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Persian rice is made from fluffy Basmati rice and is known for its crispy tahdig crust. It is a staple in Persian cuisine. It pairs well with Persian stews called khoresh or kabob.

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Persian Rice - polo and tahdig

Why You’ll Love Persian Rice

  • Rice is a staple in Persian cuisine and is eaten nearly every day.
  • Persian rice is a fluffy Basmati rice, which flipped upside down, has a delicious crispy crust (called tahdig).
  • Tahdig is highly coveted at a Persian dining table and can be made with rice, potato, or even a flour tortilla!
  • Persian rice is served with Persian stew called khoresh or with kabob.

Ingredients/Equipment Notes

To make this delicious Persian Rice, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements are in the recipe card below):

  • long grain basmati rice
  • salt
  • cooking oil
  • Brewed Saffron or turmeric
  • Peeled, sliced Russet potato or a flour tortilla (optional)

You will also need the following equipment:

How to Make the Best Persian Rice

  • Wash rice. To wash the rice, place the rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Move the rice with your hand to clean. Pour off the water. Repeat the process 3-4 times until the rice is clean.
  • Fill a large pot with water (3/4 full), add salt, cover and bring to a boil.
  • Add rice to boiling water, and cook on medium heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  • Drain the rice.
  • Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and 1 Tbsp Brewed Saffron (or dash of turmeric) to the bottom of rice cooker or non-stick pot.
    • Low oil option – Add 1 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. cooking oil to the bottom of the rice cooker or non-stick pot.
  • If making potato or tortilla tadig, add to the bottom of the pot.
  • Add the rice, make a hole with a spoon, drizzle another 1 Tbsp of oil (omit for low oil option), cover, and cook 45-50 minutes in the rice cooker. (If cooking in a non-stick pot, cook for 45-50 minutes on medium/low heat).
  • Serve according to your preferred style below in the notes.
  • Noosh-e-Jan (Enjoy)!

How to Serve Persian Rice

Serve Persian rice in 2 different styles:

  • Style 1: Remove the lid, hold a serving platter tightly over the pot, and flip over to unfold the entire rice on the platter. (Pictured above)
  • Style 2: Spoon the rice onto a platter and decorate with saffron rice. Detach the tadig at the bottom of the pot and arrange pieces around the rice or on a separate small plate. To garnish with saffron rice, take 1/2 cup cooked rice and mix with saffron water (1/4 tsp. ground saffron dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water).

Persian Rice is delicious on its own or serve with Persian stew called khoresh or with kabob. Serve this Persian rice with the following dishes from the blog:

Recipe Tips

– It is much easier and more convenient to make Persian rice in a Persian rice cooker. It makes a much better tahdig (the crispy, golden crust on the bottom of Persian rice), and you don’t have to worry about burning the tahdig. If you prefer not to invest in a Persian rice cooker, you can use a deep, non-stick pot with a tight lid.

Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag us on Instagram @plant_basedpersian or share it on Pinterest!

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Persian Basmati Rice Polo

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Persian Rice (Polo 101)

Recipe by Plant-Based Persian

Long-grain Persian Basmati Rice 

Print Recipe
  • Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield5 People 1x
  • DietVegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cups of long grain basmati rice
  • 3 Tbsp. salt
  • cooking oil
  • Brewed Saffron or turmeric
  • Peeled, sliced Russet potato or a flour tortilla (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash rice. To wash the rice, place the rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Move the rice with your hand to clean. Pour off the water. Repeat the process 3-4 times until the rice is clean.
  2. Fill a large pot with water (3/4 full), add salt, cover and bring to a boil.
  3. Add rice to boiling water, and cook on medium heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  4. Drain the rice.
  5. Add 2 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp Brewed Saffron (or dash turmeric) to the bottom of the rice cooker or non-stick pot.
    1. LOW OIL OPTION – Add 1 Tbsp. water and 1 Tbsp. cooking oil to bottom of rice cooker or non-stick pot.
  6. If making potato or tortilla tadig, add to the bottom of the pot.
  7. Add the rice, make a hole with a spoon, drizzle another 1 Tbsp oil (omit for low oil option), cover, and cook 45-50 minutes in the rice cooker. (If cooking in a non-stick pot, cook for 45-50 minutes on medium/low heat).
  8. Serve according to your preferred style below in the notes.
  9. Noosh-e-Jan (Enjoy)!

Notes

Persian rice can be served in 2 different styles:

Style 1: Remove the lid, hold a serving platter tightly over the pot, and flip over to unfold the entire rice on the platter. It should be shaped like a golden-crusted cake. (Pictured above)

Style 2: Spoon the rice onto a platter and decorate with saffron rice. Detach the tadig at the bottom of the pot and arrange pieces around the rice or on a separate small plate (see picture below). To garnish with saffron rice, take 1/2 cup cooked rice and mix with saffron water (1/4 tsp. ground saffron dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water).

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Iranian/Persian

Did you make this recipe?

Take a picture and tag us on Instagram  @plant_basedpersian or share it on Pinterest!