Description
This fool-proof recipe for how-to cook parboiled rice will give you aromatic rice with the desirable fluffy texture with individual grains of rice. Gluten-Free. Vegan Options.
Ingredients
- 8 cups boiling water
- 1 cup basmati rice, soaked and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp butter or oil
- Pinch saffron
- 1 tsp rose water
For Tahdig:
- 1 large yellow potato peeled and sliced (for tahdig)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ghee or butter
- Sprinkle of salt
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup basmati rice with cold tap until the water runs clear. Place in a medium sized bowl and fill with water to soak rice for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Strain.
- Boil 8 cups water with 1 Tbsp sea salt.
- Add strained rice to pot and boil 8 min or until rice is aldente with a soft outside and firm inside.
- Strain and rinse rice.
- Heat a dry skillet fitted with a lid for 1 min. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter or oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Add the sliced potato to bottom of the pan and cover with the strained rice.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp rose water over rice and cover pan with a towel lined lid (you don’t want the condensation from the lid to go back into the rice.
- Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes to brown the potatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop the basmati out of the pan onto a serving platter.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter. Grind 1/8 tsp saffron using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Mix the saffron into the melted butter and drizzle over the cooked basmati.
- Using a spatula, either break and remove the tahdig to place over the rice or flip pan onto a separate serving platter. Nushejan, enjoy!
Notes
Steam with a Towel or a damkesh (damkoni). When you return the rice back to the stove, be sure to cover the inside of the lid with a towel. There is a product called a damkesh (damkoni) which serves this purpose. I normally use a towel – just be sure to tuck the towel into the handle of the lid so you don’t start a fire and stay nearby the stove. I’ve never had an issue, but please be careful. I just ordered a damkesh from the Persian Mama – I linked above but I have not used it yet. The purpose of the towel or damkesh is to prevent condensation from returning to the pot and resulting in mushy rice. This piece is essential to getting fluffy, individual rice grains.
Vegan Option. To make this dish vegan, substitute the butter with coconut oil or for a less-intense flavor oil, use olive oil or refined peanut oil.
Skipping the Tahdig. Skip the added calories of tahdig by placing the boiled and rinsed rice (from Step 4) back into the pot fitted with a towel-lined lid and heat on the lowest heat for 30 minutes. Some rice may stick to the bottom of the pot, but a soak in water will remove this. Proceed to step 9 and skip step 11
Goes great with…Serve alongside Joojeh – Persian-Style Barbecue Chicken, Gormeh Sabzi, or Vegan “Gormeh” Sabzi
Try something new and tell me about it in the comments!
Keywords: Gluten Free, Rice, Persian, Parboiled rice, saffron rice, saffron, side dish, side
