Persian cuisine has a number of magnificent rice dishes in its repertoire. Here’s one of the standouts. The rice is rinsed thoroughly and cooked twice—first boiled rapidly in a large amount of water, like pasta, then steamed over low heat nestled over tahdig, a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a pot. The tahdig turns golden brown and crunchy while the rice is cooking and prevents it from drying up. Before serving, the casserole is turned upside down onto a large platter so that the tahdig ends up on the top. Usually tahdig is fried in oil, but in this recipe (suitable for vegetarian and dairy meals), it is fried in butter with egg and yogurt, which makes it even more delicious. To make sure the tahdig doesn’t stick to the bottom, it is best to use a nonstick pan.
For more of a plain, classic tahdig, check out this.