How to Make Tahdig: Crispy Persian Rice with Potatoes or Bread

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Updated November 2026 We have reworked the method with clearer timings, saffron, steam tips and a separate approach for potato and bread crusts.

Tahdig, literally “bottom of the pot”, is the golden, crunchy crust that forms under a pot of Persian rice, and in most Iranian homes it is the part everyone reaches for first. Learning how to make tahdig comes down to three things: parboiling the rice correctly, building a fat-coated base of potato slices or bread, and steaming slowly on a low heat with a well-sealed lid. This recipe gives you both a potato tahdig and a bread tahdig, and serves four as a side.

At a glance

• Serves: 4 as a side
• Soaking: at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 to 2 hours
• Cooking: about 1 hour 15 minutes
• Difficulty: medium; the first attempt is the hardest

Ingredients

• 2 cups (about 400 g) long-grain basmati rice
• 2 tbsp salt for the boiling water, plus a pinch for the crust
• A generous pinch of saffron threads
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp butter (or use all oil)
• For a potato crust: 1 large waxy or all-purpose potato, peeled and sliced about 5 mm thick
• For a bread crust: 1 to 2 sheets of lavash or another thin flatbread, cut to fit the pot

You need a heavy non-stick pot with a well-fitting lid, about 24 cm across, and a clean tea towel.

Method

1. Prepare the saffron. Grind the threads with a pinch of salt or sugar using a pestle, then steep in 3 to 4 tbsp of hot water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Wash and soak the rice. Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water, rubbing it gently, until the water runs almost clear. Cover with fresh water and a little salt and leave to soak.
3. Parboil. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Drain the rice and add it to the pan. Boil for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the grains have lengthened and are soft outside but still have a firm core when you bite one. Drain in a sieve and rinse briefly with lukewarm water.
4. Build the base. Put the oil and butter in the pot over a medium heat with 1 tbsp of the saffron water. When it is hot, lay the potato slices in a single tight layer, or press in the lavash so it covers the base. Season the potato lightly with salt.
5. Add the rice. Spoon the rice over the base, heaping it into a loose mound rather than pressing it flat. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke five or six holes down to the base so steam can escape.
6. Start the crust. Leave on a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until you hear a steady sizzle and see steam rising from the holes.
7. Steam. Drizzle the rest of the saffron water and a little oil or melted butter over the rice. Wrap the lid in the tea towel, tying the corners up over the handle so they cannot reach the flame, and cover the pot tightly. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 50 to 60 minutes. A nutty, toasty smell means it is ready; a bitter smell means it has gone too far.
8. Turn out. Take the pot off the heat and set it on a damp cloth for a minute or two, which helps the crust release. Run a spatula around the edge, place a large plate over the pot and flip it in one confident movement.

Tips for a perfect tahdig

• Do not overcook the rice at the parboiling stage. Mushy rice gives a soggy crust and sticky grains.
• Keep potato slices even. Too thin and they burn; too thick and they stay pale. Around 5 mm is right.
• Bread crusts cook faster. Lavash browns more quickly than potato, so check by smell from about 45 minutes.
• Do not lift the lid. Every peek lets out the steam that cooks the rice.
• Know your hob. Gas, electric and induction behave differently, and your second tahdig will be better than your first.
• Try a yoghurt base. For a classic rice crust with no potato or bread, mix a few spoonfuls of the parboiled rice with yoghurt, an egg yolk and saffron water and spread it over the base instead.

What to serve it with

Tahdig goes with almost any Persian stew. It is at its best alongside ghormeh sabzi, the herb stew many Iranians consider the national dish, or with gheimeh and fesenjan. Serve the crust in pieces on top of the rice so everyone gets a share. Find more ideas among our Persian recipes.

Learn the Persian: Find the words for ingredients, dishes and cooking in Persia Learning’s food and drink vocabulary, with flashcards to practise. Try the first lesson free →

Where to buy the ingredients. Outside Iran, you will find the specialist ingredients for this recipe at Persian and Middle Eastern grocers, or you can order them online: saffron, basmati rice and a Persian rice cooker. For more, see our guide to the Persian pantry.