In Episode #30, co-hosts Bita and Beata explore different versions of a delicious Persian dish called “tahchin”. Tahchin is a baked casserole dish most often made with chicken (in Farsi, “morgh”). The duo also shares cooking and preparation techniques including short-cuts for midweek, modern versions, plating and garnishing techniques for special meals, and various options for filling the center layers of this dish.
What is tahchin?
- A crispy baked, layered rice dish (most often made with chicken/morgh), yogurt, eggs, and spices
- Note, “tahdig” is the crispy bottom of the pot delicacy in Persian cuisine and is literally translated as “the bottom of the pot”
- “Tahchin” can be literally translated as coming from the bottom of the dish and layered (or arranged)
Versions
- Traditional (most commonly made with chicken/morgh)
- Khoresh (hearty Persian stew) stuffed with for example ghormeh sabzi
- Stuffed or layered with eggplant
- Stuffed with veggies
- Modern - prepared in muffin tins for mini crispy rice cakes - great for individualized servings, portion control, and Covid friendly events
A Beats cheats - be sure whatever you are layering into the tahchin is at least partially if not half way cooked through
Optional garnishes
- Traditional - topped with sauteed/candied dried barberries (in Farsi “zereshk”), and slivered almonds or slivered pistachio nuts
- Modern - orange marmalade and dried fruit such as apricots
A Beats cheats - rehydrate dried barberries/zereshk in a bit of boiling water to soften before sauteing, especially if coming from having been stored the freezer
Plating and presentation
- Make designs with optional garnishes
- Stack different sizes of inverted rice “cakes” to tier them up
- Serve with greens, salads, or a yogurt side dish
Tahchin can also be spelled tacheen, tachin, or tahcheen
Resource links and recipes from this episode:
Bita’s recipe for Persian Crispy Rice Cups | Tahchin Bites
Bita’s recipe for Tah-Cheen | Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole
Beats’s recipe for Persian Jeweled Tahchin
Beata’s recipe for Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe
Podcast production by Alvarez Audio