3-Layer “Tahdig” Cake

3-Layer “Tahdig” Cake

A Savory Crispy Rice Cake

We are delighted to welcome chef Parisa Parnian, the creative mastermind behind Instagram's Savage_Taste. Ms. Parnian is an Iranian-American multi-disciplinary visual artist, designer, storyteller, and cook. As a cultural and culinary uplifter, she has been combining her extensive experience in lifestyle design, event curation, food, and storytelling to delight the senses and warm the spirit. "I wanted to create a savory version of a three-layer “cake” by using three of my favorite Persian rice dishes for each layer and bringing my artistic design background to create a special "Tahdig" (crispy rice crust) design that is inspired by decorating a cake.

Chef Parisa Parnian

Instagram @savage_taste
Facebook: @parisa.parnian
SavageMuse.com

Ingredients

  • 4 cups uncooked long-grain basmati rice
  • salt to taste
Tahdig Art
  • 1/4 cup oil for tahdig crust
  • assorted herbs/vegetables for tahdig art (i.e. potato, purple yams, cherry tomatoes, colorful bell peppers, okra, sage leaves, cilantro, parsley, pickled peppers)
Tahchin/Tahdig Layer
  • 3/4 cup yogurt
  • 4 tablespoons saffron water
  • 1 egg yolk
Albaloo Polow Layer-Sour Cherry
  • 3/4-1 cup of sour cherries in juice (available in jars)
  • 3/4 cup chopped or slivered pistachios
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/3 cup crushed dried rose petals
Sabzi Polow Layer-Herb Medley
  • 2 cups dried herb assortment (leeks, parsley, cilantro, chives, fenugreek, dill)
  • 1 tsp salt to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp advieh (Persian rice spice mix)
Barberry “Jam” Layer
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1.5 - 2 cups of dried barberries washed
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt to taste

Directions

PARBOIL RICE
  • Parboil the rice in salted boiling water until it is al dente. Use a large nonstick pot that is the size you want your final tahdig tahchin cake to be.
  • Drain the rice and put aside.
CREATE TAHDIG "ART"
  • Cut, slice, prepare the ingredients you want to decorate your "tahdig art" with.
  • Use a piece of parchment or other paper and place the (cold) rice pot on top of it. Use a pencil or pen and trace the bottom shape of the pot onto the paper. This is going to be the "frame" that you are going to create your "tahdig art" inside of.
  • Arrange the different vegetables, herbs, ingredients to create your art inside the circle you drew on the paper. When it is time, you will transfer these ingredients into the bottom of the pot.
CREATE THE TAHDIG/TAHCHIN LAYER
  • Take HALF of the cooked rice and put it in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the yogurt, egg, and saffron water.
  • Mix until evenly blended. Make sure rice is not too wet. If it feels too wet, add a little more cooked rice to the mixture until it feels sticky but not too wet. Put this mixture aside.
CREATE THE SABZI Polow LAYER
  • Soak the dried herbs in hot (not boiling) water for 10-15 minutes. Drain.
  • Take 1/4 of the total cooked rice and put it into a medium-sized bowl.
  • Add the drained herbs into the rice and mix until well blended.
  • Add all the spices (salt, turmeric, garlic powder, advieh). Mix until blended.
CREATE THE ALBALOO Polow LAYER
  • Take 1/4 of the total cooked rice and put into a medium-sized bowl.
  • Add the sour cherries and a little of the juice. Mix until blended.
  • Add the pistachios, almonds, and dried rose petals and mix until blended.
CREATE THE BARBERRY "JAM" LAYER
  • Sauté the sliced onions in a large frying pan for 3-4 minutes on med/med-high heat.
  • Add the barberries and keep sautéing for 2 minutes.
  • Add the spices (turmeric, garlic powder, salt to taste) and mix for another minute. Take off heat.
PLACING THE RICE LAYERS INTO THE POT
  • The first layer that goes in the pot is the tahdig "art" layer.
  • Pour oil in the bottom of the pot.
  • Arrange the tahdig "art" by transferring it piece by piece from the paper to the pot and keep the same design.
  • Turn on the heat to medium-high until you hear the bottom of the pot sizzle.
  • Using a spatula, gently place 1/2 the tahchin rice mixture into the pot and press down without moving the tahdig art below it. You want this layer to be pressed down firmly to help create the tahdig crust.
  • Then pour the rest of the tahchin layer of rice into the pot and use a spatula to spread into an even layer.
  • Next, use the spatula to spread the "Barberry Jam" evenly on top of the tahchin.
  • Next, use the spatula to place the "Sabzi Polow" layer of rice evenly into the pot.
  • Finally, use the spatula to place the "Albaloo Polow" layer of the rice evenly into the pot.
  • Now, take the spatula and gently create a small mound from the top layers of rice to help with steaming. Take one or two extra tablespoons of water or saffron water and drizzle on top
  • Wrap the lid of the pot in some cotton cloth and place it on top to cook/steam.
COOKING THE TAHDIG TAHCHIN "ART" CAKE"
  • While you are adding all the layers of rice into the pot, it should be cooking on a medium-high/high heat.
  • After you have finished putting everything in the pot and put the lid on it, lower the temperature to low/low-medium
  • Let it cook at a low temperature for at least 1.5-2 hours before serving.

END FAQ