Tahdig with Jeweled Pomegranate, Almond, Date Crunch

Can you tagdig it? This crunchy Persian rice is topped with an extra crunchy combo of pomegranates, dates, almonds and more! Perfect for the High Holiday season.

I have always loved celebrating the Jewish holidays (who doesn’t look forward to matzah and butter, dressing up for Purim or dominating some dreidel games?) and I knew it would be extra fun with a kid, but now that mine is almost two, it is SO MUCH FUN. We have been talking about Rosh Hashanah and the other High Holidays and she is so pumped. Apples and honey?! The shofar?! Throwing bread in water?! Eating and sleeping in a hut?! She’s sold. I left out the fasting and synagogue time for now.

And luckily I have a good eater- she requests prunes for goodness sake! And rice is a go-to, so I was not surprised she loved this tahdig, saffron and all!

Sooo good it honestly doesn’t need the topping. But I am nothing if not extra. If Coco Chanel said to take one accessory off before leaving the house, I say put two on! (She isn’t exactly someone to admire anyway.) Plus, the tahdig looks just so gorgeous and seasonal with the festive sweet pomegranate crunch. Eat any extra in a salad or over yogurt!

Before… and after! Gorgeous either way.

Anyhoo, what is tahdig you may ask?

Good question. It is a fluffy, buttery (you can use oil for a pareve version) Persian rice with a golden, crispy bottom, popular amongst Persian Jews. In fact, tahdig means bottom of the pot in Persian! It seems intimidating, but I swear it’s not hard. And if your tahdig doesn’t come out in one piece? Just break it into chunks and cover it with the crunch and pretend that was on purpose! You can repent come Yom Kippur.

It gets its gorgeous golden color from saffron, a pricy ingredient that is worth it for this recipe. The flavor cannot be matched!

Some notes on the recipe:

• Get the saffron! It makes this recipe 100%.
• Make sure to use basmati rice and rinse it well for light, fluffy rice.
• If you want to make it pareve, you can try dairy free coconut yogurt in place of Greek yogurt or leave it out, and use all oil instead of butter.
• It’s important to use a non-stock pan to help the tahdig slide out easily. No need to get fancy!

Tahdig with Jeweled Pomegranate, Almond, Date Crunch

Amy Kritzer

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For Tahdig:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 ½ tablespoons salt, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
• ½ tsp saffron
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt or leave out)
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil (like avocado oil), divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or more oil)

For Pomegranate, Almond, Date Crunch

• ½ cup sliced toasted almonds
• ½ cup dates, diced
• ½ cup pomegranate arils
• ½ tablespoon chopped mint
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• ½ tablespoon honey
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp pepper

Instructions

 

• Rinse rice in very cold water until the water is almost clear. The soak the rice for 60 minutes in very cold water.
• Fill a stockpot with 4 quarts of water and 1 ½ tablespoons of salt to a boil. You want the water salty to flavor the rice!
• While the water is coming to a boil, prep your saffron. Crush the saffron strands with your fingers and let infuse with 2 tablespoons of hot water for 15 minutes.
• Add the rice to the water and cook for 5 minutes just until the rice is al dente- soft on the outside and a little hard on the inside still.
• When the rice is ready, rinse the rice again with cold water and drain well.
• Meanwhile, get a 10-inch nonstick pan ready (important!) and cover the lid for the pan with a clean towel wrapped around tight so no pieces hang off.
• Mix 2 cups of rice with yogurt, saffron water and 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Heat the pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter (or all oil) and swirl evenly around the pan.
• Add the yogurt rice mixture and spread out evenly in the pan. The add the rest of the rice but don't pack it down.
• Poke 6-8 holes in the rice with the end of a wooden spoon to let steam escape.
• Cook the rice for 5-8 minutes until the edges start to brown, you should see some oil popping up on the sides a little.
• Lower heat to very low, cover and cook for 35-45 more minutes until the rice is cooked and the bottom is very golden, rotating the pan periodically.
• While the rice is cooking, make your topping. Combine almonds, dates, pomegranate and mint. Then drizzle with olive oil, honey, lemon juice, and salt and pepper and mix to combine.
• Loosen the sides of the rice a little with a fork to make sure it isn't sticking. Uncover and top with a plate and carefully flip onto the plate. If it doesn't come out in one piece, no big deal! Top with crunchy topping and serve immediately.

Notes

• • Get the saffron! It makes this recipe 100%.
  • Make sure to use basmati rice and rinse it well for light, fluffy rice.
  • If you want to make it pareve, you can try dairy free coconut yogurt in place of Greek yogurt or leave it out, and use all oil instead of butter.
  • It’s important to use a non-stock pan to help the tahdig slide out easily. No need to get fancy!
  • This recipe is best served immediately after cooking. The topping can be prepped a few hours ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to serve.

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