This Eggplant Tachin has a crispy saffron rice layered with tender eggplant and punctuated by tart barberries (zereshk) that burst with brightness. Served sliced like a savory cake, it’s both elegant and deeply nostalgic with creamy eggplant, fragrant rice, and the sweet-sour pop of zereshk. The golden crust (tahdig) is prized, the barberries evoke festive tables, and the eggplant adds a familiar warmth found in so many Iranian stews and sides.

I developed this as a vegetarian option that can stand alone as a main dish or complement other dishes as a side. When serving this dish as a side, I love it paired with saffron cod.

A rice casserole dish filled with bright yellow rice and eggplant that has been cut in half and baked until crispy and brown.

🌟What makes this recipe work

During testing, I fine-tuned everything from the amount of saffron needed for that sunset glow to baking times across different pans. I skipped convection to keep things accessible, and learned that oven behavior really matters here. The rice should be par-boiled to about 70%, and the barberries gently sweetened to balance their sharpness. More notes from recipe testing:

  • Baking Time & Pan Size: I tested this recipe in two different pan sizes, and the cooking times varied significantly. A wider, shallower pan (7″ x 11″) gave more of the crispier crust and cooked faster than the narrower pan (9″ x 13″). Covered vs. uncovered baking also made a difference, and I settled on partially baking uncovered to help remove some of the moisture and help create the crust. You can make this recipe in either, or anything in between. For true cooking times though, you’ll need to get a feel for your oven, as results can vary.
  • Rice Technique: The rice should be par-boiled to about 70%, almost fully cooked but still with a slight bite. Timing alone isn’t enough… taste it to be sure. Use high-quality long grain basmati rice, ideally from a Middle Eastern market. I recommend Dunar or Royal brands.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

Also include any important notes I learned while testing different ingredients!

A flat-lay photo of ingredients for a recipe, including eggplant, rice, plain yogurt, egg yolks, onions, barberries, saffron, ground turmeric, sugar, salt, water, and oil.
  • Barberries (Zereshk): Barberries are very tart. I cook them in a little oil and add sugar to balance the flavor. While some use butter, I stick with oil for a cleaner taste.
  • Saffron: To achieve the vibrant yellow hue don’t skimp on the saffron in this recipe. It’s more than usual, but an important distinguishing feature of this dish.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Alternative Cooking Method: Stovetop

You don’t have to bake this in the oven. A wide, shallow pot on the stovetop can yield a beautifully fried crust just like we do with regular tahdig.

👩‍🍳 How to Make this Recipe

Prepare the Fillings

  • Overhead shot of roasted eggplant slices resting on a paper towel-lined wire rack. The eggplant skins are dark purple and some are charred.
    Add 1/4 cup of canola oil to a large pot or pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the eggplants skin side down, and season with salt. Cook until blistered and very tender, flipping halfway through, ~8 minutes per batch. Set aside on paper towels or paper bags. You should wash the pan before the cooking the onion.
  • A close-up, overhead shot of a small marble bowl with saffron threads soaking in a reddish-orange liquid.
    In the meantime, prepare your saffron. Grind it using a mortar and pestle, then steep it in 2 tablespoons of hot water, or put a few cubes of ice on it. Set aside.
  • An overhead shot of a skillet with a mix of cooked, diced yellow onions and red barberries. A wooden spoon rests in the skillet.
    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook beyond the point where it is translucent. Let it brown. You want it to be caramelized. This takes about 20 minutes. Keep your eye on it and stir every couple minutes. Add the turmeric, plumped barberries, and sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until plump, stirring constantly, and careful not to burn them. When done, remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Rice in a green and metal colander.
    Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. This takes 3-6 times. Fill the bowl with cold water and let the rice soak until you bring about ⅔ a pot water of water to boil. Add 3 tablespoon salt. Drain the water out of the bowl of rice, you can use a fine-mesh colander or sieve. Add the rice to the boiling water, and cook, like pasta, until al-dente, 5-10 minutes. Stir while it’s cooking so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Drain the rice and gently rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Taste it for salt. If it’s too salty, give it another good rinse with cold water.
  • An overhead shot of a glass bowl filled with cooked rice that has been mixed with a yellow sauce, making the rice look light yellow. A metal spoon is in the bowl.
    In a medium to large bowl, mix together the par-boiled rice, yogurt, egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and steeped saffron.

Layer and bake the tachin

  • An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking dish filled with a layer of yellow rice.
    Add half of the rice mixture to a 7″x11″ casserole dish, ideally something you can see through. Gently press it down using the back of a spoon.
    You can also use a rectangle up to 9″x13″, a 9″x 9″ square or 9″ or 10″ round pan. Cooking times will vary.
  • An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking dish. A layer of yellow rice is topped with a layer of cooked onions and barberries.
    Add the fried onions and barberries in an even layer.
  • An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking dish. A layer of yellow rice is topped with cooked onions, barberries, and then a layer of roasted eggplant slices.
    Add the eggplant in an even layer.
  • An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking dish filled with a layer of yellow rice.
    Top with the rest of the rice mixture and gently press it down using the back of a spoon.
  • An overhead shot of a white rectangular baking dish filled with bright yellow rice that has been cooked and is slightly golden brown around the edges.
    Bake for 25 minutes, cover with foil, then bake for another 1.25-1.75 hours until the edges are brown and crisp. The wider the pan, the less time it needs. If you used a glass baking dish, you can look at the bottom to make sure it has properly browned and crisped.
  • A rice casserole dish filled with bright yellow rice and eggplant that has been baked until crispy and brown and flipped onto a white platter.
    Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, uncovered, then carefully and with oven mitts, flip the tahdig onto a serving dish.

🥗 What to Eat With Tachin

Talk about my favorites and what’s traditional here. How you’ll find it when ordered on the street/at a restaurant/at my grandma’s house. This recipe goes well with these sides, appetizers, salads, etc.:

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A rice casserole dish filled with bright yellow rice and eggplant that has been cut in half and baked until crispy and brown.
Author: Candice Walker

Eggplant Tachin with Barberries (Persian Crispy Rice Casserole)

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This Eggplant Tachin has a crispy saffron rice layered with tender eggplant and punctuated by tart barberries that burst with brightness.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 592kcal

Equipment

  • Glass or ceramic baking dish glass preferred, see notes on baking dish sizes.

Ingredients

Rice

  • 2 cups basmati rice 500 grams
  • 3 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp saffron ground and bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water or over ice
  • water
  • ¾ cup plain yogurt or greek yogurt, 250 grams
  • 2 egg yolks
  • salt to taste, I use approx. 3/4-tsp sea salt or table salt
  • 2 tbsp canola oil or other flavorless oil

Fillings

  • 5 Japanese eggplants sliced in half lengthwise
  • 8 tbsp canola oil divided, or other flavorless oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced or thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • ½ cup dried barberries washed in warm water, then dried well
  • 2 tsp sugar can use less and up to 2 tablespoons depending on your sweetness preference

Instructions

Prepare the Fillings

  • Eggplant: Add 1/4 cup of canola oil to a large pot or pan* and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the eggplants skin side down, and season with salt. Cook until blistered and very tender, flipping halfway through, ~8 minutes per batch. Set aside on paper towels or paper bags. You should wash the pan before the cooking the onion.
    5 Japanese eggplants
  • In the meantime, prepare your saffron. Grind it using a mortar and pestle, then steep it in 2 tablespoons of hot water, or put a few cubes of ice on it. Set aside.
  • Barberries & Onion: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook beyond the point where it is translucent. Let it brown. You want it to be caramelized. This takes about 20 minutes. Keep your eye on it and stir every couple minutes. Add the turmeric, plumped barberries, and sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until plump, stirring constantly, and careful not to burn them. When done, remove from the pan and set aside.
    1 yellow onion, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 cup dried barberries, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp saffron

Prepare the rice

  • If you are good at multi-tasking, you can do the following while the onions are cooking:
    Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. This takes 3-6 times. Fill the bowl with cold water and let the rice soak until you bring about ⅔ a pot water of water to boil. Add 3 tablespoon salt. Drain the water out of the bowl of rice, you can use a fine-mesh colander or sieve.
    Add the rice to the boiling water, and cook, like pasta, until al-dente, 5-10 minutes. Stir while it's cooking so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
    Drain the rice and gently rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Taste it for salt. If it's too salty, give it another good rinse with cold water.
    Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack in the middle of the oven.
    2 cups basmati rice, 3 tbsp salt, water
  • In a medium to large bowl, mix together the par-boiled rice, yogurt, egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and steeped saffron.
    3/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 egg yolks, salt, 2 tbsp canola oil

Eggplant Tachin

  • Add half of the rice mixture to a casserole dish, ideally something you can see through. Gently press it down using the back of a spoon.
  • Add the fried onions and barberries in an even layer.
  • Add the eggplant in an even layer.
  • Top with the rest of the rice mixture and gently press it down using the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, cover with foil, then bake for another 1.25-1.75 hours until the edges are brown and crisp. The wider the pan, the less time it needs. If you used a glass baking dish, you can look at the bottom to make sure it has properly browned and crisped.
  • Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, uncovered, then carefully and with oven mitts, flip the tahdig onto a serving dish.

Notes

Ideally, use a 7″x10″ casserole dish and something you can see through. You can also use a rectangle up to 9″x13″, a 9″x 9″ square or 9″ or 10″ round pan. Cooking times will vary depending on your dish size and oven.
* Add more oil if the bottom of the pan isn’t coated with oil. Handle in batches so the eggplant makes contact with the oil.
Note on servings: serves 8 as a side dish, 4 large servings as a main dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 3513mg | Potassium: 588mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

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