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This Crispy Persian Rice (Tahdig) with Spiced Golden Chickpeas is the perfect pantry staple recipe. Basmati rice is pan-cooked until a crispy crust has formed on the bottom. Once turned out onto a plate, the top layer has crunchy rice, but underneath is perfectly cooked, deliciously soft and fluffy rice. Top this Persian rice with spiced, extra crispy golden chickpeas, and a dollop of creamy yogurt. Comfort food that uses all pantry staples yet is still healthy(ish), simple, and delicious!
Sure, it’s only Wednesday, but it has been quite the week. Things seem to change on an almost hourly basis, but I’m trying to stay positive over here. It helps that I’m sharing a recipe that I’m really excited about. This rice is hands downs one of my favorites. It probably actually is my mom and Asher’s favorite, at least of the month, those two can easily survive off of rice.
It’s comfort food, it’s easy, and oh my gosh, it is so good, and so simple!
Like many of you, our grocery store produce sections have been kind of bare. We’re also very much avoiding leaving the house, and only heading out for necessities, which obviously can be difficult. I’m sure you can relate. But here’s what I will say. It can be challenging working with what I have on hand, but sometimes challenges lead to great things.
Case in point, this crispy Persian inspired rice. It’s not a recipe I’d planned on making, but it’s a recipe I’m so happy I made. So, while times are tough and things are uncertain, I’m doing what I can to make the best with what I got.
Literally.
(this is the rice after boiling)
So the inspiration?
A while back I came across this recipe created by the author of the ever so popular Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin Nosrat. I’m sure many of you know of her and her incredible recipes. This rice is beyond good. I used her method, and in turn, I got this beautiful Persian rice, or Tahdig.
I tried not to change too much about the actual process of making the rice. I did, however, decide to add a little crispy chickpea topping to make this more of a meal.
Very ideal for pantry cooking.
(this is the first yogurt coated layer of rice in skillet)
(inserting a wooden spoon into rice to create air pockets)
(rice after inverting onto a serving plate)
Here is how you make crispy Persian pice (Tahdig).
This starts out just like cooking pasta, you’ll boil the rice with plenty of salt until just al dente. This only takes six or so minutes.
Now, drain the rice and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. The rice will finish cooking in the skillet.
The next step is key, remove a portion of the rice and mix with a bit of plain yogurt. This isn’t the traditional method of cooking a true Tahdig, but it will help to ensure that you get a crispy top layer of rice. If you’re vegan, you can use an equal amount of coconut cream or coconut yogurt.
OK. Now, grab a seasoned cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet. Melt a little butter with a little oil. Add that yogurt coated rice in an even layer, then pile on the remaining rice. Cook this over medium heat until a nice crust begins to form. The key to getting an evenly browned crust is to rotate the skillet a quarter turn about every 5 minutes. It’s a little tedious, but it does help to get an evenly browned crust instead of a crust that’s browned on one side and burnt on the other.
Once the rice has cooked fifteen minutes, turn the heat to low and let it cook another fifteen minutes or so, until the rice is cooked through and you see that a nice golden crust has formed on the edges.
Flip the rice out and done. You should have a deep golden crust with fluffy, perfectly buttery, and perfectly salted rice underneath. It’s PRETTY…and it’s SO GOOD.
But wait, while the rice cooks…
Make the chickpeas. Trust me, you do need the chickpeas. They add not only heartiness, but they also add plenty of good flavor. They’re salty, savory, and just a little hard to stop eating. Kind of like a healthier chip with the addition of crispy shallots and toasty sesame seeds.
I stirred in the fresh spinach that I had on hand, but you guys can use whatever greens or vegetables that you have. Kale, chard, or even chopped broccoli would all be great.
My notes to you…
While this rice might look intimidating, it’s actually really easy. The first time you make this you will be nervous and your rice may not come out all in one piece. This is OK. I promise.
Please, please, just trust me here and do not stress. It’s going to be delicious no matter what it ends up looking like, you just need to ditch the fear and give this a try.
You will LOVE IT! And if you need a helpful video, I recommend this one. And? I plan to make this on my Instagram stories as well, so look out for that today. Until then, gather up the ingredients and plan to make some crispy Persian rice for dinner tonight. It’s going to fun and it’s going to be delicious.
Looking for other pantry recipes? Check out this post with over twenty plus.
Looking for other rice dishes? Here are a few of my favorites…
Creamy Golden Rice with Spiced Chickpeas
Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
If you make this crispy Persian rice (tahdig) with spiced golden chickpeas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Persian Rice (Tahdig) with Spiced Golden Chickpeas
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 962 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice (but please use what you have on hand during this time!)
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh mint or cilantro
Golden Spiced Chickpeas
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas drained and patted dry
- 2-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 2 cups roughly torn greens, such as kale, chard, or spinach
Instructions
- 1. Bring 6 cups of water and about 1/4 cup salt to a boil in a large pot. It seems like a lot of salt, it's not, trust me. 2. Rinse the rise under water. Once the water is boiling, add the rice, and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain into a sieve and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. 3. In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the rice with the yogurt. 4. Melt together the butter and oil in a 10-inch skillet set over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the yogurt coated rice and level it out with the back of your spoon. Pile the remaining rice into the pan, mounding it toward the center. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, gently dig 5-6 holes into the rice down to the bottom of the skillet. There should be enough oil in the pan so that you can see it bubbling up the sides. Add oil if needed. 5. Cook the rice over medium heat, turning the pan a quarter turn every 5 minutes to ensure even browning. Cook until you start to see a golden crust begin to form at the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking another 15 to 20 minutes. The edges of the crust should be golden, 35-40 minutes total. 6. Meanwhile, make the chickpeas. Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, chickpeas, garlic, shallots, turmeric, paprika, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisped all over, about 8-10 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and greens, tossing to combine. Cook 2 minutes, until toasted, remove from the heat. 7. Run a spatula along the edges of the pan to release the rice. Carefully flip the rice onto a platter. Serve topped with chickpeas, fresh cilantro, or mint.
Notes
Tip: If your rice doesn’t come out in one piece, please do not stress, just scoop out the rice as is, and serve. It's going to be delicious no matter what.
Note: Persian Rice adapted from Food 52.
This was incredible. Even our rather picky 7 year old loved it. We couldn’t stop raving about it. One note—my first attempt l, I used a regular stainless steel skillet, and it burned and stuck. My second attempt, k used a non-stick skillet and it was perfect.
Amazing! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Kim! xTieghan
Huge HBH fan!! This wasn’t my favorite tho, it reminded me of Persian rice my friend used to make but I found this recipe too rich for me. It crisped up nicely but not my favorite.
Hi Diana! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I hope you enjoy some others of mine! xTieghan
I made this tonight. The flavors were so good and the rice perfectly crispy. We ate it with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top. There wasn’t any instruction on what to do with the cilantro or mint and the rice. Is it just a topping?
HI! The cilantro is for topping! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Amazing! Loved it!
Thank you so much Jennifer! xTieghan
Dying to make this today! Would no fat Greek yogurt work? That’s all I have right now and want to make good use of it!
HI! Yes, that will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Thank you thank you thank you! I have a persian friend that introduced me to tahdig rice and i am constantly begging her to make me some, and this just gave me a reason to try it myself! Its a lot simpler that tradicional persian but thats what i love about it! Thank you for posting! I made it this weekend with a chicken persian saffron stew and it was amazing!
Its perfect as it is, but for a healthier weekday rice is there a substitute for the butter that will not sacrifice that crunch?
I am so glad you are liking this recipe! Are you looking for a vegan substitute? I would love to help! xTieghan
So excited to make this tonight! We have sour cream on hand…Do you think I can substitute instead of yogurt? Trying to avoid going to the stores right now. Xo
HI! Yes, sour cream will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I’m hoping to make this tonight! My 10-inch non-stick skillet is pretty shallow. Is that ok? And is is to be cooked in the skillet uncovered – correct? Thank you for guidance!
HI! How shallow? Do you have a large skillet you can use?
Yes, cook uncovered in the skillet. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was amazing! The rice was super crispy and flavorful, however if you do not have kosher salt I would NOT suggest using 1/4 cup! We had regular fine table salt and used two tablespoons and it wasn’t too salty at all, however for our preferences I may reduce it to one tablespoon. I would tend to go on the lower side if you are more used to “asian” style rice which is unsalted, but maybe add the 1.5-2btsp if you like a more seasoned rice (we prefer asian-style, less salty). I forgot to dry the chickpeas so they weren’t quite as crispy, but it was still super flavorful and delivious! (I added spinach to mine).
Also, if you find your rice isn’t cooking, my tip is to just cover the pot, but make sure you secure a towel udnerneath the lid to catch any condensation 🙂
Overall, a super solid, amazing recipe! Definitely different from the usual rice dish, but with basic ingredients and so easy!
Also, I highly reccomend serving with a fried egg on top for some additional protein and flavor! (The runny yolks taste amazing on the rice! You could even skip the chickpeas if you’re out!)
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sofia! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
Hi there! Planning on making this tonight and just wondering where the 1/2 cup of mint/cilantro fits in. Thanks!
HI! The cilantro is for topping. 🙂 recipe all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan-
I made this last night.. combining what I previously was taught about making Tahdig , and your version… and it came out PERFECTLY! I actually had to use basic long grain white rice because the store did not have Basmati – AND IT WORKED! Here is what I did in addition to your steps: I first rinsed the rice for a very long time , until the water was basically running clear..) I then soaked the rice in cold water with the salt for about 1 hour. Strained and rinsed rice then par cooked per your instructions but with only 2 TB of salt (becasue i had previously soaked in salt too) I rinsed the par cooked rice really well before doing the next steps – mixing the yogurt in and cooking in the skillet. I added saffron and turmeric to the yogurt rice as well… and it came out beautifully! I have never achieved such a wonderfully perfect crispy crunchy Tahdig! Thank you so much for all of your inspiration.. in the kitchen and in life!
Hi Meg! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This was amazing! I used jasmine rice instead of basmati, coconut cream instead of yogurt, and added grilled salmon. The chickpeas were so flavorful and the rice was incredible. This was the best recipe we’ve made in a long time and it was so simple yet impactful. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
I’m halfway done cooking, so we’ll see how it turns out, but ive read this recipe front to back multiple times and am I missing what you do with the cilantro or mint?!
Also, if I’m using an electric glass stovetop, what difference does turning the skillet do?
HI! The herbs are for topping. Recipe all fixed!
I would imagine you should still turn the skillet, but I am not familiar with and electric cooktop.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I was so excited to make this. The chickpea mixture was incredible but my rice was way too salty. Thankfully I tasted it before I added the mixture on top so I’m going to try making the rice again without as much salt. Any advice or guidance is appreciated, thank you.
Hey Ally! Did you use kosher salt? Or table salt?
Try using on 2-4 tablespoons kosher salt next time. I think that will still be great and much less salty! Also, I always recommend using only kosher salt. Table salt is a finer grain, so 1/2 cup table salt is double what kosher salt would be Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I usually love all of your recipes, but this one was a miss for me! It came out SO SALTY! I used jasmine rice because that is all we had on hand so not sure if it absorbed salt more? or if kosher instead of table salt should have been used? But it tasted like eating an ocean. I would try again and use 1//6 the amount of salt you say to put in the water. The chickpeas turned out great
HI! I am so sorry this was salty. Try using on 2-4 tablespoons kosher salt next time. I think that will still be great and much less salty! Also, I always recommend using only kosher salt. Table salt is a finer grain, so 1/2 cup table salt is double what kosher salt would be Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan