Ingredients
3 cups Long Grain Rice, clean and wash
4 cups Edamame beans, frozen shelled
2 medium Potatoes, peel, slice (⅛ inch) place in cold water
4 cloves Garlic, whole with skin on
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
3 medium Onions, peel and chop
½ cups Dill weed, dried
1 cup Almonds, slivered
¾ tsp Saffron, dissolve in 2 tablespoon of hot water
1 tsp Garlic Powder
6 tsp Persian Spices Blend
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ cup Olive Oil
4 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Salt for water
Preparation
Clean and wash the rice 5 times in cold water, or until the water runs clear. Doing this removes excess starch.
Place beans in a large pot, fill the pot with cold water and bring to the boil. Once it is boiling, add 1 tbsp of Salt, 1 tsp of Garlic Powder, 4 tbsp of Dill weed, and 2 tsp of Persian Spices Blend. Cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes . Drain in a colander over a bowl, and keep the liquid to for the rice.
Bring liquid to a boil in a non-stick pot. Pour the washed and drained rice into the boiling water. Boil briskly for 6 minutes, stirring gently twice to loosen any grains of rice that may have stuck to the bottom. Drain rice in a colander. Mix beans with rice and set aside.
In a large skillet, sauté onions and crushed garlic with ½ the Olive Oil until golden brown. Add 3 tsp of the Persian Spices Blend, stir to mix and turn off heat. Mix rice, beans and onions in skillet (if large enough) or in a large bowl. Combine it with dill weed and Set aside.
Place a non-stick pot on medium heat. Pour in the remainder of the olive oil and ¼ cup of water, and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp of Persian spice, for flavor.
Spread the potatoes evenly on the bottom, and spatula by spatula add the rice mixture. Every few layers, add one of the garlic cloves. Repeat, arranging mixture in the shape of a pyramid. Poke three holes in the pyramid. Mix melted butter with dissolved saffron, and pour over rice.
Place a clean tea towel or paper towel over the lid and cover firmly to prevent steam from escaping. Cook 10 minutes over medium heat, and 60 minutes over a low heat. Remove from heat and place the pot in an inch of water for 10 seconds. Remove pot from water and set aside for 5 minutes without removing the lid.
Open rice and remove a few spoons of the saffron rice and set aside for garnishing. Gently taking one spatula full of rice at a time, place it in a platter without disturbing the crust at the bottom. Once all the rice has been removed, detach the potato crust (tahdig) with a wooden spoon, and place around rice. Sprinkle the saffron rice, and roasted almonds on top.
The almonds can be prepared while the rice is cooking. Heat 2 tbsp of butter and add ¼ tbsp of saffron. Gently roast 1 cup of slivered almonds until golden. Set aside. Serve with meat dishes, yogurt side dishes, pickles, and salads of your choice.
Nooshe Jan!
