Recipes

Tahchin is a traditional, formal, delicious, Iranian dish. A rice cake composed of yogurt, rice, different kinds of meat (chicken is more usual), egg, saffron, and other spices. 

History:

There is an old story behind Tahchin. One century ago, when court chefs were cooking chicken and rice, the rice became overcooked. The chef feared punishment; for this reason, he innovated and mixed the rice with yogurt and saffron and spread the chicken in the middle of the rice. The king had enjoyed this food; then it became a ceremonial Iranian food. Also, Tahchin is an economical food; when you have a lot of leftover chicken from a party, you can make Tahchin with it for your family.  

The Nutritional Value:

Each 100g of chicken Tahchin contains 200kcal energy, 21g carbohydrate, 9g protein, 7g fat, and 42g cholesterol.

Properties of Tahchin:

Tahchin is full of protein, niacin, and low fat. It contains vitamin B1 and carbohydrates, which lowers blood pressure and triglycerides.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Cooking time: 45 minutes.

This recipe serves three people.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast
• 3 cups Iranian rice
• 1 cup strained yogurt
• 50g butter
• 2 yolks
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup rose water
• 100g dried barberry (you can buy this from Amazon)
• 1 teaspoon sugar powder
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 teaspoon saffron
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 100g pistachio (sliced)
• 2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. To cook the chicken breast, add the fried onions, one teaspoon of turmeric, one teaspoon salt, and 1 cup water to the chicken breast in a pot and cook it. After half an hour, shred the cooked chicken. Fry the shredded chicken with oil; add black pepper, salt, and cinnamon.
2. To prepare the rice, boil it in hot water; add two tablespoons of salt in the water. When the rice becomes half-cooked, drain the water of the rice, and wash the rice with cold water.
3. Stir in the yolks, rose water, yogurt, and saffron with a spoon in a big bowl for 2 minutes, then add the cooked rice to the bowl and mix all of the ingredients above to make a smooth liquid. 
4. Grease the inside of a Pyrex dish with an oil-soaked brush; pour half of the smooth liquid in it, and then squeeze it until it’s fully compressed. Add the fried chicken and fried barberry to it, then press it again. Add the remaining smooth liquid and squeeze it. Finally, add the slices of butter to the rice.
5. Cover the Pyrex dish with foil and bake it at 380F for 45 minutes.
6. Serve it from the Pyrex dish or anther one of your choice and decorate it with pistachios and barberry to taste.