Tahchin is an Iranian rice dish made with a layer of rice, saffron and cinnamon. It is usually served with chicken or beef, but you can also serve it with vegetables or eggplant. Tahchin bar is topped with golden crispy pieces of bread called tahdig or nurungji that have been browned in butter and oil at the bottom of the pot during cooking. This rice dish that is popular in Iran, particularly during Nowruz (the Persian New Year). It is made with saffron and barberries, which give it its distinct yellow color and tart taste. The food itself is a clay pot that looks like an upside down bowl with handles on either side.
These pots are usually about three inches tall and hold about 1/2 cup of rice each time they are used–so if you are making this dish for yourself or just for two people, one tahchin should suffice! You can also use other types of small pots if you don’t have access to clay ones; just make sure they’re oven-safe so you can bake them after cooking it.
The name comes from the Persian word “Tahchin” which means “to layer.” Tahchin can be made with any type of meat, vegetables, fish (just keep your salmon sashimi remains and get it to use this way) or just be creative and add what you please. The origin of this food is not known exactly but it has been around for centuries in Iran and Azerbaijan as well as other parts of Central Asia including Afghanistan and Tajikistan. In case of interest we got a great post about tobiko sushi. Trust me you do not want to miss it out.
Tahchin History
Tahchin is one of the most popular dishes in Iran. The name comes from the word tahchin, which means clay pot or pan. Nomads who lived in Central Asia, who would cook their food using clay pots over open fires, first made this dish. Tahchin is sometimes spelled as taHJIN and TAJIN.
Chicken
Chicken Tahchin is a rice cake made with rice, chicken, and egg (it is nothing like daifuku mochi though). It is served with saffron, cinnamon and nuts. It can also be made with beef or lamb as well. This dish is usually served on special occasions such as weddings or other celebrations when you want to make something extra special for your guests!
Beef
Beef tahchin is a traditional Iranian rice dish. It is made with beef, onions and spices. The meat is cooked in a pot, and then the rice is layered on top. You can also use chicken or lamb for this recipe instead of beef if you prefer! Tahchin is usually served as an appetizer with yogurt or sour cream (or both).
Vegan Tahchin
Dishes that are vegan are made with no animal products, such as meat or dairy. In this recipe, we will be using eggplant to replace the meat in our Tahchin. This dish is usually served with a stew and tahdig or nurungji (fried crust).
Dairy Free Tahchin
Tahchin is a traditional Iranian rice dish, prepared with chicken and barberries. Tahchin can be served as an appetizer or main course. In this recipe, we have replaced chicken with eggplant and made it vegan friendly. You can also make this eggplant tahchin recipe with any other vegetable of your choice such as zucchini or bell peppers.
Saffron and Chicken Tahchin Recipe
A crunchy tahdig at the bottom of this Persian take on tahchin, a baked rice, chicken, and saffron-colored yogurt dish, is arguably the dish’s best feature. The chicken is marinated for a short time in seasoned yogurt before being cooked in the pan with onions that become extremely soft and silky. Make sure to read about Galinhada, another chicken and saffron rice dish…
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning onions and chicken
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 2 medium yellow onions, half of one onion grated and set aside the rest thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed for the rice
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 1 medium egg
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed and dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons room temperature ghee or unsalted butter (optional)
Recipe:
- Step: Soak barberries in water for 1 hour and to cook chicken, first slice one small onion. Now cook 1 boneless chicken breast with onion, 1 glass of water, salt, pepper, and turmeric with gentle heat until all the water is evaporated. Cut the chicken into small pieces.
- Step: Rinse rice until the water went clear. Place rice in a large pan filled with water. Add some salt and let it cook. The rice is done after 6 to 8 minutes when it begins to rise to the top and the water comes back to a boil. Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain. Break one grain in half. Rice should be soft on the outside but hard in the middle. Pour rice into the colander to drain; then set aside.
- Step: In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, egg yolks, and bloomed saffron. Add 1/2 rice to the yogurt mixture and stir it well and add 3 tablespoons of oil to the rice cooker or pan.
- Step: Pour half of the saffron rice into the pan. Flatten the first layer with a spoon, layer chicken pieces, and then cover the entire surface with remaining plain rice.
- Step: Pour the remaining liquid saffron or 2 tablespoons of oil or melted butter over the rice.
- Step: Place the pot on medium-high heat directly on the stovetop. Cover the pot and cook until rice begins to steam. Then lower the heat and cook for one hour until the crust forms.
Tahchin Calories
Calculating calories in Tahchin is simple: just multiply the weight of your recipe by its calorie content per 100 grams and divide that number by how many servings there are in your recipe. You can also calculate the exact amount of calories using our recipe calculator above!
The nutritional value of this dish is as follows:
- Calories: 677 kcal per serving (1/2 kg)
- Carbohydrates: 73 g per serving (1/2 kg)
- Protein: 27 g per serving (1/2 kg)
What is a Tahchin Bar?
A Tahchin Bar is a small piece of tahchin that is cooked in the bottom of the tahchin pan. It is used to measure the cooking time of your rice, as well as to determine if your dish has been cooked enough or not. The Tahchin Bar should be crispy and golden brown when you take it out of your tahchin pot, and if not available or simply use a biryani pot.
Tahchin is a popular rice dish in Iran and other parts of the Middle East. It is made by mixing cooked rice with meat or vegetable fillings, then baking it in an oven until crispy on top. Tahchin is usually served as an appetizer or side dish, but can also be eaten as a main meal if served with salad or yogurt on top.
This article was brought to you by Edge of the Globe’s Lifestyle and we hope it was helpful enough. Please share your thoughts down in the comments. And odnt forget to give our other posts a browse especially sambosa and pho tai. Thank you for reading
