Ingredients for 4 people:
You can easily double the ingredients to serve 6 people or 4 people abundant.
400g long grain rice
2-3 tablespoon of salt
80g black lentil
1 teaspoon ground saffron, brewed in 1 cup boiling water
1 cup or more olive oil
1 leek, finely chopped
2 spring onion, finely chopped
pinch of salt
3 medium Kohlrabi cabbage
1 teaspoons sugar
50g fresh herbs ( parsley, dill & cilantro), finely chopped
1/2 cup strained yogurt
Yogurt dip:
2 cupes strained yogurt
1 cucumber, very finely diced
a bunch of chives, cilantro & cucumber, very finely chopped
1/2 fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Method:
Preparing all the Ingredients:
Wash the rice in a bowl with tepid water until the water is clear. Soak the rice in salted water and set aside for later. (the water should be almost salty).
Clean the lentils (if needed), place them in a pot filled with cold water an bring to boil, lower the heat and cook the lentils al dente, it should take 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook them. Drain and set aside.
Place the ground saffron in a jar/glass and add the boiling water, stir and cover. Set aside for later.
Heat the skillet or a pan, add 5 tablespoons of olive oil, the finely chopped leek and spring onions. Add a pinch of salt and cook them on medium/low heat until soft and lightly colored. Remove them from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot add 5 tablespoon of olive oil and the kohlrabies and toast them for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy and colored. Add 1/3 of the saffron water, sugar and a cup of boiling water (just enough to cover the kohlrabis), put the lid on and lower the heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked but still with a bite to them.
Preparing the rice for polow:
You need a large pot of salted water to boil the rice. This way it has space to cook perfectly.
Drain the rice and add it to the large pot of salted boiling water, stir and let cook for about 7-10 minutes, depending on the rice.
Drain the rice, then use a fork or chopsticks to gently move the rice to help the steam go out. This way the rice will not cook further more while sitting on the colander.
Mix rice, lentils, leek/spring onion mixture and kohlrabies (leave 2 tablespoons for the tahdig) in a big bowl, add the herbs at the end to avoid spoiling them.
Preparing the tahdig base and polow:
In a bowl mix together, rice, yogurt & 4-5 tablespoons saffron. Add a good pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, mix well.
Place a non-stick pot on very low heat. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and place the tahdig mixture, use a spoon to spread it uniformly at the bottom of the pot.
Then start pouring the rice in the middle of the pot, without shaping, or pressing the rice down. Continue until you have a pyramid. Use a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon to, poke some holes on the rice. (don’t reach the bottom - you will ruin the tahdig). Drizzle some olive oil on top. Cover and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until you see some droplets of water on the lid.
Turn the heat down to low - if you have a diffuser you may use it. For a perfectly fluffy rice cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel so that the steam doesn’t go back into the rice. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Turn the heat off. Remove the lid. You can serve the rice like a cake, by placing a large dish over the pot and flip the rice and tahdig on the dish. Or, Like I did, remove the rice with a large flat spoon and gently pour it on your serving dish. Then place another dish over the pot and flip the tahdig.
Pour the remaining brewed saffron all over the rice with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or some knobs of butter.
Garnish the rice with cilantro leaves, and saffron Kohlrabies.
Yogurt dip:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season well and serve with the rice.
