Tahdig – Saffron-Crust Rice in the Persian Manner

tahdig2

I only recently came to know that my grandfather, whom we call Agha, was part of the field hockey team which represented Afghanistan at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Agha died when I was a child. I was two years old. I don’t remember him at all. It was only recently, after I asked Baba, my father, how we were related to an old family friend, Uncle Yusuf, that I stumbled upon more details about my grandfather. Uncle Yusuf and Baba’s great-grandfathers were friends and had served together as Ministers in the Afghan King Nadir Shah’s Cabinet in the 1930s. Baba’s great-grandfather, who was the Minister of Agriculture and Sports had been instrumental in developing a first rate hockey team for Afghanistan.

It was then that I googled “1936 Afghanistan Hockey Olympics” and started to go through the list of names. I saw my grandfather’s name – Shazada Saadat Malook – on the internet, and I started to cry. Maybe for a grandfather, Agha, whom I never knew, who died too young, silently, when his heart one day decided to stop beating; maybe for my father, who lost Agha when he was in Washington, DC, a young professional at the World Bank, starting out a new life with his wife and young child, far from his family in Pakistan. Or maybe because I am a nostalgic person and I wish that Agha had lived just a little bit longer, to tell me about his trip to Berlin and about growing up in Afghanistan where quince trees grew abundantly and scotch was poured like water.

Tahdig4

Ever since I was a child, whenever I met Uncle Yusuf, I thought he was Baba’s cousin. And he is a cousin, of sorts. The story of their dosti; friendship, hearkens back to the 1930s when their grandfathers worked together in Kabul as Cabinet Ministers. I wonder if they sat together sipping tea, enjoying a flaky, sugary gosh-e-feel, Uncle Yusuf’s favourite childhood sweet treat. And today, more than ten decades later, this dosti continues, even if they only see each other every few years in a decade. This summer Uncle Yusuf and his lovely wife, Aunty Farhana came to Toronto from Pakistan to visit their children who live here. Baba was visiting us during the same time, so we decided to host a dinner at our home for these very special friends. During most of the evening, as we went through slices of pistachio-adorned tah-chin, I remained uncharacteristically quiet, listening to fascinating stories of the Pakistan of Baba and Uncle Yusuf’s childhood, of their grandparents and relatives – those stories which started three generations ago.

tahdig1

These are the stories of my family and heritage which come to my mind when I work in the kitchen, a place where I feel most happiest in life, cutting, tasting, writing, tasting, stirring, tasting, eating and thinking about what Agha may have enjoyed eating had he still been with us. I want to replicate those dinners in my home, which my father and Uncle Yusuf enjoyed as children, with family and relatives, filling their plates with clove-spiced pilafs and ten different meat stews, each one more fragrant and delicious than the next.

I want my son to grow up in Toronto in this sort of a home, surrounded by those friends who are family and with whom my friendship, like Uncle Yusuf’s and Baba’s, transcends the ties of blood. Those who bring Tiny Spoon Peter Rabbit Wedgwood gifts, because they want him to relate to the same fictional character his mamma loved as a child; those who do my make-up one snowy afternoon during my maternity leave, just to cheer me up in the midst of the cold Toronto winter; those with whom we celebrate birthday lunches every year over shared plates of pasta; those who brought and continue to bring containers of their Maman’s tahdig, saffron-crusted rice and fall-off-the-bone lamb and fresh herb stew, so I do not have to cook the night after coming home from DC that morning. Or maybe she brings it because she knows I am missing my mother’s food.

There are so many others to thank – you were all there in October to celebrate with me and my husband – thank you for making it a memorable milestone for me.

Tahdig6

The intense vermillion colour of this tahdig comes from saffron from Iran – always given to me as a gift from my Persian family here – it reminds me of all the good things in life. I just wish that I could have made this for my Agha. But I will continue to dig for the stories of my family – and find them as we eat and break bread together.

Tahdig8

You will need a heavy-base pot with a lid which has a 25cm/10in base. Usually pots go by litre/quart capacity, but in this case, the dimensions of the base are highly relevant. Think of this as one would a baking recipe – the dimensions of the cooking vessel can make or break the recipe. Just bear in mind that if you do decide to use a pot with a larger or smaller base, you will have to change the cooking time, otherwise you may not get the desired result.

Serves 4 with a main dish

Ingredients:
*25cm/10in pot with a heavy base
*400g/2cups Basmati rice
*Cold water (to pre-soak rice)+100ml, divided
*1 tbsp salt
*2L/8.5cups + 2tbsp boiling water, divided
*1 tsp heaped saffron threads, crushed in a pestle and mortar
*3 tbsp neutral-flavour oil, such as canola or grapeseed
*Parchment paper to line the pot

Preparation:
*Wash Basmati rice under cold water, then soak for one hour in cold water, allowing water to come 3-4cm (1-1.5in) above the rice (the rice will expand in water, so you want some extra water in the bowl to prevent the rice from drying out).
*In the meantime, prepare the saffron water – combine saffron powder and 2tbsp boiling water and set aside.
*After the rice has soaked for one hour, place a heavy-base pot (see Notes above) on the stove on high heat, adding 2L of boiling water.
*Once the water starts bubbling, discard cold water from the rice and carefully transfer rice to the pot.
* Decrease the heat to medium-high and allow the rice to boil for 10-13 minutes. At the 10-minute mark, take a grain and if it looks parboiled and easily breaks between your finger and thumb, remove from the flame (cooking times vary for certain types of rice; be sure to check the rice every few minutes so it doesn’t overcook).
* Drain the rice through a fine mesh colander and working very quickly (you don’t want the rice to sit for too long), rinse your pot and line it with parchment paper. Some of the parchment paper should come up the sides of the pot.
*Add oil and saffron water in the pot and add a few serving spoons of rice at a time to coat with the oil and saffron water. With your hands, keep combing rice with the oil and saffron water so that you form an even layer of saffron-infused rice of approximately 2cm (3/4 of an inch) thickness. This will transform into the tahdig or the saffron crust we are looking for.
*With a serving spoon, add the rest of the rice on top of the saffron-infused rice layer, without stirring it.
*Sprinkle 100ml (a little less than ½ a cup) of cold water on the rice. Then place a tea towel or paper towel between the lid and the pot to prevent the steam from escaping. Remember to secure the tea cloth corners on top of the pot’s lid.
*Turn your burner to high heat and when it is ready, place pot on top for exactly 60 seconds. This will shock the rice and start the formation of the crust.
*After 60 seconds, immediately turn the heat to medium-low. (Note: If you are using an electric burner, remove the pot from the burner at the 60-second mark and place it back once the burner has reached the desired temperature.)
*Allow the rice to cook for 20 minutes.
*At the 20-minute mark, check the crust. With a fork, carefully lift a bit of the bottom crust from the side of the pot, you will see a vermillion crust if it is ready. If you feel it isn’t crunchy enough, cover with the lid again and let it cook for another 7-10 minutes.
*When ready, remove the pot from the burner and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then decant and serve, adorning the white rice with the vermillion pieces of the saffron crust rice on top of the snow-white rice.

Comments

  1. A touching story told in evocative language and rounded off withe most sumptuous recipe. I wanted to read on and on because this is the story of all those who were far away when their loved ones passed away. It’s also about the small food, the green tea that friends share. TehDeg rice is the prized possession and my grandma used to keep it for the “favorite son”.
    I love your retrofitted blog into a web site.

    Gadfly

  2. Just like every other post of yours, heart warming, rich and true! I’m definitely gonna try this recipe S.

  3. lots of love <3

  4. Sobbing! Dearly missing my grandfather after reading this post! Thank you for making me remember those memories! Ironicly on cold winter days he loved lamb falling of the bones too. As a butcher, he used save the best parts :)… xoxo

  5. This is so simple and lovely Shayma.

    I love how basic the list of ingredients is and all the focus is on the method of perfecting the dish. Am definitely trying this for as soon as possible!

  6. This was such a wonderful and special read for me! Thank you for tagging me in it. I have always wondered myself how Papa and Uncle Owaise are friends. Nothing like a good Afghan meal with stories to take you back to your parents’ childhoods. Next time I’m in Toronto we must get everyone together and make a huge Afghan meal! 🙂

  7. Bonjour,

    Chez moi, on appelait papa Agha Jon et maman Khanom Jon, ils sont dans un monde
    meilleur, maintenant, et les souvenirs restent bien ancrés !

  8. A heartfelt memory,thank you for sharing. I had this rice at a friends teh recipe is appreciated.

  9. How beautiful – you’re very lucky to have found such wonderful friends in your new home city MA 🙂 X

  10. I loved every bit of the story. You have such a beautiful history rich ancestry to cherish forever. My parents do not have such magnificent stories, but my husband’s family does. Like you, I stay quiet when my MIL and FIL tells the old stories to us again and again. They are treasure, more than anything else.

  11. What a beautiful post….I am sitting here with misty eyes thinking of my grandfather who passed away last year…I wish I had spent time with him asked him so many more questions….its like a closed chapter now I will never discover so many things about my family history because the bearer of that history is now no more!
    And a lovely Tahdig!Iran saffron is just the best

  12. It was wonderful to read about your agha! Evoked memories of my own grandfather.

  13. Ooh this looks absolutely delicious, i think i might have to try making it!

  14. It is amazing how scents and flavors can evoke such powerful memories. Herein is the importance of cooking and eating with friends and family, not just for sustenance but for the accumulation of positive experiences. Of course it also helps when cooking with spices as exquisite as saffron! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  15. Have you ever tried italian and asiatic fusion cuisine?

  16. What a lovely and evocative post Shayma. I never got to know either of my grandfathers. Your recipe looks simple, approachable and one worth is definitely on my ‘To try’ list xx

  17. Hey Shayma
    This looks gorgeous. The version I had, used yogurt as the base for the saffron mix. Is that another version or is there authenticity at stake there? I’d love to try this version though, the base looks crunchier and who doesn’t love some quality khurchan.

    Much love

    H

Trackbacks

  1. […] a grandfather gone too soon, enduring friendships, and the kinds of memories that are as vital as edible ingredients to culinary […]

  2. […] On a grandfather gone too soon, enduring friendships, and the kinds of memories that are as vital as edible ingredients to culinary art. […]

  3. […] warm. In our home, we have been having lots of soups, stews, poached eggs, grilled vegetables and rice. And I have been reading a lot. Can’t put this one […]

  4. […] a stew. With its jammy tomato base, all you need to have with this Khoresht-e-Badejmaan is a tahdig – saffron-crusted basmati rice – and creamy strained yoghurt. It seems to be the best way to […]

  5. […] to make koftay – spiced meatballs in a jammy tomato sauce; chana dahl – lentil soup; and tah-dig – saffron-crusted rice, as a nod to my paternal grandmother’s Persian heritage. And to round […]