Materials:
1 kilo of Persian 'Sugat' rice'
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced into thick slices
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3/4 cup oil (not olive)
1 tablespoon turmeric or a handful of saffron threads
2 heaping tablespoons salt
Preparation instructions:
1. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, fill with plenty of cold tap water and soak for an hour. Rinse well.
2. If using saffron, transfer it to a bowl, add a tablespoon of hot water and let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Boil plenty of water with 2 tablespoons of salt in a large, thick-bottomed pot and cook the rice until half-cooked, like pasta, for 7 minutes. Drain.
4. Pour the oil into the same pot, add turmeric or saffron and heat until lightly bubbling. Arrange the potatoes densely in the bottom of the pot. Transfer the rice to the pot without pressing or flattening.
5. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make holes in the rice – the holes will allow steam to escape and cook the rice. Cover with a towel and a lid and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
6. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for another 45 minutes. When cooking is complete, place a large tray or plate on top of the pot and flip all at once, creating a complete rice cake.
Rotem's 5 tips for perfect Persian rice:
+ Persians prefer long, white rice, so 4 minutes after they start cooking the rice like pasta, they add 5 ice cubes to the cooking water and after another minute, strain.
+ For the tadhik to turn out perfect, it is recommended to move the pot with the seasoned oil so that it also coats the sides of the pot up to half its height.
+ Slice the potatoes 1 cm thick, so they don't burn.
+ You can also line the sides of the pot with potato slices.
+ To ensure that the cake comes out intact, you can dip the bottom of the pot in cold water. The temperature difference will cause the cake to detach from the bottom.
