Persian Food - Tahdig

The one dish that disappears in a blink of an eye in any Persian gathering; it’s crunchy, tastes dreamy and it’s golden both in color and value. Yes, I am talking about Tahdig, the soul of Persian cuisine. Tahdig, which is pronounced tah-DEEG literally means “bottom of the pot” in Farsi. There’s no such thing as Tahdig leftovers. Persians do have generous portions; they cook for ten people when they only have two guests, and there are always tons of leftovers, but trust me when I say if you are ever at a Persian’s party and you spot the Tahdig plate, grab one as soon as you can. I repeat, grab one, or it’ll finish as quickly as it gets to the table. It is also completely normal to see Persians jokingly fight over who picks the most caramelized Tahdig. No need to be surprised!

Making a perfectly crispy Tahdig is a skill worth perfecting, and there are several levels you need to master to be considered a pro in making Tahdig. The easiest kind is to simply add extra cooking fat to the bottom of the pot when cooking steamed Persian rice. The bottom layer of the rice turns to a beautiful golden-brown color, crispy and delicious. For the next level, you could put a layer of Lavash bread (any other flatbread would work as well.) or spread a mixture of rice, saffron, and yogurt in the pot and then top it with rice. Finally, the best kind but the most complicated type to make is to put thin slices of potato. You could give it more color and taste by adding a pinch of ground saffron or turmeric.

Tahdig is the greasiest part of the pot and yet the most delicious part. In fact, the greasier, the more delicious (and of course less healthy! But who cares? It’s Tahdig we’re talking about!). At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which level you are, just choose the method you’re most comfortable with, add the rice and wait for the magic to finally happen!

Now you know why we have design dedicated to Tahdig, and that design says "Tahdig > You" 

Author: Morvarid Bajgiran