Tahdig: Variation 1 with Yogurt

Hi Friends,

Welcome to whatever this is! Some type of cultural food project. An ‘it’s winter and I’m hella cold and staying inside’ activity. An email? I’ll figure it out eventually. [hate reading words? skip to the how-to video at the end!]

Food has always been an outlet for me. A doorway to pleasure; a window to ancestral memory; a path to connection. In the before-times of large dinner parties and equinox celebrations, my ability to share my love of food was unimpeded. It gave me great pleasure to cook for others, to share Persian ingredients, to warm people from the inside out. Cooking has also been my primary tool for creative expression, a way to alchemize the little dramas that came and went into nourishment, and, ultimately, a way to love people. TBH I think my food is the reason Nick fell for me. I’m always making him little snacks!

I love all cooking, though I have a deep and embodied reverence for my ancestral (Persian) cuisine. All of time seems to collapse into the present moment as I cook a dish I’ve eaten since childhood, once cooked for me by my grandmother, who learned from her mother, who learned from hers, until you reach the center of the spiral of ancestral memory. Cooking inherited dishes can act as an offering: we remember those who have passed and we fortify traditions in the present.

As a kid I always wanted to have a cooking show, and pretended to host one with my mom in our kitchen in Cardiff, CA. “The Nahid and Lily Show” - clever! In this video series I hope to share classical Persian cooking techniques, modern flourishes, and ways I infuse ritual and reverence into cooking. Should you wish to ditch the woo-woo, fear not - the recipes should be easy to follow. I’ll keep it coming at some irregular cadence based on my moods (which are varied and change on a dime! Hello to my Moon in Gemini).

So: Tahdig, the delicious crisp crust served with Persian rice, is a cornerstone of the Persian dinner table. It is fought after. Riots may ensue if everyone doesn’t get their fair share. It can feel daunting to make the first few times, but I’m hoping this approachable variation gives you some confidence. A few more variations to come.

Noosh-e-jan (may it feed for your spirit - as we say in Farsi before a meal <3)

Lily

PS - This is my first video so please feel free to send me any feedback or special requests!

PPS - know someone who may enjoy this newsletter? They can add themselves here

INGREDIENTS/EQUIPMENT

4 Qt Non-Stick Pot** (like this)

2 Cups White Basmati Rice, soaked 30 minutes in water

Lots of Salt

3 TBSP full fat Plain Yogurt (not the thicker varieties like Greek or Icelandic)

3 TSBP of neutral oil, like Avocado, Canola, refined Coconut, etc

3-4 TBSP Butter

Optional: ⅛ tsp of ground saffron threads dissolved in 2 tsp of hot water

**5 QT Pot will also work, just increase to 3 cups rice / 4 tbsp yogurt / 4 tbsp oil / 4 tbsp butter

**An 8-10 inch very nonstick pan should also work! But if you want to make lots of Persian Rice in your life, I recommend just dropping by a Marshalls/TJ MAXX/Ross to get a simple non-stick pot. Mine was $10!

Steps - full details in video

• Soak Rice for 30 Minutes

• Boil rice for 5-10 minutes until “par cooked” as detailed in video [mostly cooked with some bite to it]

• Strain rice in a colander

• Mix 1 ½ cups of par cooked rice with 3 tbsp yogurt and the saffron water mix

• Over medium heat, add 3 tbsp neutral oil to your non-stick pot

• Spread the rice-yogurt mix evenly over the bottom to create your crust

• Pour the remaining par cooked rice on top of the rice-yogurt mix in a pyramid shape - this allows the rice to expand as it steams

• Using a wooden spoon, poke 5 holes about 85% of the way to the bottom of the pot. This allows steam to escape.

• Add a few pads of butter, about 3 tbsp, on top of the rice.

• Place your dish-towel wrapped lid on top of the pot.

• Allow Tahdig to set on medium for 10 minutes.

• After 10 minutes, reduce to low for 20-40 minutes. This will depend on the strength of your stove. If you know your stove is super strong, reduce to low and check after 15 minutes. Give your pot a quarter turn every few minutes for even crisping.

• Flip your rice dish as shown in the video! If the flip intimidates you, gently spoon out the rice until you get to the crust. Then, using a spatula, crack it into pizza like slices and serve!