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Tah Chin — Iran
Photo: Renegadesaba — CC BY-SA 4.0

Version from Iran

Tah Chin — Iran

Tah chin is an Iranian rice cake of yogurt, saffron, egg and chicken, baked and inverted to reveal a golden crust, served with pistachios and barberries.

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40 min
Prep
60 min
Cook
4
Servings
Hard
Difficulty
Tah chin is an Iranian rice dish that combines yogurt, saffron, egg and chicken fillets, layered and cooked so the rice sets into a cake with a golden crust on one side. Vegetables, fish or other meats can also be used in place of chicken. The dish is presented turned out onto a plate so the crust, known as tahdig, sits visible on top, and it is often accompanied by pistachios and zereshk, a variety of tart red berries also called barberries. To prepare it, parboiled rice is mixed with yogurt, egg yolks and saffron water, and part of this mixture is spread in an oiled pot. Chicken that has been browned with onion, turmeric and saffron is laid over it, then covered with more parboiled rice, and the whole is cooked slowly over low heat until a firm golden crust forms at the bottom of the pot. Cooks vary the ratio of yogurt to rice, the type of protein used, and the exact seasoning of the chicken, producing versions that range from a lighter, looser rice cake to a denser, richer one, while the yogurt-saffron rice and the inverted golden crust remain the defining features of tah chin.

Preparation

  1. Rinse the rice and soak it in salted water for at least an hour, then parboil it until just past al dente and drain.

  2. Season and brown the chicken with the sliced onion, turmeric and a little saffron water until cooked through.

  3. Whisk the yogurt with the egg yolks, a portion of the bloomed saffron water, and a little salt.

  4. Fold about two-thirds of the parboiled rice into the yogurt mixture.

  5. Spread a layer of the yogurt-rice mixture in a well-oiled pot, then arrange the cooked chicken over it.

  6. Cover the chicken with the remaining plain rice, mounding it slightly in the center.

  7. Drizzle melted butter and the rest of the saffron water over the top, cover, and cook over low heat until a golden crust forms on the bottom.

  8. Invert the pot onto a serving plate so the golden crust sits on top, then scatter with barberries and slivered pistachios before serving.

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