as an Iranian person, to cook the rice,after washing the rice with warm water ,we soak in with hot water and add salt as much as it tastes salty.after 3-4 hours( if the rice loses the water add more) we boil it as you said ,then,we do not put in the cold water!! we drain it in a basket and pure the cold water on that. then we cook it first with high flame for about 5-7 minutes and then for 40 minutes with very low flame.
Thanks, it seems like there are many methods to doing the rice. I'll give your method a try. How hot is the water you soak it in, boiled water and then turn off the heat? I used the bowl to illustrate cooling it, as my sink was too dirty to show running water on it, I did empty it right away.
@@MiddleEats it’s more convenient to strain the rice with cold water than putting in different bowl and back, it can break the rice. we don’t try to use spoon when emptying the pot just lightly drain through the strainer and rinse with cold water then put back in the pot without spoon
@@MiddleEats the water near boiling or boiling is ok as well. The best time to soak the rice is from last night to cook for lunch or at least in the morning
My late paternal grandma used to tell me that kids who eat the crispy, burnt rice from the bottom of the pot will grow up to be very smart. I totally believed her back then as a naive child and learned to love eating it as I grew older. However, the 'becoming smart' part was just a lie adults tell children so that no food is wasted 😂😅
That's an awesome memory! The only thing I can think of that's remotely similar is from when I lived in Peru - they say that if you cry when you cut onions, you're a jealous person. So I guess we're all jealous?
In Iran (or at least some areas of Iran) people say if someone usually eats a lot of tahdig, the weather will be rainy on their wedding day. I guess people were trying to prevent others from eating tahdig, so they can eat all of it themselves😂
@@bunnihanni It's a common myth among parents in my country. Another myth is that pregnant mothers who eat too much soy sauce will end up with darker-skinned kids 😅
The tip for fluffy rice is : 1. Not overcook the rice during the first stage (and if you think you did so, immediately add a cup of super cold water to it) 2. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the rice while it cooks (so first stage) 3. Thank you so much for the video. It truly makes me happy to see such good recreations of Persian recipes.
a little trick for beginners: put baking parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. You can get your perfekt crust without the Rice sticking to the pan.
I'm not Iranian, but it's pretty important to mix the very bottom layer of rice with some saffron water to get a beautiful tahdig. It's also common to use flatbread like lavash for the tahdig. I like to give the tahdig a bit of a head start by letting just the bottom layer fry for a few minutes on medium before adding the rest of the rice and reducing the heat to low to steam.
I am Iranian, and I have to say you are pretty spot on about this, Potatoes are also very commonly used for the tahdig, During the week saffron is sometimes skipped, but the pre-heating method to improve your tahdig before putting the rice in is never skipped really. You hit the mark about the temperature, it's essential to keep the heat as low as possible while steaming. Some people also brew their saffron within the pot but place a cup (we have small tea cups that take little space) filled with saffron and a bit of water in there.
You would have better results if you soak the rice after washing it. Make sure to soak it with cold water and salt (1 tbsp of salt for each cup of rice). Never use hot water for soaking rice since it causes breakage in the rice grains. Soak it for about one hour or until the grains are matt white with no transparency. Then bring water to the boiling point, discard the soaking water (if you don't, the extra water brings the temperature of boiling water down), and add the soaked rice to the boiling water. Expectedly, after adding the rice the boiling water stops boiling. The sooner you get it to boil again, the fluffier the rice. Boiling itself causes movements in the pot and prevents the rice from sticking. Once you have al dente rice, add a cup of ice to the pot (it gives a shock to the rice and makes it taller) then drain the rice in a colander. I usually don't rinse it with cold water because it will wash off some of the aroma and the remaining salt. Add oil to the pot, and cover the bottom of the pot with a few pieces of flatbread like pita or lavash. Then return the rice to the pot. I usually don't use vegetable oil on top of the rice. Traditionally we use a small amount of butter or ghee. I put the pot on high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low for 35 minutes or so. Once the rice is ready, we add more butter or ghee to the rice. This way, we retain the aroma of butter as well. Oh, and that bread for tahdig is golden and crispy. It is much more pleasant than rice tahdig. You can even use sliced potato for tahdig.
Not persian, but here's how I do it: I wash the rice like you did, then soak it - for for much longer than 20 minutes. I'd say at least 45 minutes to an hour. Then, I boil it for a very short time, maybe three minutes. Once the grains start rising up, I take the rice out. I then put it up back in the pot just like you did, but I wrap the towel over the lid from the very beginning, and start with a medium heat for about ten minutes, then turn it down to minimum for about 40 minutes. I avoid opening the lid anywhere in between, as I don't want any of the steam to escape. This ensures that the grains are fluffy and separated from one another, but also keep their form. Hope this helps. I've been following your channel for quite some time now, and tried many of your recipes, they are all wonderful!
Ah, we soaked for longer the first time around and I felt like that might have contributed to the texture of it. I think I need to do a video testing the different variables
My spouse is Persian and I've gotten tips on the rice from my mother in law. I do something similar. I'll soak the rice for about 3 hours (you can optionally add a ton of salt at this point because you will wash the rice after soaking). Wash your rice. Boil just until it starts to rise and fall. Drain. Add vegetable oil to the pot and place half a piece of pita (with a few holes punched out) in the bottom. This is the tahdig. You can just let the rice develop on its own here (i.e. no pita) or slice some potatoes in medium thick slices and place them at the bottom. Let the tahdig fry for 30 seconds to a minute. Pull the pot off and place the rice in. Poke your holes (I've never seen the rice mounded like in the video). Put your towel on and place the rice on low for 30 mins. Melt a tbsp or two of butter and pour over the rice. Put it back on low for another 30 mins. Perfect rice and tahdig every time!
Yes, Persian and Afgan rices are the best specially when they both top it with what is called Tah Degi, which means a bit crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the pot makes it even more delicious. Both Afghans and Iranians love this. I will make some in my next video
I had the pleasure of living with a Persian (their preferred way to reference their heritage) for an extended time and enjoyed this dish often. Some of the crispy rice on the bottom of the pot *which is called "tadig" was always given to me because I was a guest. The rest was given to the youngest members of the family. There is no dish like it anywhere else in my experience (which is, luckily for me, extensive), especially with saffron and barberries.
We Sri Lankans Cook rice in a different way. Washed about 3 to 4 times and just add water about 1 inch above the rice. Let it boil until the water evaporates to the level of the rice, reduce the heat to between medium and low and cover with a lid. Just mix the rice to see whether all the water has gone away. Take away from fire, keep the lid on half closed until the rice cools down. Your rice is ready to eat.
Not persian but iraqi and we do the same type of rice. I've had many tries replicating the fluffy rice my mom makes. The key is soaking longer (at the very least 30 minutes) and then letting it steam for longer (even though I've never had the patience to wait for longer than 30 minutes). Btw basmati is completely fine, it's all we and every persian family I know have ever been using. Great video btw, always looking forward to your next recipes.
Persian rice isn't basmati rice. It's more similar to high-quality Jasmin rice. It's very aromatic and fluffy. Basmati rice doesn't have any aroma and it's very stiff. If you don't have access to Persian rice, you can replace it with aromatic AAAAA Jasmin rice.
I absolutely love how everyone is respectful in the comments. I usually stay away from rice videos' comments, they can be quite toxic. Amazing job, thank you for the video!
Nice one bro👌 I lived and worked in Iran in 2008. This was one of my favorite dishes. Persians don't use many spices. So as an East coast S African that loves spicy, I add ground cumin and chilli powder. I finish it off dried fenugreek leaves😋👊
This reminds me of a friend from Pakistan who lived in East London. He loved all the Persian restaurants there because the food reminded him of Pakistani, but without all the spices - which he hated. One time his in-laws came to visit and he took them to this very fancy Persian restaurant: they said it didn't taste of anything and asked the waiter to bring finger chilies to put on everything.
@@BarneyCarroll Yes Persian foods are not 'hot', or too much spicy, as in chilli hot. They focus on starch (rice)and vegetables, with a little lamb or beef beans, but a big inclusion of fresh herbs.
It is always cool to see how different cultures cook rice. I’m puertorican and our method is different from both east and central asian methods of cooking rice. We don’t (at least I and other people I know) clean rice here. Since we use oil or fat when cooking it, it doesn’t get extremely clumpy. It does maintain a slight stickiness that allows it to stay put on the fork.
I'm not Persian at all, but I love Persian food and I have spoken to Persian people. Firstly, I would not soak in cold water, just wash it off. Then, as my Persian friend once told me "use the water left over in the rice for the steam". I tend to use a bit of saffron water for the tahdig and sometimes a touch of yoghurt. The steaming process for me takes 45-50min. Najmieh Batmanglij, suggests even up to an hour (I think; I would have to check). After the initial medium-high steaming phase (7-10mins until a wet finger makes a "jez" sound when you touch the pot), I move it over to a heat diffuser after sprinkling over a touch more water. And some advieh :)
Thanks for making this video, I’ve been in Bayswater in London the last while and there has been some great Persian food in the area. Now I have some idea of how to replicate the lovely rice they’ve been serving me
این یکی از خوشمزه ترین غذاهای ایرانی هست.حتما امتحانش کنید.after boiling rise half cook, pull them out of hot water and pour cold water on them in a strainer. don't let the rise soak in water. and for steam cook if you use hot melted Ghee instead of vegetable oil it would be better.
@Middle Eats This post and a proper tahdig is all that's missing from your otherwise perfect attempt. Just wait till you smell the ghee in your rice... 😍😍😍
Great work. Couples things I like to add.first you need to soak persian rice with a lot of salt for 2-3 hours.my grandma soak them night before.then the pot needs to be thicker.thin pot doesn't make rice overcooked. add little lime juice inside the boiling water and wash the rice after you take it out with cold water. You should add more oil and when you want to serve it you should add butter to the rice.
This rice is served in a couple of Parsi/Iranian cafe restaurants in Bombay and is called Berry Pulao. It is quite expensive due to the use of Saffron, and the Barberries too I think have to imported adding to the price.
Never had any experiences of Persian food. But oh my goodness, had some for the first time the other day. Love love their rice and chicken. And I can eat tahdig all day.
Wow! I love this dish. You've done a great job. Making the Persian rice perfect is not easy! After many years of trying still can't make it as fluffy as my moms. She soaks it very long (a few hours at least) and never leaves the pan while boiling it.
I'm just mad about saffron 🎶 A line from a song, but I mean the real deal. My Grandfather from Persia, a fabulous cook, sent away to old country for spices by the barrel which he used in his famous chili manufacturing business in Detroit Michigan USA
It's probably the same thing. Parsi or Farsi simply means Persian, Farsi is the arabic form of Parsi. In Persian the word "Polo" means cooked rice(usually with something like herbs, fruits or even some beans like fava). I'm not sure about the origin of word "polo" but right now I'm thinking about searching about it. Also there is another word for cooked rice in Farsi called "Cholo" or "Chelo" which is simple cooked rice often eaten with "Kabab Koobide" (something similar to Turkish kebab) or most Persian stews like "Ghorme Sabzi". The problem with a lot of traditional foods of middle east that are being cooked nowadays, is that the time and situation caused a lot of change to eat the ingredients are prepared, therefore it's just another dish with the same name as before(like 100 years ago). Perfect example is "Ghorme Sabzi"; "Ghorme" was the word used for small chunks of meat, cooked in rendered fat of itself and stored in huge vase-like pots to preserve through the time. And "Sabzi" means greens which is referring to herbs that were going to cook along with that meat.
Great job with this one! I've always had trouble making Persian rice, so this helped a lot! And the production quality keeps getting better and better. Thank you Obi!!
Nice recipe! My method for the rice is to rinse it like you do, then put in water at a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part rice. Bring it to the boil, then simmer until the water is at the level of the rice. Put a tight fitting lid on and remove from the heat. After 15 minutes you should have perfect rice.
Obi, you made so much progress! I watched your early videos, always liked your energy and the vibe, the true love for food. One day we will see a video about 1 million subs, I guarantee it! Cheers mate!
Barberry is a bit of a difficult ingredient to procure, can it be replaced with other dried sweet and sour berries such as chopped prunes or cranberries? Also amazing recipe
I would say the closest thing taste wise is pomegranate, however it has a crunch due to the seed. If you can't find barberries online then substituting it makes sense
Barberry (AKA Berberis vulgaris) grows commonly in the UK. It's worth seeking out a local bush. Google for pics. You might even have one in your garden like I do.
The crispy rice part is amazing! A Persian friend cooked me Cherry Rice with the crispy bottom and I’ve never had anything like it ever since! This looks similar- I’ll have to try it ❤️
Salam, love your videos. not Persian (half native american, half sicilian) but my husband is Iranian and I've learned Persian cuisine quite well. so here's a great hack! Okay so you know how dried prunes or apricots give a great tartness or (torsh in Persian) okay so spend a day making lavashak; Lavashak is a dried fruit extract. anyway I make it with sour prunes and lots of lemon. You could eat it plain but the hack is to cut your lavashak into tiny cubes and use it in sauces!!! Think of it as a homemade bouillon cube for tartness! its great because if you had whole dried prunes, yes, its effective but they don't melt and you have the tartness not 100% distributed, plus also you have seeds. This lavashak hack melts the tartness into your sauce and its great especially for flavors like fish with a strong fish flavor, gamey meats, or chicken. Really great in any sauce, esp good with zereshk polo ba morgh
I had this dish 20 years ago and loved it. Ever since I've been hopelessly looking for its recipe but forgot its name. Thank you Obi and Salma for this. Question: you think we can replace cranberries for barberries if we can't find them?
Cranberries are much bigger than barberries and have an other tast. But online you can find a lot of Iran Shops where you can order barberries and all the other ingredients you need for cooking Iranian dishes.
One thing I want to emphasize is that it's incredibly important to use the best rice you can find. Persian rice while being similar to basmati is not basmati. If you can find authentic Persian rice (I've found some Canadian stores that sell them online, incredibly pricey though). Otherwise, I've heard doing a few cups of basmati with maybe one cup of jasmine rice and just adding maybe a teaspoon of rosewater works well too. The difference between even a great basmati rice and good Persian rice is noght and day imo. Also, do not skimp on the oil.
I am persian, you shouldn’t let the steam out of the pot before covering the lid with cloth, you cover the pot, turn up the heat at first but turn it down to low in a few minutes, and trust that the steam has built up, you can add a bit of hot water/butter mixture at first to the pot to increase the steam but you can never uncover the rice until donw
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If you can get your hands on it a fantastic rice in flavor and ease of cooking is kalijeera rice or chiniguri rice. You will find my recommendation for this rice at a Bangladeshi or Indian grocery store. It’s very flavorful, the grains separate, and are fluffy, without the multiple steps.
Zereshk Polo ba Morgh will be better with Shirazi salad or yogurt with cucumber and diced mint which is called mast o khiyar! You should try it next time. 😍💚
Idk if I’ve bought old crappy saffron before, but I usually have the problem of the saffron flavor not coming through in my cooking. Like I’ll put 0.5g for a single big portion of paella and not really taste it 😅 I’ve noticed the flavor come through much better in cold or room temperature leftovers though for some reason 🤔 Maybe it’s just my nose getting overwhelmed when preparing the food 🥴
Hi Obi. If you haven't done a video on mujadara hamra, please consider it! I'd love to see your detailed recipe for getting a good, dark & deeply flavored mujadara. I've been trying for years and can make a decent mujadara -- but it just doesn't compare to what I've had in some restaurants. :) There are so many different techniques for such a simple dish. But I haven't nailed it yet.
Something that never ceases to puzzle me is how so many dishes from the Middle-East or other hot and dry climates with little water seem to involve so much soaking and rinsing which uses up loads of water. Compare this to something like European cuisine where you do need water to boil stuff in, sure, but outside of pasta the amount of water used is usually quite minimal and there are no such pronounced rinsing and soaking steps involved.
My zereshk polow recipe is adapted from Najmieh's and quite different from yours Obi. First the powdered saffron is amenable to steeping in hot *rose* water to increase the aroma. After parcooking the rice and blanching, stop and stir fry the barberries as you have done. Then, for the tah dig, mix oil, yogurt, saffron water with about 2 handfulls of rice, and layer thickly at the bottom of the pot. Set the heat to medium to begin frying off the tahdig, then alternately layer with the parcooked rice, and barberries, toasted cumin is optional but I do not like it. Once complete, pour more oil on top, then more saffron rose water, and also the braising liquid from the roast chicken - which I use lime juice in place of tomato. Wrap the lid in the towel as you have done and seal the pot tightly with a weight on top to make a kind of primitive pressure cooker. Then cook on LOW heat for 70 minutes. The final tahdig is crisp and golden and LOADED with intense flavor - you realize why this is a big deal in persian cooking.
@@MiddleEats Wow, then I have to add it to the must-do list, even If it's expensive the saffron! Here in my country less than a tsp of saffron costs around 4.51 usd dolars
Saffron is very potent, so a little goes a long way. It's expensive here too, but I got a lot when I went to dubai. For any saffron recipe I find cutting the saffron in half still works, as it has a strong scent
If I can find the barberries I will try it. It's not that easy to find here but I think I've seen them in one of the indian shops that has some persian products.
Saffron costs (many times!!!) more than gold here in the US. Other than leaving it out, as it seems essential, is there anything close, taste wise, in the herb/spice world? Interwebz?
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did you make those search results during the ad? they're pretty funny!
Hahaha you're the first one to notice. Yep that little shot took me about an hour to fake 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
as an Iranian person, to cook the rice,after washing the rice with warm water ,we soak in with hot water and add salt as much as it tastes salty.after 3-4 hours( if the rice loses the water add more) we boil it as you said ,then,we do not put in the cold water!! we drain it in a basket and pure the cold water on that. then we cook it first with high flame for about 5-7 minutes and then for 40 minutes with very low flame.
Thanks, it seems like there are many methods to doing the rice. I'll give your method a try. How hot is the water you soak it in, boiled water and then turn off the heat? I used the bowl to illustrate cooling it, as my sink was too dirty to show running water on it, I did empty it right away.
This is correct ^^
@@MiddleEats it’s more convenient to strain the rice with cold water than putting in different bowl and back, it can break the rice. we don’t try to use spoon when emptying the pot just lightly drain through the strainer and rinse with cold water then put back in the pot without spoon
@@MiddleEats the water near boiling or boiling is ok as well. The best time to soak the rice is from last night to cook for lunch or at least in the morning
Came to say the same thing. Not shocking the rice in cold water after par boiling means more steam afterwards and fluffier rice.
My late paternal grandma used to tell me that kids who eat the crispy, burnt rice from the bottom of the pot will grow up to be very smart. I totally believed her back then as a naive child and learned to love eating it as I grew older.
However, the 'becoming smart' part was just a lie adults tell children so that no food is wasted 😂😅
Aww that's sweet. I would probably eat the crispy rice either way, I love it!
That's an awesome memory! The only thing I can think of that's remotely similar is from when I lived in Peru - they say that if you cry when you cut onions, you're a jealous person. So I guess we're all jealous?
In Iran (or at least some areas of Iran) people say if someone usually eats a lot of tahdig, the weather will be rainy on their wedding day. I guess people were trying to prevent others from eating tahdig, so they can eat all of it themselves😂
@@bunnihanni It's a common myth among parents in my country. Another myth is that pregnant mothers who eat too much soy sauce will end up with darker-skinned kids 😅
Is there any doubt that history has tribes, and that tribes don't have history?
The tip for fluffy rice is :
1. Not overcook the rice during the first stage (and if you think you did so, immediately add a cup of super cold water to it)
2. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the rice while it cooks (so first stage)
3. Thank you so much for the video. It truly makes me happy to see such good recreations of Persian recipes.
a little trick for beginners: put baking parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. You can get your perfekt crust without the Rice sticking to the pan.
My Persian friend uses rose water to cook the berries. Very very very delicious
I'm not Iranian, but it's pretty important to mix the very bottom layer of rice with some saffron water to get a beautiful tahdig. It's also common to use flatbread like lavash for the tahdig. I like to give the tahdig a bit of a head start by letting just the bottom layer fry for a few minutes on medium before adding the rest of the rice and reducing the heat to low to steam.
Same and I too was looking for the tahdig.
I am Iranian, and I have to say you are pretty spot on about this, Potatoes are also very commonly used for the tahdig, During the week saffron is sometimes skipped, but the pre-heating method to improve your tahdig before putting the rice in is never skipped really. You hit the mark about the temperature, it's essential to keep the heat as low as possible while steaming. Some people also brew their saffron within the pot but place a cup (we have small tea cups that take little space) filled with saffron and a bit of water in there.
If you have a garden or plants, use the rice water to water them. It has loads of nutrients that the plants need!
You would have better results if you soak the rice after washing it. Make sure to soak it with cold water and salt (1 tbsp of salt for each cup of rice). Never use hot water for soaking rice since it causes breakage in the rice grains. Soak it for about one hour or until the grains are matt white with no transparency. Then bring water to the boiling point, discard the soaking water (if you don't, the extra water brings the temperature of boiling water down), and add the soaked rice to the boiling water. Expectedly, after adding the rice the boiling water stops boiling. The sooner you get it to boil again, the fluffier the rice. Boiling itself causes movements in the pot and prevents the rice from sticking. Once you have al dente rice, add a cup of ice to the pot (it gives a shock to the rice and makes it taller) then drain the rice in a colander. I usually don't rinse it with cold water because it will wash off some of the aroma and the remaining salt. Add oil to the pot, and cover the bottom of the pot with a few pieces of flatbread like pita or lavash. Then return the rice to the pot. I usually don't use vegetable oil on top of the rice. Traditionally we use a small amount of butter or ghee. I put the pot on high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low for 35 minutes or so. Once the rice is ready, we add more butter or ghee to the rice. This way, we retain the aroma of butter as well. Oh, and that bread for tahdig is golden and crispy. It is much more pleasant than rice tahdig. You can even use sliced potato for tahdig.
Not persian, but here's how I do it:
I wash the rice like you did, then soak it - for for much longer than 20 minutes. I'd say at least 45 minutes to an hour. Then, I boil it for a very short time, maybe three minutes. Once the grains start rising up, I take the rice out. I then put it up back in the pot just like you did, but I wrap the towel over the lid from the very beginning, and start with a medium heat for about ten minutes, then turn it down to minimum for about 40 minutes. I avoid opening the lid anywhere in between, as I don't want any of the steam to escape. This ensures that the grains are fluffy and separated from one another, but also keep their form.
Hope this helps. I've been following your channel for quite some time now, and tried many of your recipes, they are all wonderful!
If not Persian, what cuisine this recipe belongs 😊
@@thefoodvlog1 oh the recipe is most definitely Persian, I meant I am not of persian descent:)
@@tamarlidar Oh, I misunderstood. I’m really sorry my friend 🌹
Ah, we soaked for longer the first time around and I felt like that might have contributed to the texture of it. I think I need to do a video testing the different variables
My spouse is Persian and I've gotten tips on the rice from my mother in law. I do something similar. I'll soak the rice for about 3 hours (you can optionally add a ton of salt at this point because you will wash the rice after soaking). Wash your rice. Boil just until it starts to rise and fall. Drain. Add vegetable oil to the pot and place half a piece of pita (with a few holes punched out) in the bottom. This is the tahdig. You can just let the rice develop on its own here (i.e. no pita) or slice some potatoes in medium thick slices and place them at the bottom. Let the tahdig fry for 30 seconds to a minute. Pull the pot off and place the rice in. Poke your holes (I've never seen the rice mounded like in the video). Put your towel on and place the rice on low for 30 mins. Melt a tbsp or two of butter and pour over the rice. Put it back on low for another 30 mins. Perfect rice and tahdig every time!
Yes, Persian and Afgan rices are the best specially when they both top it with what is called Tah Degi, which means a bit crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the pot makes it even more delicious. Both Afghans and Iranians love this.
I will make some in my next video
One of our family friends is Persian, I remember having gormehsabzi with tadhig on all our special family occasions.
I had the pleasure of living with a Persian (their preferred way to reference their heritage) for an extended time and enjoyed this dish often. Some of the crispy rice on the bottom of the pot *which is called "tadig" was always given to me because I was a guest. The rest was given to the youngest members of the family. There is no dish like it anywhere else in my experience (which is, luckily for me, extensive), especially with saffron and barberries.
Indeed, it is delicious! A Persian lady I have met at college in London, has cooked it for me, it is a rice dish I will always remember!
Fyi people say Persian when they don't like the Iranian government. The name of the country is Iran. Persian as an adjective comes from Greek.
We Sri Lankans Cook rice in a different way. Washed about 3 to 4 times and just add water about 1 inch above the rice. Let it boil until the water evaporates to the level of the rice, reduce the heat to between medium and low and cover with a lid. Just mix the rice to see whether all the water has gone away. Take away from fire, keep the lid on half closed until the rice cools down. Your rice is ready to eat.
Not persian but iraqi and we do the same type of rice. I've had many tries replicating the fluffy rice my mom makes. The key is soaking longer (at the very least 30 minutes) and then letting it steam for longer (even though I've never had the patience to wait for longer than 30 minutes). Btw basmati is completely fine, it's all we and every persian family I know have ever been using.
Great video btw, always looking forward to your next recipes.
Thanks! I think the Iranian rice is technically a type of Basmati so yes it's definitely fine. I'll give the longer soak a try
Persian rice isn't basmati rice. It's more similar to high-quality Jasmin rice. It's very aromatic and fluffy. Basmati rice doesn't have any aroma and it's very stiff. If you don't have access to Persian rice, you can replace it with aromatic AAAAA Jasmin rice.
@@msalehi7564 Did you just say Basmati has no aroma?
@@MichelleObamasBBC @m_salehi is right, in comparison basmati doesn't have an aroma compared to Iranian or sella rice.
Moms know best! :)
I absolutely love how everyone is respectful in the comments. I usually stay away from rice videos' comments, they can be quite toxic. Amazing job, thank you for the video!
Nice one bro👌 I lived and worked in Iran in 2008. This was one of my favorite dishes. Persians don't use many spices. So as an East coast S African that loves spicy, I add ground cumin and chilli powder. I finish it off dried fenugreek leaves😋👊
This reminds me of a friend from Pakistan who lived in East London. He loved all the Persian restaurants there because the food reminded him of Pakistani, but without all the spices - which he hated. One time his in-laws came to visit and he took them to this very fancy Persian restaurant: they said it didn't taste of anything and asked the waiter to bring finger chilies to put on everything.
@@BarneyCarroll Yes Persian foods are not 'hot', or too much spicy, as in chilli hot. They focus on starch (rice)and vegetables, with a little lamb or beef beans, but a big inclusion of fresh herbs.
My favourite rice for this dish is either Sofra sella or Anjoman. The grains are incredibly long and delicate
It is always cool to see how different cultures cook rice. I’m puertorican and our method is different from both east and central asian methods of cooking rice. We don’t (at least I and other people I know) clean rice here. Since we use oil or fat when cooking it, it doesn’t get extremely clumpy. It does maintain a slight stickiness that allows it to stay put on the fork.
I love the pork and rice dish my Puerto Rican co - worker used to bring me. Wish I had some right now!
Glad you enjoyed it.
I made this. You undersold the chicken. It is really nice. Your instructions are superb, as always.
O my God! I love this recipe! Persian cuisine is so delicious! The Middle East is the best part of the world for food!
I love Persian rice. Especially the crispy kind!
Looks amazing 👌🏻 Greetings from Scotland 😊 Have a great day everyone 🌻
This is legitimately my new favourite TH-cam channel.
I'm not Persian at all, but I love Persian food and I have spoken to Persian people. Firstly, I would not soak in cold water, just wash it off. Then, as my Persian friend once told me "use the water left over in the rice for the steam". I tend to use a bit of saffron water for the tahdig and sometimes a touch of yoghurt. The steaming process for me takes 45-50min. Najmieh Batmanglij, suggests even up to an hour (I think; I would have to check). After the initial medium-high steaming phase (7-10mins until a wet finger makes a "jez" sound when you touch the pot), I move it over to a heat diffuser after sprinkling over a touch more water. And some advieh :)
Thanks for making this video, I’ve been in Bayswater in London the last while and there has been some great Persian food in the area. Now I have some idea of how to replicate the lovely rice they’ve been serving me
Yeah I've been eating a lot at a restaurant called Colbeh just off of Edgware Road in London. It's so so good! Love it
@@MiddleEats I went there and loved it too. I also visited Hafez and Sinuhe on Hereford Rd, both are also good shouts imo
Alounak innit
این یکی از خوشمزه ترین غذاهای ایرانی هست.حتما امتحانش کنید.after boiling rise half cook, pull them out of hot water and pour cold water on them in a strainer. don't let the rise soak in water. and for steam cook if you use hot melted Ghee instead of vegetable oil it would be better.
Yes it was EXTREMELY delicious, I think I will make it a lot!
@Middle Eats This post and a proper tahdig is all that's missing from your otherwise perfect attempt. Just wait till you smell the ghee in your rice... 😍😍😍
It's great when the rice clumps together, since it makes it easier to eat.
Great work. Couples things I like to add.first you need to soak persian rice with a lot of salt for 2-3 hours.my grandma soak them night before.then the pot needs to be thicker.thin pot doesn't make rice overcooked. add little lime juice inside the boiling water and wash the rice after you take it out with cold water. You should add more oil and when you want to serve it you should add butter to the rice.
This rice is served in a couple of Parsi/Iranian cafe restaurants in Bombay and is called Berry Pulao. It is quite expensive due to the use of Saffron, and the Barberries too I think have to imported adding to the price.
Never had any experiences of Persian food. But oh my goodness, had some for the first time the other day. Love love their rice and chicken. And I can eat tahdig all day.
There are many families so there are many methods and techniques. But you done it beautifully my guy, even with the pronunciations.
Wow! I love this dish. You've done a great job. Making the Persian rice perfect is not easy! After many years of trying still can't make it as fluffy as my moms. She soaks it very long (a few hours at least) and never leaves the pan while boiling it.
I'm just mad about saffron 🎶
A line from a song, but I mean the real deal. My Grandfather from Persia, a fabulous cook, sent away to old country for spices by the barrel which he used in his famous chili manufacturing business in Detroit Michigan USA
Indian Parsi's make a similar version of this called "berry pulao" .
You get it in old Parsi cafe's in Mumbai (bombay)
It's probably the same thing. Parsi or Farsi simply means Persian, Farsi is the arabic form of Parsi. In Persian the word "Polo" means cooked rice(usually with something like herbs, fruits or even some beans like fava). I'm not sure about the origin of word "polo" but right now I'm thinking about searching about it.
Also there is another word for cooked rice in Farsi called "Cholo" or "Chelo" which is simple cooked rice often eaten with "Kabab Koobide" (something similar to Turkish kebab) or most Persian stews like "Ghorme Sabzi".
The problem with a lot of traditional foods of middle east that are being cooked nowadays, is that the time and situation caused a lot of change to eat the ingredients are prepared, therefore it's just another dish with the same name as before(like 100 years ago). Perfect example is "Ghorme Sabzi"; "Ghorme" was the word used for small chunks of meat, cooked in rendered fat of itself and stored in huge vase-like pots to preserve through the time. And "Sabzi" means greens which is referring to herbs that were going to cook along with that meat.
I’m Iranian and you done it perfectly ❤❤❤❤❤ Mashallah! ❤❤❤❤
Best rice ever man these people know how to cook
Omgosh this looks amazing. I wish the critical ingredients are readily available here where I live. I need to find a Persian restaurant for this lol
Great job with this one! I've always had trouble making Persian rice, so this helped a lot! And the production quality keeps getting better and better. Thank you Obi!!
Nice recipe!
My method for the rice is to rinse it like you do, then put in water at a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part rice. Bring it to the boil, then simmer until the water is at the level of the rice.
Put a tight fitting lid on and remove from the heat. After 15 minutes you should have perfect rice.
What does it mean to “simmer until the water is at the level as the rice.”?
You know you made it as a TH-camr the moment you start making advertisements,congrats Obi💪👍
Thanks, though I definitely haven't made it yet 😅
@@MiddleEats doesnt matter i think you made it and will make it even better, i just like that you commented on my comment🙃🙂
Not Persian/Iranian but I adore Persian rice, especially with barberries! I could literally eat it every day no problem!
Obi, you made so much progress! I watched your early videos, always liked your energy and the vibe, the true love for food. One day we will see a video about 1 million subs, I guarantee it! Cheers mate!
Is that a sneak peek of Berenjak at the beginning? One of the best London restaurants I've been to.
Barberry is a bit of a difficult ingredient to procure, can it be replaced with other dried sweet and sour berries such as chopped prunes or cranberries? Also amazing recipe
I would say the closest thing taste wise is pomegranate, however it has a crunch due to the seed. If you can't find barberries online then substituting it makes sense
I've used cranberries before when making zereshk polo and while it's not a perfect replacement it is adequate.
Dried cranberries, dried black currants, or to keep it traditional, raiseins :)
Barberry (AKA Berberis vulgaris) grows commonly in the UK. It's worth seeking out a local bush. Google for pics. You might even have one in your garden like I do.
Love that you introduce different dishes from different cuisines 👍👏✌️ Best of luck 🌹
He plugged microwave rice to trigger persians 10/10
The crispy rice part is amazing! A Persian friend cooked me Cherry Rice with the crispy bottom and I’ve never had anything like it ever since! This looks similar- I’ll have to try it ❤️
Also, I like the "interruptions" of Editing Obi!
Salam, love your videos. not Persian (half native american, half sicilian) but my husband is Iranian and I've learned Persian cuisine quite well. so here's a great hack!
Okay so you know how dried prunes or apricots give a great tartness or (torsh in Persian) okay so spend a day making lavashak; Lavashak is a dried fruit extract. anyway I make it with sour prunes and lots of lemon. You could eat it plain but the hack is to cut your lavashak into tiny cubes and use it in sauces!!! Think of it as a homemade bouillon cube for tartness! its great because if you had whole dried prunes, yes, its effective but they don't melt and you have the tartness not 100% distributed, plus also you have seeds. This lavashak hack melts the tartness into your sauce and its great especially for flavors like fish with a strong fish flavor, gamey meats, or chicken. Really great in any sauce, esp good with zereshk polo ba morgh
I really want to make this next. All your recipes are so yummy. 😋❤
Excellent, I love the accent too. Zendeh bad !
I love middle eastern food, and I love watching how you prepare it! 😀
I had this dish 20 years ago and loved it. Ever since I've been hopelessly looking for its recipe but forgot its name. Thank you Obi and Salma for this.
Question: you think we can replace cranberries for barberries if we can't find them?
If you can't find them then I don't think it does much harm, however I would double the sugar as cranberries can be very bitter
My sister uses store bought sweetened cranberries when she doesn't have any barberries.
Cranberries are much bigger than barberries and have an other tast. But online you can find a lot of Iran Shops where you can order barberries and all the other ingredients you need for cooking Iranian dishes.
My favorite Persian dish!!
One thing I want to emphasize is that it's incredibly important to use the best rice you can find. Persian rice while being similar to basmati is not basmati. If you can find authentic Persian rice (I've found some Canadian stores that sell them online, incredibly pricey though). Otherwise, I've heard doing a few cups of basmati with maybe one cup of jasmine rice and just adding maybe a teaspoon of rosewater works well too. The difference between even a great basmati rice and good Persian rice is noght and day imo. Also, do not skimp on the oil.
I am persian, you shouldn’t let the steam out of the pot before covering the lid with cloth, you cover the pot, turn up the heat at first but turn it down to low in a few minutes, and trust that the steam has built up, you can add a bit of hot water/butter mixture at first to the pot to increase the steam but you can never uncover the rice until donw
Well done 👍😍... Appreciatarion for sharing this popular and delicious food of Iran🤍🌻
I love the increased camera quality and new editing skills! wonderful video!
put some yoghurt in the oil on the bottom of the pot. it makes the tahdig crispy and fluffy.
and use a non stick pot.
Do you have the recipe for szabzi polo and keshmesh polo?
Hi Obi!
Love your videos, I'm gonna make this over the weekend.
Can you also please share a recipe for shevud baghali polo? Thanks!
YESSS I really want to try the dill rice. I will start looking for recipes
What a beautiful recipe!
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If you can get your hands on it a fantastic rice in flavor and ease of cooking is kalijeera rice or chiniguri rice. You will find my recommendation for this rice at a Bangladeshi or Indian grocery store. It’s very flavorful, the grains separate, and are fluffy, without the multiple steps.
Zereshk Polo ba Morgh will be better with Shirazi salad or yogurt with cucumber and diced mint which is called mast o khiyar! You should try it next time. 😍💚
your constant smile is contagious ❤️
I cannot wait to make this. Thank you. ❤️
Best basmati rice is basmati sella 1121 white and the rice should soak 1 hour in water then it will boil for 7 minutes then steamed for 1 hour
Your eyes look so much better!
Which restaurant did you get your inspiration from? Would love to try if it’s in London!
Colbeh near Edgware Road. You need to ask them for Zereshk on your rice. Highly recommend their minced lamb Kebabs
@@MiddleEats thank you brother! Excited to try it
Thank for making this! Im persian and this is my favorite rice
So TrUE! That and discovering Ethiopian food!
how can persian rice be underrated when anybody who ever had it loved it?
thats like saying chinese noodles are underrated
Obi this looks delicious 🤤 giving it a try very soon 🤭❤️
Love your channel, I believe you need to add some saffron and yogurt to the oil at the bottom of the rice to make the best tahdig
Idk if I’ve bought old crappy saffron before, but I usually have the problem of the saffron flavor not coming through in my cooking. Like I’ll put 0.5g for a single big portion of paella and not really taste it 😅 I’ve noticed the flavor come through much better in cold or room temperature leftovers though for some reason 🤔 Maybe it’s just my nose getting overwhelmed when preparing the food 🥴
bloom it in warm water beforehand!!
Hi Obi. If you haven't done a video on mujadara hamra, please consider it! I'd love to see your detailed recipe for getting a good, dark & deeply flavored mujadara. I've been trying for years and can make a decent mujadara -- but it just doesn't compare to what I've had in some restaurants. :) There are so many different techniques for such a simple dish. But I haven't nailed it yet.
Sweet! Is it like a pulao?
share more persian dishes please
Looks great 👍🏻
Try Carolina gold rice..its excellent
Something that never ceases to puzzle me is how so many dishes from the Middle-East or other hot and dry climates with little water seem to involve so much soaking and rinsing which uses up loads of water. Compare this to something like European cuisine where you do need water to boil stuff in, sure, but outside of pasta the amount of water used is usually quite minimal and there are no such pronounced rinsing and soaking steps involved.
Boi, we all know everything about the middle east is underated
Thank you for introducing cuisine of my country. Your channel is amazing and recepies are really accurate. 🙏🌹
My zereshk polow recipe is adapted from Najmieh's and quite different from yours Obi.
First the powdered saffron is amenable to steeping in hot *rose* water to increase the aroma.
After parcooking the rice and blanching, stop and stir fry the barberries as you have done. Then, for the tah dig, mix oil, yogurt, saffron water with about 2 handfulls of rice, and layer thickly at the bottom of the pot. Set the heat to medium to begin frying off the tahdig, then alternately layer with the parcooked rice, and barberries, toasted cumin is optional but I do not like it. Once complete, pour more oil on top, then more saffron rose water, and also the braising liquid from the roast chicken - which I use lime juice in place of tomato. Wrap the lid in the towel as you have done and seal the pot tightly with a weight on top to make a kind of primitive pressure cooker. Then cook on LOW heat for 70 minutes.
The final tahdig is crisp and golden and LOADED with intense flavor - you realize why this is a big deal in persian cooking.
This sounds like tachin not polow.
Try milk instead of water with saffron :)
Put some ice on the saffron and let it melt, instead of using boiling water. This will give you more color and shine.
Can pls share with us recipe for beef and chicken gyros that can be made at home,thank you
The first 3 minutes of cooking Persian rice is an entire thing to try on its own for a meal 👀
Yeah it's definitely a different technique. It's very much the same technique used through all of central Asia, Boil then Steam.
My mom always makes the saffron with ice cubes. She says it smells much better this way. Kind of like cold brew coffee.
I LOOOOOVE those crispy rice in bottom & their chicken & meat kabobs , is the BEST
This looks freakin delicious, thanks for the recipee
Thank you, it really was one of the most flavorful dishes I've had in a long time. I think this is going in my top 10 for the year
@@MiddleEats Wow, then I have to add it to the must-do list, even If it's expensive the saffron! Here in my country less than a tsp of saffron costs around 4.51 usd dolars
Saffron is very potent, so a little goes a long way. It's expensive here too, but I got a lot when I went to dubai. For any saffron recipe I find cutting the saffron in half still works, as it has a strong scent
Cooking rice like pasta Is a great way to throw out water with heavy metals that most rice has.
If I use dried cranberries instead of barberries at my next work potluck, would my Persian coworkers internally judge me?
Probably :) you can look for it online or you can leave it, it's there to complement your rice. Dried sour cherries can be used also
If I can find the barberries I will try it. It's not that easy to find here but I think I've seen them in one of the indian shops that has some persian products.
I love Iranian food Iranian people Iranian culture ❤
Long live Iran without mullahs Long live king reza pahlavi ❤
If you make your saffron water with ice instead of hot water,you will get a better resulte.ofcourse it takes a bit longer but it will be better.
Great video.
Saffron costs (many times!!!) more than gold here in the US. Other than leaving it out, as it seems essential, is there anything close, taste wise, in the herb/spice world? Interwebz?
5:50 polar bears have skin routines :D lol