Personally, I call these types of dishes ‘Rainbow Rice Dishes’ and they’re very special to me. I feel like you’re either all for Persian Saffron Rice and Chicken types of dishes or you’re just not. I absolutely love them and to know whether you love it or not, I guess you’ll just have to try it yourself, right!?
Persian Dill and Pea Saffron Rice and Saffron Chicken is simply saffron infused basmati rice with dill and peas, but the taste is so new and extravagant, you’ll feel like you’ve found your gold at the end of your Rainbow Dish!
The best way to describe this rice is simply light, fresh and healthy spoonful’s of heaven! Once you get started on the first spoon, you just can’t get enough!
Ready for a taste of Saffron?!
Oh the flavours!
I will try my best right now to put into words the amazing flavours that you may experience when placing the very first spoonful of this rice in your mouth. In one word, AROMATIC! You can taste the unique, pungent flavour of the garlic, the taste of butter that makes the rice fluffy and even more delicious, as well as a very subtle yet explosive aroma of saffron and fresh dill.
Oh and that garlic… Have you ever had baked garlic?
If the answer is no, then MY GOODNESS, you are missing out – especially if you’re a garlic lover like me! Let me break it down for you, the garlic bakes in the centre of the rice, not only does it give out the delicious flavour and aroma to the rice, it also soaks up the extra flavours itself! With each serving, your friends and family eating will get spoonful’s of rice as well as a clove or two of the garlic.
The trick is to mash the garlic into your rice and thank me below in the comments!
The Radiant Rainbow Rice Persian Dish
Tops Tips for a tasty Persian Saffron Rice and Chicken
Even though rice is the main ingredient in this recipe, it’s the baked garlic that gives it that awesome flavour! If you’ve had Tahdig, or even better, fight over Tahdig with your siblings in the house, then you’ll know what i’m talking about… the baked garlic will be the new thing you fight over! I guarantee it!
For the dill, it’s always best to be chopped finely by hand. But if you need a short cut, using a food processor, pulse the dill 3-5 times and no more. You need to be able to see the dill and for this dish, it cannot be in a paste form.
Ingredients
For the Rice
- Basmati rice
- Peas
- Garlic
- Fresh dill
- Dried dill
- Saffron
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric
- Ghee
- Butter
- Lavash bread or tortilla
For the Chicken
- Chicken
- Onions
- Brewed saffron
- Garlic
- Ghee
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper
Persian Saffron Rice and Chicken steps
Start by soaking the rice for an hour, wash and drain. In a large pot, boil the water and add the rice to it. Peel and cut a full bulb of garlic into slices and allow this to cook with the rice.
After this boils for about 5 minutes, add the peas, boil for another 2-3 minutes before adding the roughly chopped dill, turmeric and salt. Boil everything together for another 3 minutes before taking off the heat and pouring it though a drainer to remove all the water.
Tahdig prep time..
For the Tahdig – In the same non stick pot, cover the base of the pot with ghee, it’s important to be generous with this otherwise the tahdig will stick. Once the ghee is hot, cut the bread into smaller pieces and cover the base of the pot, it is okay if they overlap by a small amount. Pour a few tablespoons of saffron to ensure the tahdig comes out golden.
Pour the drained rice back into the pot on top of the bread, be gentle for this stage as it is important for the bread pieces not to move.
Leave the garlic bulb in full, only clean around it by peeling one thin layer of skin and press the whole bulb of garlic in the centre of the rice, press down so that the garlic is covered with the rice.
Cut the butter in 10-12 long and thick knobs and press down into the rice by only a few centimetres all over. Pour most of the saffron all over the rice.
Place the lid, leave on low heat for 3 minutes and then turn the heat down to the lowest and cook until rice is fully cooked and fluffy. This should take around 40-50 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, cover the base of a large pan with onion slices, place the chicken pieces on top, add the seasoning and the crushed garlic all over the chicken, cover the pan and place on medium heat to cook. After 30 minutes, remove the lid, add the saffron, shuffle the chicken to make sure all pieces are covered in the beautiful colour of saffron, cover again and allow to cook for another 10 minutes before serving alongside the rice.
Flip the rice on a large round flat serving dish along with the chicken and enjoy!
Tasty Persian Saffron Rice and Chicken
What is Tahdig?
If you are ever looking for a unique dish and something to impress your guests for a special dinner, definitely go for this Persian style rice with a golden top crust that will not disappoint!
That golden top crust is Tahdig!
Directly translated from Persian, Tahdig literally means ‘bottom of the pot’. It is the crispy bottom layer of the pot, when flipped upside down and if done right, holds the moist tasty rice inside like a mold, creating your layered rice ‘cake’.
Talking of Tahdig, have you tried my Persian Macaroni with Beef and Sesame Tahdig recipe? Or one of my absolute favs, Tahchin – Persian Saffron Rice with Chicken?
Other recipes to try!
- Tahchin – Persian Saffron Rice with Chicken
- Lubiya Polo – Persian Green Bean and Lamb Rice
- 30 Minute Creamy Turmeric Chicken Vegetables and Rice
- Havij Polo – Persian Jewelled Carrot Rice with Saffron Chicken
Persian Saffron Rice and Chicken with Dill and Pea
Ingredients
For the Rice
For the Chicken
Instructions
-
Start by soaking the rice for an hour, wash and drain. In a large pot, boil the water and add the rice to it. Peel and cut a full bulb of garlic into slices and allow this to cook with the rice.
-
After this boils for about 5 minutes, add the peas, boil for another 2-3 minutes before adding the roughly chopped dill, turmeric and salt. Boil everything together for another 3 minutes before taking off the heat and pouring it though a drainer to remove all the water.
-
For the Tahdig - In the same non stick pot, cover the base of the pot with ghee, it's important to be generous with this otherwise the tahdig will stick. Once the ghee is hot, cut the bread into smaller pieces and cover the base of the pot, it is okay if they overlap by a small amount. Pour a few tablespoons of saffron to ensure the tahdig comes out golden.
-
Pour the drained rice back into the pot on top of the bread, be gentle for this stage as it is important for the bread pieces not to move.
-
Leave the garlic bulb in full, only clean around it by peeling one thin layer of skin and press the whole bulb of garlic in the centre of the rice, press down so that the garlic is covered with the rice.
-
Cut the butter in 10-12 long and thick knobs and press down into the rice by only a few centimetres all over. Pour most of the saffron all over the rice.
-
Place the lid, leave on low heat for 3 minutes and then turn the heat down to the lowest and cook until rice is fully cooked and fluffy. This should take around 40-50 minutes.
-
While the rice is cooking, cover the base of a large pan with onion slices, place the chicken pieces on top, add the seasoning and the crushed garlic all over the chicken, cover the pan and place on medium heat to cook. After 30 minutes, remove the lid, add the saffron, shuffle the chicken to make sure all pieces are covered in the beautiful colour of saffron, cover again and allow to cook for another 10 minutes before serving alongside the rice.
-
Flip the rice on a large round flat serving dish along with the chicken and enjoy!
