Tofu, Lemon & Dill Tahdig (Crispy Persian Rice)

Even imperfect tahdigs are worth making in my opinion. Because if you don't achieve a gloriously golden bottom – as often happens to me – it will still taste delicious. Plus it's a surprisingly simple one-bowl method, for such a renowned dish.

The combination of tofu, lemon, dill and artichoke is one of my favourites. It's so comforting, yet at the same time uplifting. I hope you like this (read: definitely not traditional) rendition.

Recipe originally published in the second edition of my cookbook, Straightforward.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• large handful finely chopped spring onions
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil
• zest & juice of 1 lemon
• large handful fresh dill, finely chopped
• large handful fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)
• handful parsley, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 x 400g tin / jar of (marinated or not) artichokes (quantity is just a guide), drained & roughly chopped
• 300g firm tofu, drained & squeezed dry, chopped small
• 1 tsp vegetarian vegetable/chicken-style stock powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp natural coconut yoghurt
• salt & pepper, to season
• generous glug of light-flavoured vegetable oil
• dairy-free butter, a few knobs

To Serve: natural coconut yoghurt, lemon juice, fresh dill

METHOD

1. Thoroughly drain the basmati rice until the water runs (mostly) clear. Add to a large pot, pour over boiling water, bring to the boil to partially cook the rice for 5 minutes. Drain, set aside to steam dry for 5 minutes.
2. Optional step if you have an air-fryer: toss the tofu cubes in a little light-flavoured vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and bake for 5 minutes at 200C/400F to get a little colour on them.
3. To a large bowl, add the partially cooked basmati rice, spring onions, olive oil, lemon zest & juice, chopped herbs, artichokes, tofu (lightly cooked in the air-fryer or not), stock powder, turmeric, coconut yoghurt and a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Toss to thoroughly combine.
4. Heat a very generous glug of light-flavoured vegetable oil in a deep-sided medium-large frypan (use your best judgement to ensure the rice mixture will fit). I used a non-stick frypan, but any will work (the crispy rice bottom just might stick to some surfaces more than others – but it will still taste delicious). Once the oil is hot, add the rice mixture to the pan and pat down to compress. Dot the surface with dairy-free butter and drizzle over 2 tbsp of water. Wrap a lid that will fit on top of the pan in a tea-towel (be mindful of overhang, as you don't want the tea-towel falling near a flame!) and secure on top of the pan. The tea-towel will absorb the moisture as the tahdig cooks. If the tea-towel step sounds too daunting/stressful, simply omit it and cover the rice with a lid (wiping the condensation off the inside of the lid, every 5 minutes). Turn the heat down to medium and leave to cook for 25 minutes.
5. After which time, remove the lid and if feeling brave flip the frypan onto a large serving platter. The crispy top will likely crack – that's okay! It will still taste delicious. Alternatively, you can serve the dish right from the pan (making sure to get a portion of the crispy base in each spoonful). Serve with more coconut yoghurt, lemon juice and fresh dill if desired.