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Basmati rice (~4 cups uncooked for 9x13 inch pan)

Boneless skinless chicken thighs (8-12 for 9x13 pan) (LESS)

1 White onion

About 1-2 tbsp Ground turmeric

1 to 2 cups of Plain yogurt (I typically use Greek yogurt)

4 Limes to be safe (MORE!)

1 tsp Saffron (MORE!)

Salt to taste

1 Egg

Butter for lining baking pan

Flavorless oil like canola for cooking and baking

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** CHICKEN (don't add too much chicken unless cooking for Ali)

1. Dice onion into large pieces.

2. Heat frying pan with oil on stove.

3. Once pan is hot, brown chicken thighs on both sides. Work in batches if you have more thighs than fit in the pan.

4. Remove browned chicken and sauté onion until it is translucent.

5. Add back chicken and add water to mostly cover the chicken

6. Add salt. Broth will reduce so undersalting is better to start. Taste the broth halfway through cooking to make sure it is salty enough. *SALT!

7. Add Turmeric – about 1 tbsp, the chicken should turn pretty yellow. Most of the color on the chicken comes from turmeric rather than saffron.

8. Simmer the chicken uncovered for 1 hour until chicken is very tender. (Mahdi sometimes skips step)

9. Once chicken is tender, add 1 lime to the chicken and broth. Taste to make sure the lime is evident. If not, add more lime.

10. Once this is done, you can separate the chicken and cut into large chunks.

11. Save the broth as this will be added to the yogurt mixture for the rice.

    ** RICE

12. Wash rice before cooking.

13. Bring a pot of salted water to boil (like you would for pasta). *SALT!

14. Add rice and cook until it is still a little underdone – only takes a few minutes so keep checking.

15. Drain rice and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

    ** YOGURT (Make more than you think)

16. Add about 1 to 2 cups of Greek yogurt to a large mixing bowl.

17. Add bloomed saffron water. (Typically I say add enough saffron to feel like you are going broke. Typically this is about a teaspoon of threads. Soak saffron in boiling water for at least 15 min before adding to yogurt.)

18. Add the juice of 1 lime to start. Add broth from chicken, start with about 0.5-1 cup of liquid.

19. Mix well and taste. You should taste each ingredient in the mixture. The broth normally adds enough salt so extra isn’t always needed. Add any of the components if you need more to taste it. *SALT!

20. Once you are satisfied with the taste, add 1 egg and mix well.

    ** COMBINE

21. Mix prepared chicken with some of the yogurt sauce until it is well coated. This can be made ahead of time and put in the fridge before cooking. (Ali’s mom says it is better if it sits in the yogurt mixture overnight.)

22. Mix rice with rest of yogurt mixture. I usually estimate how much I think I will need to cover the bottom and top of the chicken. If you make rice ahead of time, don’t mix with yogurt until right before you cook it. It will get soggy. Store yogurt mixture separately in the fridge.

23. Taste test – at this step, you can microwave a bit of the rice and chicken (to cook the egg) to make sure all the flavors and salt levels are okay before baking it. *SALT!

24. Take a 9x13 pan (clear glass is easiest so you can see tahdig get nice and brown). Butter all surfaces, then add extra oil in the bottom to help tahdig form. (*EXTRA OIL)

25. Set oven to 400 degrees F

26. Layer half of the rice on the bottom of the dish and flatten out.

27. Add chicken to next layer, keep chicken away from touching edge of pan

28. Add rest of rice to the top and smooth out

29. Put foil on pan and cut some slits in the top

30. Bake until the bottom is nice, brown, and crunchy. 1-2 hours. Take off tin foil after about 1 hour. (Mahdi cooks for like 50min)

31. Invert on sheet tray and let cool slightly – tahdig will crisp up as it cools.

Notes:

Salt more than you think

Oil more than you think

Not too much chicken

Make more yogurt mix than you think