Paula Gabriel's Persian Rice With Tah Dig Crust
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Large pinch saffron, pulverized using a mortar and pestle
- 2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Sumac to taste
- Put the rice in a large bowl and fill with water.
- Stir, and drain.
- Repeat 2 more times.
- Place the rice in a 4-quart pot and add enough water to cover the rice by 1 inch.
- Stir in the salt.
- Place over high heat.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- In a strainer, rinse rice completely under cold running water.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the saffron and 3 tablespoons of water, in a small pan.
- Remove 1 cup of the rice to a bowl and stir in the yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon of the saffron butter mixture.
- Put the remaining butter and oil in a 3- or 4-quart pot over medium low heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the yogurt rice and spread evenly on the bottom of the pot.
- Spoon in the rest of the rice.
- With a rubber spatula, carefully push the rice away from the sides of the pot, scraping it up into a mound.
- In the center of the mound, pierce 3 vent holes about an inch apart, with a knife.
- Pour the remaining saffron-butter mixture over the rice and cover with a clean, dry dishcloth and the pot cover.
- Cook on medium low for 40 minutes.
- Dip the bottom of the pot in a tub of cold water.
- Spoon the rice into a serving bowl, leaving the crusty portions in the pot.
- Then with a metal spatula, scrape the crust out and place on top of the rice.
- And serve sprinkled with sumac.
basmati rice, salt, butter, saffron, yogurt, vegetable oil
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9654 (may not work)