Polo Ba Tahdig (Persian Rice With Bread Crust) Recipe (2024)

If you haven't watched Ms Nosrat's EXCELLENT series, "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," I highly recommend it! She prepares this recipe with her mother and explains why so much salt is needed. You'll see why the towel is needed and pick up other pointers. The entire series if fascinating, and has only four episodes. Last time I checked it was still on Netflix. Enjoy!

Thank you for this recipe - I hope to make it this week. Could you please clarify the time difference between using a nonstick pot and using a cast-iron? The Notes have it at 50 minutes for cast-iron, but the recipe says 48 minutes for non-stick, plus 12 more minutes for cast-iron.

Dear Mihaela, This is cooking, Art, not science. Time, if you think about it, is not the only variable. The size and shape of your pot are unknown. So too, its thickness. And also the amount of heat delivered by your stove at any of its settings, as is the absorbency of your towel. Don't worry. The operative instructions are: "The rice will be done when the grains are elongated and dry and the edges of the crust turn a light golden brown." Trust yourself. Go for it. Enjoy! Best wishes

I’ve made Persian rice with a crisp tahdig many times, and have wondered how to make it with bread on the bottom and look forward to trying this recipe. I have lots of le Creuset cast iron pots, but prefer to use my much lighter-weight non-stick stockpot for making Persian rice. It’s much easier to invert at the end and nothing sticks.

Strange recipe. Significantly more (unnecessary) steps than regular, non-bread crust tahdeg, and not nearly as good. 1. The rice could use a binding agent, like yogurt or sour cream. Without it, it doesn't stay together well. 2. Why bother with the bread? The whole point is to have crunchy rice-not crunchy bread on top of rice. 3. Drizzling the butter and saffron over the rice doesn't distribute it well. 4. The rice is underseasoned.I suggest looking for another recipe w/out bread.

Alternative Tahdig: 1. After boiling and rinsing the rice, mix 2-3 skimmerfuls of it with some of the brewed saffron and a tablespoon of cooking oil, lay it on the bottom of the pot. Press down with the skimmer to make it more compact. 2. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. 3. Reduce heat to medium, add the rest of the rice and follow the recipe. 4. When the cooking is done, hold the pot tilted under cold tap water (make sure water doesn't enter the pot). Helps release the Tahdig.

Ow wow! Was this ever so good! I cooked the rice as one might cook pasta - al dente - and then into the pot to make that tahdig.I made mine from potatoes. My goodness, so scrumptious. Like Lays chips with saffron rice. Ok, the wierdest fusion ever, but we are rocking out with it! Well done! I can't wait to try the other recipes.'

It will rinse out. Boiling the rice in salty water prevents it from becoming soft and mushy. Salt also makes water boil at a higher temperature which accelerates the cooking. Side note: boiling vegetables like broccoli in salt water preserves their nice green color.

It is critical since you are not hoping for the rice to absorb all the water per usual rice-cooking means, but rather, the rice needs enough water to move about, like cooking pasta.

Lawrence, the salt seasons the rice as it cooks in the water. nearly all goes down the drain. relax! don’t be so salty :)

I used a 12 inch non-stick heavy pan to make large and shallow tadhig pie. It was gorgeous and more crust for everyone! Big hit.

I don't do the dishtowel thing -I put paper towels over the top under the lid. My ex is Persian and I learned from his family.

Question: why so much salt? Does the excess rinse out?

If you check out her Instagram stories, there are a few photos showing it. She also makes this recipe on her Netflix special, so you can get a good visual there!

I've been making "bottom of the pot rice" for years thanks to my niece who learned the recipe from her Persian mother in law and shared it with me. It's the best. The only problem is if you have a lot of people there can be some real disputes over who gets the most tahdig!

My Persian neighbor would make this and always bring me a little plate and also taught me how to make it. Sometimes she would just let the rice itself form a toasted crust or use thin sliced potatoes places like a rosette in the bottom of the pot. And also as prepared here. This is my favorite way to prepare rice no matter which one you choose.

Mine came out perfectly. Still bland, even with all the cooking water salt. I think I would use broth next time instead of water.

In case anyone is wondering if this works with brown rice, let my failed experiment save you some time - it doesn’t! I followed the instructions to the letter just with brown basmati rice, and it was dry and hard as a rock. More crunchy than crisp. (Yikes, sorry molars). There is a time and place for brown rice replacements but this recipe isn’t one of them. Technique-wise, though, it was a fun thing to make and I can’t wait to try it with fluffy white rice!

I made this last night with along with Khoresh-e Ghormeh Sabzi. I am a novice cook so it was a challenge. But my pod and I loved step 10 where you "gather your courage, praise your ancestors and flip the rice." It was a dramatic moment -- and it worked! I used a tortilla because I couldn't get good lavash bread. The rice was fantastic! My only alteration was that I added an extra tablespoon of butter along with the saffron.

Lots of steps. Is it ok to cook rice in less than 6 quarts of water? I had to bring out an oversized stock pot to hold that much water. I was using my one and only Dutch oven to make the Chicken Stew with Pomegranate and Walnuts. Rice came out incredibly tender and flavorful.

I know that no person should ever admit to this, but at the age of 53 I had never cooked rice before. It was just never in my repertoire. I have a daughter who loves Persian food, so looking at my estate sale Le Creuset, I thought, "How hard could it be?" Lucky enough, even though it wasn't easy, I did it! It had me nervous a few times, but out it came: crispy, and tender and perfect! It was wonderful. I'm a convert! Thank you, Samin!

Subbed in thinly sliced potatoes for the bread and turned out delicious!

I find that I am cooking dishes from all over world, which I love! but sometimes I do not know what other dishes to prepare when I cook an unfamiliar dish - I made this recipe and I really liked it - I am Cuban and we love our raspita (browned rice at the bottom of the pot). It would be great if we also had a couple of other suggestions as to what pairs well with this dish, other than a simple salad.

Burned it. Rice underneath was delicious but bummed that the tahdig was ruined. Should have put on back burner much lower. Used "Persian mom "TJ Maxx pot" like on her show which really helped -- it did not stick, just burned the flatbread.

So fabulous. And mine got a pattern that seemed almost like a painting.

I tried this the other day and it was wonderful- thank you! The saffron made the whole dish feel quite luxurious, perfect for a dinner party!

Very tasty. Makes a huge amount of rice...but yummy. I would like to try making this dish w/o the tortilla on the bottom. Mine burned (48 minutes turning every 12...). I think I’d prefer the crispy rice rather than the bread.

A minor disaster. The rice was ok but the “bread” burned and stuck to the pan. Apparently I did not heap enough praise upon my ancestors before I flipped the pot.

Gotta say that out of all the tahdig recipes I've tried, this one was the most (seemingly, ha) effortless and fun to make...and I've burned my share of tahdig attempts so I maybe I have some experience...? As for the dish itself, it was fantastic -- will definitely make again.

Awesome recipe. Delicious, authentic Iranian tahdig.