Persian Rice Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt, return to a boil, and stir in rice, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let stand in a sieve.
• Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and cook until melted. Remove 3 tablespoons melted butter and set aside. Add onions and saffron to skillet and cook, stirring until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Spread onion in an even layer in skillet.
• Season rice with salt. Spoon half of rice over onion, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with apricots and cherries. Evenly spread remaining rice over fruit, pressing down firmly to compact.
• Drizzle reserved butter evenly over the top. Cover skillet with a double layer of parchment-lined aluminum foil, pressing down on the top and crimping the edges. Transfer to oven and bake 1 hour.
• Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and invert a large round platter over the skillet. Carefully, turn the skillet and platter over. Remove skillet, and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add the salt, and then boil the washed rice for ten minutes; drain and reserve.
• Dip the potato slices in the melted butter and use them to line the bottom AND sides of the same pot you just boiled the rice in.
• Pour any leftover butter in the bottom of the pot.
• Now, very carefully (don't move the potatoes), place the partially cooked rice into the potato-lined pot.
• Cover the pot with a teatowel and then its lid and place over medium-low heat; this steams the rice and cooks and browns the potatoes.
• This will take about 1/2 hour, but carefully check the rice for doneness and the potatoes for browning after about 20 minutes.
• When the rice and potatoes are done (potatoes will be browned and crispy), remove from heat and remove lid and teatowel.
• Place a large platter over top of pot and very carefully invert the pot.
• The whole thing should slide out; if some potatoes come away, put them back where they belong.
• I was told the crust is called the"tadiq" and it is the part the family members all fight over.
• I admit that, when I tried to make this dish, it all fell apart; it was tasty though.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan bring water with salt to a boil. Add rice and boil 10 minutes. In a colander drain rice and rinse under warm water.
• In a 2- to 3-quart nonstick saucepan melt butter. Spoon rice over butter and cover pan with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid and cook rice over moderately low heat until tender and a crust forms on bottom, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Spoon loose rice onto a platter and dip bottom of pan in a large bowl of cold water 30 seconds to loosen tah-dig. Remove tah-dig and serve over rice.

Steps:

• Bring water and kosher salt to a boil in a pot; add rice and cook, stirring, for exactly 7 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cover bottom of pot with 1 layer of potato slices. Sprinkle cumin and salt over potatoes. Cook until potatoes are sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes; top potatoes with rice to form an even layer. Reduce heat to low and place butter slices over rice.
• Top pot with a layer of clean paper towels and place lid over towels. Steam until rice is fluffy, about 45 minutes.
• Grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle. Mix crushed saffron with 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a large bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of rice to saffron mixture and stir until rice is yellow.
• Spoon remaining rice into a serving bowl, top with saffron rice, and line edges of bowl with potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

Steps:

• Tie cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds in a small piece of cheesecloth; set aside. Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice and spice sachet. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Discard sachet and strain rice through a fine-mesh sieve. Let stand in sieve 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice about 1/8 inch thick using a mandoline. Melt butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat. Transfer butter to a large bowl for the rice mixture. Arrange potatoes in two layers in skillet in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly and working from the outside.
• Toss rice with butter, apricots, and raisins, and season with salt.
• Sprinkle cilantro over potatoes, and top with half of rice mixture, pressing down to form an even layer. Top with remaining rice mixture, continuing to press down, ensuring rice forms an even layer. Place a piece of cheesecloth directly on surface of rice, covering completely.
• Cover pan, and cook for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until potatoes are crisp and golden brown around edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove cheesecloth. Run a rubber spatula around edge of pan, and invert onto a serving platter, shaking gently to loosen rice from pan.

Steps:

• Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice - you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)
• Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.
• To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.