Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Barberries (Tachin)

Name: Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice (Tachin)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more; 2 cups basmati rice; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; ½ cup dried barberries or 1 cup dried tart cherries; 1 teaspoon rose water (optional); 1 teaspoon saffron threads, finely ground; 3 large egg yolks; 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek); ½ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil, plus more for dish

By Andy Baraghani

January 9, 2018

Photo by Alex Lau

Also known as tachin, this crispy baked Persian rice is often layered with meat, dried fruit, spices, and presented in a rectangular shape. We omitted the meat to keep things simple and went with a round shape to change things up. Rinse the rice to keep it from getting gummy, and parboil it so it will be soft and tender after baking. The yogurt, eggs, and oil are what create the golden color and crispy texture, which will have you coming back for bite after bite.

Recipe notes

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