This Potato Tahdig recipe combines a crunchy bottom with super light and fluffy potato slices. This Persian rice dish has a layer of crunchy rice mixed with pillowy soft-on-the-inside but crunchy-on-the-outside potatoes. This texture combo is heavenly, like a layer of perfectly cooked French fries with your rice. Who doesn’t want that for dinner?
🥘 Rice Tahdig vs Potato Tahdig
Unlike traditional rice tahdig, which has a fully crispy bottom layer, potato tahdig is about 80% soft and fluffy (like a twice-cooked potato) with 20% crispiness where the potatoes touch the pan.
Classic rice tahdig is probably the more popular dish to serve, but in my experience at Persian dinner tables, you’ll usually see two tahdigs served, one rice and one potato. I’ve also had a variation where you swap the potatoes for pita bread at the bottom. I find that rice tahdig is better with hot stews, like khoresh bademjan, and potato tahdig is both great with stew and can hold its own as a lone dish or side dish.
If you want to sub out plain basmati rice for a non-plain rice, my favorite for potato tahdig is baghali polo (Persian dill and lima/fava bean rice).
🌟 Most important tips from testing this recipe
🧾 Key ingredient notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make This Recipe
Wash your rice in cold water until the water runs clear. I find the sweet spot is between 3 and 6 washes. Fill the bowl with cold water and let the rice soak until the next two steps are done. Prepare your saffron by grinding it, then steeping it in hot water or melting ice cubes over it. I’ve tested both methods, and the flavor is the same regardless of which you choose. Then, set aside for later. Bring about ⅔ a pot water to boil and salt the water. Once boiled, drain the water out of the bowl of rice. Add the rice to the boiling water and cook, like pasta, until al-dente, 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring it while it’s cooking to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and slice them into thick slices. This is key to making sure you get that crispy-on-the-outside yet fluffy-on-the-inside texture. Heat a clean non-stick pot over medium-high heat to warm it through. Add 3 tbsp of oil and half the saffron and stir to get it hot. This hot oil creates the right surface for searing the potatoes. Add a non-overlapping layer of the potatoes. You can pack them as tightly as you’d like, keeping in mind that the rice will fill in all the space between the potatoes. So, if you like more rice, leave more space. Top the sliced potatoes with the drained rice and form it into a rough pyramid shape. Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid on. The holes help heat escape as the rice cooks. Cook on medium heat, watching it carefully to prevent burning. When the lid gets foggy, pour the rest of the oil around the edges and over the rice. Add 2 tbsp of water to the top of the rice to help it steam. Cover the pan with a lid wrapped in a kitchen towel and lower the heat to medium low. The kitchen towel absorbs excess moisture while the rice is cooking to prevent it from getting soggy. Steam for 45-60 minutes until the tahdig is golden and crispy. If adding the optional saffron (a step worth adding), remove some excess rice from the top of the pot and mix in the rest of the saffron water. You can use a fork to fluff it in. Set it aside. With oven mitts to protect you from the hot pan, flip the potato tahdig out and see that gorgeous golden bottom. Be proud of the amazing dish you’ve made!
🥗 Pairings for Potato Tahdig
Potato tahdig is delicious under stews because the potatoes soften slightly while still holding a bit of that bite. However, if you’re not serving stew, potato tahdig stands on its own as a satisfying side dish. My advice for making it an amazing meal is to top it with a freshly fried egg.
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Crispy Potato Tahdig (Persian Crispy Rice with Potatoes)
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Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice you can use 2-8 cups, depending on your pot or pan, see notes
- 3 tbsp salt
- 6 tablespoons oil flavorless, like vegetable or canola
- 1 pinch saffron ground and bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water or over ice
- 3 medium russet potatoes or 2 large, or yukon gold
Instructions
- 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 the next step two steps are done.3 cups basmati rice
- 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.1 pinch saffron
- Bring about ⅔ a pot water of water to boil. Add 3 tablespoon salt.3 tbsp salt
- Drain the water out of the bowl of rice, you can use a fine-mesh collander 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.
- In the meantime, peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4" thick slices.3 medium russet potatoes
- 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.
- Grab your non-stick pot or pan. If it's the same pot you used to par boil the rice, make sure it is clean. Heat it over medium, add 3 tablespoons of oil, half the steeped saffron, and stir to mix.
- Add a non-overlapping layer of the potatoes. You can pack them as tightly as you'd like. Wherever there aren't potatoes, there will be crispy rice.
- Top with the drained rice, and form it into a pyramid. Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid on. Cook on medium heat, watching it carefully.
- When the lid gets foggy, ~5 minutes, pour the rest of the oil, 3 tablespoons, around the edges and over the rice. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the top of the rice. Cover with a lid wrapped in a kitchen towel and lower the heat to medium low*.
- Steam for 45-60 minutes until the tahdig is golden and crispy.
- Remove the excess rice from the top of the pot (the part that is domed) and mix in the rest of the saffron water. You can use a fork to fluff it in. Set it aside.
- Carefully and with oven mitts, flip the tahdig onto a serving dish.**
