This is the dish Iranians make when guests are coming. A mound of white and saffron rice, scattered with ruby barberries and pistachios, next to chicken braised slowly in onion and saffron.
Barberries, zereshk in Persian, are small and very sour. Fried briefly with a little sugar, they turn glossy and jewel-like.
At a glance: serves four to six. About two hours, including soaking the rice. Medium.
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked for 2 hours
- 4 chicken legs or 8 thighs
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- A generous pinch of saffron, bloomed in 4 tbsp hot water
- ½ cup dried barberries
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp slivered pistachios and almonds
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- Vegetable oil, salt and black pepper
Method
- Fry one onion until golden, add the turmeric and brown the chicken. Add the tomato paste if using, a cup of water and half the saffron. Season, cover and cook gently for about an hour until the chicken is tender.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the drained rice and cook for six to eight minutes until just soft outside but firm in the middle. Drain.
- Heat a little oil and water in the pot, pile the rice back in, poke a few holes with a spoon handle and steam on a low heat with a lid wrapped in a tea towel for 45 minutes.
- Pick over the barberries, rinse them and fry them in the butter with the sugar for one to two minutes only, until they swell. They burn quickly.
- Mix a few spoonfuls of rice with the remaining saffron. Serve the white rice topped with the saffron rice, barberries and nuts, with the chicken alongside.
Do not overcook the barberries. A minute in the pan is enough. Any longer and they turn bitter and dark.
Tahdig. The crust at the bottom of the pot is the prize. Our tahdig guide explains how to get it right.
Dried barberries keep for months in the freezer. Most of the world’s supply comes from South Khorasan province in eastern Iran.
