Wonderful Tahchin Morgh Recipe (Crispy Persian Saffron Rice Cake)

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Tahchin is one of the loveliest foods in Persian cuisine. It has crunchy Tahdig, and children enjoy eating it. There are many recipes for Tahchin, and you can cook it with chicken, meat, or even vegetables. Also, you can have Tachin instead of rice and pour Khoresht on it.

It is better not to mix meat or chicken with rice in this case. Many Khoresht recipes are on the Cooking County website like Khoresh Fesenjan and Khoresh Karafs.

You can enjoy all of them with the delicious Tahchin. Follow me to get more information about this mouthwatering Tahchin Morgh Recipe, and do not forget to try it once!

Tahchin Morgh Recipe Ingredients

Tahchin is a saffron rice cake made from Persian rice, yogurt, saffron, and egg. But it is better to mix it with other ingredients like chicken, meat, or vegetables like eggplant. It is your choice to choose one of them or combine them. Today I want to cook Tahchin Morgh or crispy saffron rice cake with chicken. We need these ingredients to cook our delicious food. You can see the amount of ingredients on the recipe card.

Basmati rice
Saffron
Yogurt
Egg
Vegetable oil
Butter
Chicken (every part can be used, but breast is more common)
Onion
Salt
Black pepper
Turmeric

How to Make Tahchin Morgh?

Cooking Tahchin has two steps. The first one is cooking the chicken, and the second step is preparing golden rice. Let us dive into the Persian tahchin morgh recipe.

How to cook chicken (Morgh)?

Bring a pan with four tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cut an onion into small pieces and then saute them. When the onion turns golden, add ½ tbsp turmeric, ½ tbsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper. Place two pieces of chicken breasts on them. At last, add 2 tbsp bloomed saffron and cover the pan. Let it cook for about an hour with low heat.

How to make golden rice for Tahchin?

First of all, we need to wash and soak three cups of Persian rice. Bring a pot of water, add salt to it, and heat it until boiling. Pour the rice into a colander to drain it, and then pour the soaked rice into the boiling water. When the rice comes up, turn the heat off. Pour the rice into the colander and splash cold water on them.

Bring a bowl. Pour 1.5 cups of yogurt, three eggs, ½ cup bloomed saffron, 1 tablespoon of salt, and ¼ cup of vegetable oil into the bowl and mix them well. Some people use egg yolks instead of eggs. Then add parboiled rice to the mixture and mix them. Bring a pot and pour four tablespoons of vegetable oil into it. Pour half of the rice and yogurt mixture into the pot. Slice the chicken into small pieces. Distribute the rice and then pour the remaining rice mixture on the chicken layer. Finally, place butter on the Tahchin. As your pot is more expansive, you will have more crunchy rice. Our Tahchin is ready to cook!

How to cook Tahchin Morgh in the oven?

Cover the pot with aluminum foil and make 4-6 holes in it. Preheat oven to 300 F / 150 C. Let the rice cook in the oven for an hour and then remove the foil. After an hour of cooking without foil, our Tahchin is ready! If your oven has a grill, turn the grill on for 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. It is better to check it after a while.

How to cook on the stove?

For making Tahchin on the stove:

Cover the pan.
At first, let the rice make steam for 5 minutes with high heat.
Cook it for 2 hours on low heat.

Enjoy your dish!

How to Make Vegetarian Tahchin?

You may try making Persian Tahchin with coconut milk or soy sour cream in place of the yogurt, or you can make it without any filling and serve it as a side dish.

Ingredients to Make Vegetarian Tahchin

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Jamie Geller Hawaij
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 pound ground veggie meat, chopped mushrooms, diced eggplant or chopped cauliflower
¼ cup dried barberries or dried sour cherries, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
5 cups water plus 1 tablespoon, divided
2 ½ cups basmati rice, rinsed well and drained
1 teaspoon ground saffron
3 large eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons melted butter

Steps to Make Vegetarian Tahchin

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When aromatic, add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the Hawaiian, salt, pepper, and your preferred vegetable or meat substitute. After sautéing until cooked and browned, taste and adjust seasoning. Add a third of the barberries, setting aside some for the garnish. Put aside.
5 cups water should be brought to a boil in a big saucepan. Add rice and a tsp of salt. Return to a boil and continue cooking for five minutes. After draining, set away.
In a large basin, mix together the saffron and the remaining 1 tablespoon water. Give it a five-minute rest. Stir in yogurt, eggs, and 3/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Stir in the parboiled rice well.
Place half of the rice and yogurt mixture in a greased round cake pan or rectangle casserole. Cover the rice with the chicken mixture, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Using a spatula, smooth the remaining rice mixture on top. Drizzle butter over top and securely wrap in foil. Place the pan inside the oven. Bake for fifteen minutes.
Allow the pan to cool for fifteen minutes. To release the pie, take off the foil and carefully run a knife along the edge. To remove the pie from the pan, place a level serving dish on top of it and delicately flip it.
Before serving, distribute the leftover barberries and finely chopped pistachios as a garnish.

Tahchin Morgh Variations

This meal has several versions, all of which are excellent. One popular combination is lamb and eggplant, where the cooked lamb is first sautéed with onions, and then the cooked eggplant is sandwiched between two layers of rice

How to Serve Tahchin Morgh?

Cut Tahchin into the slices you prefer and serve it. Also, you can serve it with side dishes like yogurt, salad Shirazi, or fresh herbs (Sabzi Khordan).

You can garnish your rice dish with barberries (Zereshk) and pistachio slivers. Bon appetite!

How to Store Tahchin Morgh

For up to three days, keep the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The ideal way to reheat leftovers is in the oven.
Tahchin would get little gritty and lose its flavor if it were frozen, therefore I wouldn’t advise doing so.

Did You Make This Tahchin e Morgh Recipe?

Please let me know how it was by leaving a comment!
You can ask me questions about Iranian Tahchin in the comments. I will answer your questions as soon as possible.
I would love to see your Persian foods! Please tag me with @cookingcounty on Facebook or Instagram and make me happy!

FAQs on Tahchin Morgh Recipe

Which kind of rice is best for making Tahchin Morgh?

The best option is basmati rice because of its aromatic scent and large grains, which go well with Persian rice recipes.

Is it possible to substitute Greek yogurt for normal yogurt?

You may use Greek yogurt, yes. You might need to dilute it with a little water if it makes the mixture a little thicker.

How do I make my tahdig crispy?

Make sure the rice mixture is evenly and firmly packed into the pot or baking dish. Use enough oil or butter and cook it gently to help produce a crust. A non-stick pan might be useful as well.

Tahchin Morgh Recipe (Crispy Persian Saffron Rice Cake)

Recipe by FerdosCourse: Main coursesCuisine: Persian foodDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Calories per serving

400

kcal

Tahchin is one of the loveliest foods in Persian cuisine. It is crunchy, and children enjoy eating it. There are many recipes for Tahchin, and you can cook it with chicken, meat, or vegetables.

Ingredients

Rice 3 cups,
Ground saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
Yogurt, 1.5 cups
Egg, 3
Vegetable oil, 1/2 cups
Butter, 50 gr
Chicken (every part can be used, but breast is more common), 2 chicken breasts
Onion, 1 medium-size
Salt, 1.5 tablespoons
Black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric, 1/2 tablespoon

Directions

Chicken (Morgh)
Bring a pan with four tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Cut an onion into small pieces and then saute them.
Cut an onion into small pieces and then saute them.
Place two pieces of chicken breasts on them. (you can use every part of chicken prefer)
Add 2 tbsp bloomed saffron and cover the pan.
Let it cook for about an hour with low heat.
How to make golden rice for Tahchin?
Wash and soak Three cups of rice.
Bring a pot of water, add salt into it, and heat it until boiling.
Pour the water of rice. Then pour the soaked rice into the boiling water.
When the rice comes up, turn the heat off.
Pour the rice into the colander and splash cold water on them.
Bring a bowl. Pour 1.5 cups of yogurt, three eggs, ½ cup bloomed saffron, 1 tablespoon salt, and ¼ cup of vegetable oil into the bowl and mix them well.
Then add parboiled rice to the mixture and mix them.
Bring a pot and pour four tablespoons of vegetable oil into it.
Pour half of the rice mixture into the pot.
Slice the chicken into small pieces.
Distribute the rice and then pour the remaining rice mixture on the chicken layer.
Finally, place butter on the Tahchin.
As your pot is more expansive, you will have more crunchy rice. Our Tahchin is ready to cook!
Cook Tahchin Morgh in the oven
Cover the pot with aluminum foil and make 4-6 holes in it.
Heat the oven to 300 F / 150 C. Let the rice cook in the oven for an hour and then remove the foil.
After an hour of cooking without foil, our Tahchin is ready!
If your oven has a grill, turn the grill on for 20 minutes.
Be careful not to burn it. It is better to check it after a while.
Cook on the stove
Cover the pan.
At first, let the rice make steam for 5 minutes with high heat.
Cook it for 2 hours on low heat.
How to serve?
Cut Tahchin into slices you prefer and serve it.
You can serve it with side dishes like yogurt, salad Shirazi, or fresh herbs.