of the pot, whatever its size. 
  
  
• Be gentle with the rice. Parboiled rice should be added into the pot gently and without stirring, which can break the rice grains.

• Wrap the lid. Once the parboiled rice has been added to the pot, the lid should be wrapped in a cloth to absorb the steam and prevent it from dripping back into the rice, ensuring that it remains light and fluffy. Iranians nestle the lid in a special round, fitted cloth called a damkoni. Alternatively, you can use a clean kitchen towel, or even double layers of paper towel in a pinch. Whichever you choose, be sure to pull away the edges and secure them by the lid handle to keep them away from heat and flames.
  
  
• Remember the temperature. Rice is generally cooked over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes. For future reference (see below), it’s helpful to remember where the temperature dial was set on your stove.
  
  
• No peeking. During that time, there must be no peeking or mixing! Lifting the lid will allow the precious steam to escape, and mixing the rice will disturb the tahdig layer.
  
  
• Remove from the pan quickly. After the rice has cooked for 45 minutes, it is vital to remove it from the pan immediately, so that the tahdig doesn’t soften. Take the lid and cloth wrap off the pot, place a large plate or platter upside down over the pot, and invert the entire contents of the pot onto the plate. As an encouraging mantra, remember to do this step quickly, confidently, and carefully!
  
  
• Fine-tune your tahdig. Congratulations if your first tahdig was perfect, but don’t despair if it was a little bit burnt or it just never got crispy. While they’re not listed in most rice recipes, patience, practice, and acceptance are necessary ingredients for making tahdig! If your tahdig was darker than you expected, turn the temperature down a bit next time. Turn the temperature up if the tahdig was not crispy or sufficiently golden. 
  
  
• Be adventurous. If you’re feeling playful, particularly after your first success, you can go beyond the basic tahdig by adding some bloomed saffron or turmeric to showcase the golden crispy rice. And while rice by itself makes a wonderful crispy layer in the bottom of the pan, Iranians also use potatoes, thin flatbreads, and even lettuce to create tahdig!