Persian showpiece rice · Baked crust
Tahchin Recipe (Crispy Persian Saffron Rice Cake)
Yoghurt and yolk. Butter the dish well. Rest before flipping.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenTahchin is a golden rice cake set with yoghurt, egg yolk and saffron, layered with chicken and baked until the outside is crisp, then turned out like a cake. The heartbreak is a crust that sticks or a cake that crumbles. The fix is a generous buttered dish, enough yolk in the yoghurt to bind, a long bake, and five minutes of rest before flipping.
The 3 laws of tahchin
Why this recipe works
Yoghurt only
Egg sets the cake.
Dry dish
Fat makes a crust that releases.
Flip at once
Steam loosens the crust.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Chicken
Rice
The NineFoods crust gauge
Is the crust ready?
Ease a knife down the side and peek.
Method · 4 stages
Step by step
Poach chicken
- Simmer chicken with onion, turmeric, salt and water; shred.
Parboil rice
- Boil rice in salted water until the core is firm; drain.
Mix and layer
- Whisk yoghurt, yolks, saffron and salt; fold in two thirds of the rice.
- Butter a dish, press in half the saffron rice, add chicken, top with the rest.
Bake
- Cover with foil and bake. Use the gauge above.
- Rest 5 minutes, then flip onto a platter.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Too little butter.
Fix next time
Butter generously and rest before flipping.
Why
Not enough binder.
Fix next time
Use 3 yolks and thick yoghurt.
Why
Oven too cool or short bake.
Fix next time
Bake longer at 200 C.
Why
Over-poached breast.
Fix next time
Use thighs or poach gently.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Filling | Lamb or eggplant |
| Greek yoghurt | Binder | Labneh thinned with milk |
| Glass dish | See the crust | Nonstick pot on the stove |
| Barberries | Garnish | Dried cranberries |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Salad shirazi and mast-o-khiar.
Store
Fridge 3 days.
Reheat
Slices in a hot oven 10 minutes to re-crisp.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the crust ready) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Tahchin FAQ
What is tahchin?
A baked Persian rice cake with yoghurt, saffron and egg, usually layered with chicken.
How do I stop tahchin sticking?
Butter the dish heavily and rest 5 minutes before flipping.
Can I make tahchin in a pot?
Yes, on low heat for about 90 minutes.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes, layer fried eggplant instead of chicken.