Description
A comforting one‑pot Persian rice dish cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, onion, garlic and warm spices.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (½‑inch)
- 4–7 large tomatoes, crushed (or 2 cups canned crushed)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 2–3 cups water or vegetable broth
- Optional: pinch saffron threads, soaked in 1 Tbsp warm water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened (~5 min).
- Stir in garlic and turmeric; cook ~1 min until fragrant.
- Add potatoes and cook ~5–8 min until they begin to soften.
- Add crushed tomatoes (and saffron if using), salt and cayenne; stir and simmer ~5 min until sauce thickens slightly.
- Pour in rice and water/broth; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until most liquid is absorbed (~20–25 min).
- Wrap lid in a clean towel, replace, and steam on very low heat ~10 min to fluff rice.
- Turn off heat; fluff rice gently and serve hot with yogurt or Shirazi salad.
Notes
- Use basmati or other long‑grain rice for best texture.
- Fresh tomatoes give great flavor; canned crushed works well year‑round.
- Towel‑wrapped lid helps prevent condensation and yields fluffy rice.
- Feel free to skip potatoes for lighter version or add meat/beans for protein.
- Serve with plain yogurt, fresh herbs or Shirazi salad for authentic flair.