TADIG (PERSIAN RICE)

Steps:

• Rinse rice until water runs clear. Add rice, water, yogurt, spices and salt into rice cooker pot, mix well. Turn on rice cooker and let it work it's magic.
• Once rice cooker turns off. Leave lid on rice for about 10 minutes to complete steaming.
• Now onto making the Tadig. Heat 3 tablespoon oil on medium-high in a 12" cast iron pan or heavy bottomed pan until hot but not smoking. Add cooked rice to pan and toss rice gently to coat with oil. Please try to not break up the grains of rice. Make sure the whole bottom of pan is covered with rice and press down a little bit to make sure the rice is densely covering the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low or medium depending on the heat of your burner. Use the handle of wooden spoon to make 4 holes all the way to the bottom of the pan in the rice. Pour the remaining olive oil into each of the hole and tilt pan to spread oil throughout the bottom of the pan. Put a lid on pan leaving about a 1 inch gap to allow steam to escape.
• Leave on burner about 15 minutes to brown and crisp up the bottom layer of rice. That's why the lid cannot be closed tight.
• Once the bottom layer is done to your liking (I like it brown like the color of the outside of a chestnut). Flip the pan of rice onto a large platter with the bottom crust on top. Serve.
• It may take a couple of tries to figure out your pan, burner combination to make the Tadig to your liking.