Persian Jeweled Tahchin
Tahchin can be a stunning showstopper of a dish to impress your guests or as simple as a go-to staple perfect for a mid week dinner.
My Jeweled Tahchin recipe here is a colorful baked rice dish topped with vibrant Zereshk barberries, dried fruit, with slivered almonds and pistachios, resting on a crunchy and golden saffron tahdig rice crust.
The garnishes can be customized to what your preferences are or really whatever you have in your pantry. For a more simple version you can omit the toppings and enjoy plain as well.
Step-by-step pictures and additional information can be found on my original post: Giti Joon’s Famous Tacheen Recipe
Learn more about Tahchin (also spelled tacheen, tahcheen, or tachin) on episode #30 on the Modern Persian Food Podcast, available here or all podcast downloading sites.
Persian Jeweled Tahchin
Persian Jeweled Tahchin is a show stopping colorful baked chicken and rice dish topped with vibrant Zereshk barberries, dried fruit, aromaic saffron, and slivered almonds and pistachios, resting on a crunchy and golden saffron tahdig rice crust.
Ingredients
Baked Rice and Chicken:
- 1.5 cups white long-grain rice
- 1.5 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- A dash of cumin powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + enough to grease the pan liberally
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons bloomed saffron in hot water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Jeweled Topping
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds and/or pistachios
- 1/4 cup of dried barberries
- 1/4 cup of other dried fruits like cranberries and/or dried apricots, cut into small strips
- 1 tablespoon Seville orange marmalade
- Sprinkle of ground saffron
- Sprinkle of salt
Instructions
- The recipe can be broken down into two parts. Chicken is traditionally used for this dish, and I like to use rotisserie chicken to save time and ease of preparation. If you want to make your own chicken, cook it however you like and then shred it up.
- Make a marinate with the olive oil, yogurt, eggs, bloomed saffron, cumin, lemon juice and salt/pepper. Reserve 1 cup and add the shredded chicken to the rest. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
- Par-cook the rice in water on medium heat along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil until the water is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
- Liberally grease the bottom and sides of a 9" x 7" casserole dish.
- Mix 1 cup of the par-cooked rice with the reserved marinate and spread tightly along the bottom of the dish. Alternative layering the marinated chicken with the remaining rice on top until everything is in the dish. Pour any remaining marinade on top.
- Make 7-8 holes in the rice all the way to the bottom of the pan using the end of a mixing spoon.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 for 75 minutes or until the bottom of the casserole pan shows a golden tahdig rice crust.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the jeweled topping. Slightly saute the dried fruits and berries in the butter, adding one ingredient at a time. Then add slivered almonds and/or pistachios, ground saffron, marmalade, and a sprinkle of salt. Mix until everything is evenly coated and glistening. Take off heat.
- Once rice casserole is done cooking, rest for 2-3 minutes and very carefully invert onto a large platter and remove pan. The crust will be golden and beautiful. For ease of serving, the tahchin can be cut into squares at this point. Garnish the top with the jeweled mixture of dried fruit, berries, and nuts, and serve warm. Enjoy this delicious meal with family and friends or whenever you want to make a show stopping Persian dish.
Notes
The garnishes can be customized to what your preferences are or really whatever you have in your pantry. For a more simple version you can omit the toppings and enjoy plain as well.
Bloom ground saffron in hot water for a few minutes to get a beautiful redish-orange color.
