Persian baked rice recipe needed

[TeresaFoodie]

Many moons ago my partner's SIL (Iranian) would make a huge dish of rice including lots of veggies, usually chicken or lamb, saffron, dried fruits and nuts. There would be a veggie version too. It was a large pot of it placed on the table for everyone to tuck into. Delicious! Soft and fluffy on top, crisp and crunchy but not burnt on the bottom.

It is pretty much the only time I have ever really enjoyed rice as much as I did when she ever made it. I tried to make it once but ruined my pan. I have a much sturdier pan now and some basmati lurking so does anyone have a t&t recipe where I won't find myself ruining my newly restored casserole?

[suffolk]

Sounds like a sort of biryani, or the Russian/Uzbek/Turkistan type Plov which my ex DIL used to make ... this is a similar sort of recipe https://www.thespruce.com/russian-lamb- ... pe-1137309 ..... she sometimes made it with chicken, and another friend's Russian wife makes it with beef ........... it's one of those flexible dishes ... you can make it with what you have to hand ... it's the method that's important.
The crusty bottom is gorgeous isn't it

[Pepper Pig]

Kavey’s recipe is brilliant.

https://www.kaveyeats.com/2011/04/persi ... icken.html

[cyprusmoira]

Thanks PP, that was the recipe that I was looking for. Too much for two people but if I remember from the original post it does reheat. Someone, possibly FCQ suggested that you could line the base of the dish with a circle of greaseproof paper, you got crispy but not burnt rice

Moira

[suffolk]

I've made that one as well ........... it is very good ........... the greaseproof on the bottom works well ........ and yes, the leftovers definitely reheat well ....... very scrummy

It may well happen here very soon ............................

[StokeySue]

Kavey's recipe is good
Here's Sabrina Ghayour's simpler recipe for a Persian rice side dish
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/persian_herb_rice_21636

[KC2]

Kavey's recipe is good
Here's Sabrina Ghayour's simpler recipe for a Persian rice side dish
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/persian_herb_rice_21636

The SK recipe looks great! Thanks for posting. We're doing Nigel Slater's chicken with za'atar, chickpeas and garlic yogurt recipe from last night's programme this evening, I would love to do the rice with it but I don't think we have got enough of the right ingredients! Onions (normal, not spring) and rice, and only rosemary and sage ... or I guess we could just od on za'atar ...

Never mind, we'll definitely try it soon.

[Kavey]

I have a feeling the lovely Carol left her tip in the comments, going to check now.

Edit, yep, she did. x x

[earthmaiden]

I remember Kavey's too. I didn't care much for the way the chicken in it turned out and would have flavoured the rice more. I meant to make it again with tweaks but never did.

KC2 - I haven't seen the Nigel Slater programme yet - but that sounds delicious!

[KC2]

earthmaiden - the chicken recipe is delicious - i just posted it on the other thread on the TV board https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/zaat ... with_26334

I forgot to take a picture of it before we ate half of it! (The rest is for tomorrow.)

[Amber]

I’ve made similar dishes before, with the lovely crust, but I can’t remember what it’s called. Tdag? Taak?

(sorry if it’s mentioned in the links, I haven’t read them all)

ETA ta(h)dig

[TeresaFoodie]

Thanks everyone, I am so glad I asked! Due to such rave reviews I will start off with Kavey's blog recipe. I will have to omit the saffron this time around but have everything else in stock. I am really quite excited to be making it, probably tomorrow, and if I can get a loan of an oven will happily share the dish (am loving this arrangement of sharing!) in return and will report results.

I will use frozen and thawed in the yoghurt chicken mini fillets as I have loads in, and I can imagine they won't shrink to almost nothing as they do when plain roasted, I might also mix some chickpeas in with the rice.

Can't wait.

[KC2]

Thanks everyone, I am so glad I asked! Due to such rave reviews I will start off with Kavey's blog recipe. I will have to omit the saffron this time around but have everything else in stock. I am really quite excited to be making it, probably tomorrow, and if I can get a loan of an oven will happily share the dish (am loving this arrangement of sharing!) in return and will report results.

I will use frozen and thawed in the yoghurt chicken mini fillets as I have loads in, and I can imagine they won't shrink to almost nothing as they do when plain roasted, I might also mix some chickpeas in with the rice.

Can't wait.

Look forward to hearing about it Tezza

[TeresaFoodie]

Quick update. I decided to cook the dish myself as neighbour is out and I am impatient!

As I mentioned, i omitted the saffron and orange water from the marinade (one for next time) but did add the juice and zest of two clementines. And before mixing half the rice with marinade I mixed in chopped cashews, almonds and dried fruit. The casserole is well buttered and is rather large and i have reduced the quantities by about half, so I am hoping that the layers aren't too thin! It has a buttered foil lid and an actual lid on it. So, fingers crossed. It smells good so far......update upon eating.....

[TeresaFoodie]

It has been made and it has been eaten. I rather enjoyed it and can see that once you have the method right, you could stick in whatever you like. I suspect that I may have used a bit too much yoghurt to rice ratio as the bottom rice layer was stodgy like rice pudding and there was not much of a crust, but what there was tasted lovely, and I have never eaten such meltingly tender chicken. I will make this again.

I ate it with herbed yoghurt and lots of green beans by the way. A lovely meal.

[Kavey]

I have made it using peri peri marinade mixed into yoghurt, and I keep meaning to try it with mum's tandoori marinade too.

[earthmaiden]

Tezza - the nuts and fruit were just what I'd have done if I made it again. Like the idea of additions to the yogurt too.

[TeresaFoodie]

I like the idea of adding spices too. So many options as suffs said, using whatever you have available.

If cooking this with a different meat, such as beef or lamb, would the meat have to be browned first, and would the cooking times need adjusting? I do sometimes have beef for my iron levels and next time would be tempted to cook it this way.

[suffolk]

DIL never browned the meat first, but I do if using beef or lamb ... I always cook it for about 3 hours, whatever meat I'm using ... lamb fillet or chopped shoulder shouldn't take much longer than chicken thighs, but pieces of chuck steak or similar would probably take longer.

I also make a 'sort of' version using the remains of a roasted shoulder of lamb ... obviously the timing for that is just for the rice and veg etc.