Tahchin Morgh Recipe (Crispy Persian Saffron Rice Cake)

Tahchin Morgh also known as the Persian rice cake is packed with flavor and perfect for weekend dinner with family. The vibrant color and the wonderful aroma of saffron, dried barberries, and crunchy tahdig bites are totally irresistible! Tahchin can be cooked in different recipes, but the most famous is the Tahchin Morgh, which is generously stuffed with tender chicken pieces.

About This Recipe

Want to serve a flavorful rice dish for your friends and family? This Persian rice cake is easy to make for a special family weekend dinner. There are different types of Tahchin, which are cooked with different stuffings. Tahchin e Morgh is one of the most beloved and iconic Persian dishes featuring soft and fluffy rice, crunchy golden crust, and tender chicken pieces.

Tahchin Morgh Ingredients

These are the ingredients you need for cooking classic Tahchin. You can cook different types of Tahchin by experimenting with various flavors and ingredients.

• Rice: To make Persian dishes, It is better to use high-quality Iranian rice or long-grain basmati rice.
• Egg: To make the crust, we have to beat the eggs and mix them with salt, pepper, bloomed saffron, and yogurt.
• Dried barberries: You can typically find dried barberries at Middle Eastern grocery stores. Dried barberries add a nice tangy twist and a pop of color to the dish.
• Yogurt: Use plain yogurt for this recipe. Yogurt should be thick and have a slightly sour taste.
• Butter: We need some butter to saute barberries.
• Boneless chicken breast: I typically use boneless chicken breast for this recipe but bone-in chicken breast and chicken thighs will also work.
• Bloomed saffron: Saffron gives a nice taste and a vibrant yellow color to this rice dish.
• Onion: Use yellow or white onions for this recipe.
• Oil
• Salt, pepper, and turmeric
• Slivered almonds and pistachios

How to Make Tahchin e Morgh?

Cooking preparations:

• Rinse rice until the water is clear. Soak rice in a large bowl of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and stir to dissolve. Let it sit for 2 hours.
• Soak slivered pistachios and almonds in cold water for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.
• Using a mortar and pestle, grind down the saffron threads. Sprinkle ground saffron on 4 tablespoons of boiling water and set aside for at least 10-15 minutes.
• Rinse the barberries with cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Drain, and set aside. Put 2 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. Add barberries to the pan and saute for 1 or 2 minutes. You can add a teaspoon of brewed saffron (liquid saffron) or rose water to the barberries to make them more fragrant. Set them aside. Keep an eye on barberries as they will burn easily.
• Next, transfer drained slivered almonds and pistachios to the pan and fry them with butter for a few minutes until they become fragrant.

Cook chicken:

• Season chicken pieces with salt, turmeric, and black pepper and place in a pot. Add sliced onion and a small cinnamon stick. Add water to cover the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, reduce heat, and simmer over low heat until chicken pieces are fork-tender and fully cooked. Shred cooked chicken pieces with a fork and set aside. Heat some oil or butter in a frying pan and saute the shredded chicken with 1-2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron for a few minutes to enhance the flavor.

Cook rice:

• Drain the soaked rice. Add fresh water into a pot. For every cup of rice add two cups of water. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.
• Add drained rice to the pot of boiling water and give a quick stir. The rice is done after 8-10 minutes when it begins to rise to the top and the water comes back to a boil. Check the rice is cooked by trying a grain.
• Break one grain in half. Rice should be soft on the outside but slightly hard in the middle. Pour rice into the colander to drain; then set aside.

Assemble Tahchin:

• In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, egg yolks, 1/3 cup oil, rose water, and bloomed saffron. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• Add semi-cooked and drained rice to the yogurt mixture and stir it well.
• Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the rice cooker or a non-stick pot. The pot should be non-stick so that you can flip the Tahchin easily without having to worry about the crust sticking to the bottom.
• Pour the saffron rice mixture into the pot. Flatten the first layer with a spoon, layer chicken pieces, sprinkle with half of the sauteed barberries, and then cover the entire surface with the remaining rice mixture. Flatten the rice and press it with the back of a spoon.
•  Place the pot on medium-high heat directly on the stovetop. Cover the lid with a clean dishcloth and put it on the pot. Cook over medium heat until the rice begins to steam. Then lower the heat and cook for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust forms.
• When the rice is cooked and the crust is golden and crispy, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Find a serving platter or dish large enough to hold the Tahchin. Cover the pot with the platter, hold them together firmly, and invert Tahchin onto your platter.
• Serve Tahchin with sauteed barberries, slivered pistachios, and almonds on top.

Variations

• Tahchin e Goosht: The base of Techin is saffron rice, which is made with a mixture of eggs, yogurt, rice, and spices. For the stuffing, you can use cooked and tender beef or lamb instead of chicken.
• Tahchin e Bademjan: Persian eggplant and mushroom rice cake is usually prepared without beef or chicken and it is very delicious. Fried eggplant rings mixed with sauteed mushrooms are placed between layers of rice, and cooked to fluffy perfection.
• Tahchin e Esfenaj: Spinach rice cake is typically cooked with spinach and chicken breast pieces.

Expert Tips

• You can add a teaspoon of sugar to barberries to balance out the tangy flavor of barberries.
• Mix yogurt and rice when the rice is slightly cooled.
• To prevent the Tahchin from falling apart you should use the right portion of egg and yogurt mentioned in the recipe. In this recipe eggs make the rice cake take the shape of a dish, and yogurt eliminates the smell of eggs.

FAQs

How to Cook Tahchin Ba Morgh in the Oven?

Tahchin is usually cooked on the stove, but you can use a rice cooker for this recipe or even cook it in the oven. In order to make Tahchin in the oven, grease an oven-safe dish or pan well to prevent sticking. Layer the saffron rice chicken. Cover the dish with foil and pierce small holes using a toothpick or a fork. Turn on the oven to 350°F and cook for 40-60 minutes or until the crust forms.

How to Cook Tahchin in a Rice Cooker?

You can also cook Tahchin with a rice cooker. All the steps are like cooking in a pot and on a stovetop, only in the last step, you have to assemble the Tahchin layers in the rice cooker and set the rice cooker for 35-40 minutes.

What Is the Difference Between Tahchin and Tahdig?

The word “Tahdig” means the bottom of the pot, which refers to a thin and crispy layer of rice that forms when rice is cooked. Tahchin is a Persian dish made with saffron rice (rice mixed with yogurt, egg yolks, and bloomed saffron) and layered with a flavorful filling (cooked chicken pieces, beef, or lamb).

How Do You Reheat Tachin?

To reheat Tahchin, transfer it to a pot. Add a splash of water to prevent it from drying out. Cover and put the pot on medium/low heat until it heats up and steams.

How to Store the Leftovers?

You can keep Tahchin e Morgh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Did you like the Tahchin Morgh recipe? Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 

Looking for More Persian Recipes?

• Kookoo Sabzi Recipe
• Khoresht Karafs Recipe
• Albaloo Polo Recipe
• Sholeh Zard Recipe
• Adas Polo Recipe
• Mirza Ghasemi Recipe

Tahchin Morgh Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 51 voted )

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Ingredients

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup dried barberries
• 1 cup plain thick yogurt (Strained Yogurt)
• 1 tablespoon rose water (optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup oil, plus more for greasing the pans
• 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron threads
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and pepper as needed
• 1 small cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1 boneless chicken breast
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoon slivered almonds(optional)
• 2 tablespoon slivered pistachios(optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Rinse rice until the water is clear. Soak rice in a large bowl of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and stir to dissolve. Let it sit for 2 hours.

Step 2

Soak slivered pistachios and almonds in cold water for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.

Step 3

Using a mortar and pestle, grind down the saffron threads. Sprinkle ground saffron on 4 tablespoons of boiling water and set aside for at least 10-15 minutes.

Step 4

Rinse the barberries with cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Drain, and set aside. Put 2 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. Add barberries to the pan and saute for 1 or 2 minutes. You can add a teaspoon of brewed saffron (liquid saffron) or rose water to the barberries to make them more fragrant. Set them aside. Keep an eye on barberries as they will burn easily.

Step 5

Next, transfer drained slivered almonds and pistachios to the pan and fry them with butter for a few minutes until they become fragrant.

Step 6

Season chicken pieces with salt, turmeric, and black pepper and place in a pot. Add sliced onion and a small cinnamon stick. Add water to cover the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, reduce heat, and simmer over low heat until chicken pieces are fork-tender and fully cooked. Shred cooked chicken pieces with a fork and set aside. Heat some oil or butter in a frying pan and saute the shredded chicken with 1-2 tablespoons of bloomed saffron for a few minutes to enhance the flavor.

Step 7

Drain the soaked rice. Add fresh water into a pot. For every cup of rice add two cups of water. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.

Step 8

Add drained rice to the pot of boiling water and give a quick stir. The rice is done after 8-10 minutes when it begins to rise to the top and the water comes back to a boil. Check the rice is cooked by trying a grain.

Step 9

Break one grain in half. Rice should be soft on the outside but slightly hard in the middle. Pour rice into the colander to drain; then set aside.

Step 10

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, egg yolks, 1/3 cup oil, rose water, and bloomed saffron. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add semi-cooked and drained rice to the yogurt mixture and stir it well.

Step 11

Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the rice cooker or a non-stick pot. The pot should be non-stick so that you can flip the Tahchin easily without having to worry about the crust sticking to the bottom. Pour the saffron rice mixture into the pot. Flatten the first layer with a spoon, layer chicken pieces, sprinkle with half of the sauteed barberries, and then cover the entire surface with the remaining rice mixture. Flatten the rice and press it with the back of a spoon.

Step 12

Place the pot on medium-high heat directly on the stovetop. Cover the lid with a clean dishcloth and put it on the pot. Cook over medium heat until the rice begins to steam. Then lower the heat and cook for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust forms.

Step 13

When the rice is cooked and the crust is golden and crispy, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Find a serving platter or dish large enough to hold the Tahchin. Cover the pot with the platter, hold them together firmly, and invert Tahchin onto your platter. Serve Tahchin with sauteed barberries, slivered pistachios, and almonds on top.