What is Tachin made of?

Tahchin (Persian: ته چین ) is an Iranian rice dish primarily consisting of rice, yogurt, saffron, eggs and finally barberries (Persian: زرشک, romanized: zereshk) are sprinkled on top . Some versions of the dish are more elaborate, folding in chicken fillets, vegetables, fish, or red meat.

What's the difference between Tahchin and Tahdig?

Tahchin is the Persian rice casserole as a whole and the tahdig is the crispy rice portion that develops at the bottom of the dish .

Where is Tachin from?

This Persian dish of saffron-stained rice baked into an upturned cake has fragrant, spiced and stewed lamb meat sandwiched in the middle. Not only does it taste incredible, it's also so impressive in appearance – I mean, just look at it! Find the recipe on page 251 of Dinner.

Why do Persians soak rice?

This is a crucial Persian technique; washing the rice removes the starch. Add two or three pinches of salt and let the rice soak for a few hours; this allows the rice to soften as it absorbs water .

Do Iranians eat basmati rice?

The most important point to have in mind is that Iranians don't use any other type of rice except basmati .

What kind of rice do Persians eat?

The kind of rice used is important. My Iranian friends only use Basmati rice (affiliate) for all their Persian rice dishes, and it's what is used in this recipe. Two steps to prepare the rice for this tahdig recipe: Wash the basmati rice very well under cold running water until the water runs clear.

Saffron Rice: Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan). Lightly grease a glass pie dish with oil. Ground saffron into powder (optional step). ... Mix yogurt, egg, oil, saffron water and salt in a large bowl. Add rice, stir well. Pour half the rice in the pie dish, smooth surface. More items... Oct 1, 2018

What is saffron used on?

Saffron is a common ingredient in Indian, Moroccan and Iranian cuisines. In India, it's added to curries or used to infuse syrups for desserts such as Gulab Jamun or Malpua . In Morocco, it brings an earthy-sweet undercurrent to dishes such as Chicken Tagine with Olives and Apricots.

What are the different types of Persian rice?

There are different types of Persian rice in Iran such as Gerde, Domsiah (black tail, because it's black at one end), Champa, Doodi (smoked rice), Lenjan, and Tarom . Cooking methods also differ depending on the food type or the occasion in which the food is going to serve.

Mini Persian Rice Cakes (Tachin) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Serves a Crowd

by: Jake Cohen

February13,2018

4 Ratings

Mini Persian Rice Cakes (Tachin) Recipe on Food52 (1)

Serves 8 to 10

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Crack out your muffin tin for a miniature version of tahchin, a traditional Persian rice cake perfumed with saffron and stuffed with chicken. —Jake Cohen

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1¾ cupslong-grain basmati rice, rinsed
3 tablespoonskosher salt, divided
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and divided, plus more for greasing
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 pound(3 medium) chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cupwhole Greek yogurt, divided
2 tablespoonsdried barberries, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoonsground turmeric
2 tablespoonsboiling water
¼ teaspoonssaffron threads, ground
1 egg

Directions

In a medium bowl, cover the rice with cold water and stir in 1 tablespoon of the salt. Let soak for 1 hour, then drain.
Meanwhile, in a medium Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and continue to stir until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
To the chicken, add 2 teaspoons of the salt, 1/2 cup of the yogurt, the barberries and turmeric. Stir to combine, then set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the boiling water and the saffron. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in 1 teaspoon of the salt, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of the yogurt and the egg.
Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease a non-stick muffin tin with butter. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with the remaining 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add the soaked rice to the pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, 5 minutes, then drain.
To the bowl with the saffron mixture, stir in 3 cups of the cooked rice. You will be making wells for the chicken to go into. Divide the saffron rice between the 12 wells of the muffin tin (2 heaping tablespoons per well) and using a spoon spread up the sides.
Divide the chicken mixture between each well of rice. Top each with the remaining plain rice (you may have a little leftover). Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the rice. Cover the tray with foil and bake, rotating halfway through, until golden, 2 hours.
Let cool slightly, then run a mini offset spatula around the edge of each. Place a tray over the pan, then invert to release the tahchin. Garnish with more barberries and serve.

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11 Reviews

Melanie April 16, 2018

Is the recipe for a regular size muffin pan? If you want to use a mini muffin pain , how long would you bake them?

Michelle S. March 22, 2018

Hi, any suggestions to make this a meat free version? no vegan, just no meat. thanks

Jake C. March 22, 2018

Yes! replace the chicken with mushrooms, eggplant or any root vegetables!

Emilie R. March 21, 2018

You need to say to grease the muffin tin. I know it seems like common sense, but if you don't say to do that specifically, someone will put that rice in an ungreased tin and complain because they stuck.
Can't wait to try this out.

Foodsitejunkie March 18, 2018

The recipe calls for one stick of butter, but the directions account for 4 tablespoons. What happens to the rest of the butter?

Jake C. March 18, 2018

Thanks for catching! The remaining 4 tablespoons gets drizzled over the tahchin before you cover and bake! Will adjust

Jake C. March 18, 2018

It’s correct!

Eileen F. March 18, 2018

Thank you! I’ll try it next week when I get home.

Eileen F. March 18, 2018

Two hours seems like a long time to bake at that temperature. Is that correct? I would love to try this sometime?

Emilie R. March 21, 2018

I was thinking the same thing.

Dani June 14, 2018

Two hours worked well for me! The two hours allows the sides of the muffin tins to gently brown the edges. They were perfectly golden brown with a great crisp texture, and they slipped out of the pan easily. It was much more perfect than my many attempts at making Samin Nosrat’s Persian-ish rice. They even held their shape when microwaved the next day. The chicken was a little dry, but next time I might make a vegetarian version or one of the Persian-ish rice variations from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. I served mine with a bit of Greek yogurt on the side.