Persian Chicken Rice Cake - TAHCHIN

This is one of my favorite Persian one pan dinner. Since my visiting sister-in-law is still around I take the opportunity to ask her to pass me the recipe and guide me in the cooking process.

It was unbelievably tasty and lovely looking! Beautifully saffron tinted rice cooked with yogurt and chicken to perfection. Even the crust is not to be missed! Total satisfaction ! MMmmmmmm

Serves 4 person

Ingredients:

For Chicken

2 kg chicken fillet - cubed

1 large onion - finely chopped

1 tsp salt (or to your taste)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to your taste)

Oil for cooking

For Rice

3 cups Rice

3 cups water

2 tbsp salt (or to your taste) 

500 g yogurt
2 large egg yolk
1 tsp ground saffron mix well with 1 tsp warm water


Method:
For Chicken
Place a large non stick deep pan with oil on medium high heat. Fry Onion for 2 minutes and add chicken, saffron, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 5 minutes then turn down heat to low. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Drain chicken and leave the chicken stock aside.


For Rice
1) In a large non stick pot rinse rice twice. Add water and salt to boil under high heat. Let water boil for 10minutes, turn heat down to low and continue cooking with lid on for another 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. 
2) Stir in yogurt, saffron and yolks. Mix well.

Final Step

1) In a large non stick deep pan, add oil up to 1/2 cm covering the pan. Heat oil on medium high heat.

2) Once oil is hot, add half of the cooked rice and spread chicken evenly on the rice. Cover chicken with remaining cooked rice.

3)Press the rice a little to even the surface. Pour chicken stock onto the rice and cook for 30 minutes on low heat for 30 minutes with lid closed.

Flip cooked pan content carefully on a plate and serve hot.

BEFARMAEED (Enjoy in  Persian)  !