Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Barberries (Tachin)
Also known as tachin, this crispy baked Persian rice is often layered with meat, dried fruit, spices, and presented in a rectangular shape. We omitted the meat to keep things simple and went with a round shape to change things up. Rinse the rice to keep it from getting gummy, and parboil it so it will be soft and tender after baking. The yogurt, eggs, and oil are what create the golden color and crispy texture, which will have you coming back for bite after bite.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup dried barberries or 1 cup dried tart cherries
- 1 teaspoon rose water optional
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads finely ground
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt not Greek
- ½ cup vegetable oil plus more for dish
Instructions
Parboil the rice:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 large palmfuls of salt (about ½ cup).
- While you’re waiting for the water to boil, place the rice in a strainer or sieve and rinse with lukewarm water, swishing the rice around with your hands to get rid of excess starch. Continue to rinse until the water from the rice runs clear.
- Add the rice to the pot and give it a few stirs to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to rise to the top and is tender but still has a slight bite to it, 6–8 minutes.
- Drain and rinse with cold water.
Prepare the barberries:
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
- Cook the barberries, stirring often, until plumped slightly and warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water, if using.
Prepare the rice:
- Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°.
- Combine the saffron and 2 tablespoons of hot water in a large bowl. Let sit 10 minutes to allow the saffron to steep and draw out as much color as possible.
- Mix in the egg yolks, yogurt, ½ cup oil, and 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Scatter the rice over the yogurt mixture and gently toss to ensure every grain is coated.
Plate the rice:
- Coat a 10"-diameter glass pie dish with oil (glass lets you check on the color from underneath).
- Add half of the rice mixture and use the palms of your hands or a measuring cup to gently pack and compact the rice into the dish.
- Scatter half of the barberries over the compacted rice and top with the remaining rice.
- Press down again, this time more firmly (this helps with unmolding).
Bake and serve:
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the rice on the bottom and around the edges is a deep golden brown, 65–80 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Discard the foil and loosen the rice around the edges of the dish using the point of a knife.
- Place a large serving plate, such as a cake plate, on top of the dish and invert the rice onto plate.
- Scatter the remaining barberries over top and serve.