Tahdig and trout:

1/3 cup basmati rice

1 tin fishwife smoked rainbow trout

1/4 tsp grindeded saffron

About 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

1 tsp butter

Handful of barberries (about 1/8 cup), rinsed

Handful of chopped walnuts (about 1/8 cup)

Handful of pomegranate seeds

Chopped cilantro for garnish

1/2 lemon, optional

For the piaz daagh and seer daagh (fried onions and garlic):

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 whole onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup neutral oil for frying

OR you can certainly use store-bought fried onions and skip this step

Make the piaz daagh and seer daagh (fried onions and garlic):

Add the neutral oil to a small saucepan and add in your sliced onions. Place on medium heat and stir occasionally until the onions are almost crispy and golden (about 2-5 mins). Add in the garlic slices and remove from heat after 1 minute. Strain the fried garlic and onions out of the oil and spread on a paper towel to remove the excess oil, sprinkle with salt.

Wash and rinse your rice. Pour into a small nonstick saucepan, pot, or pan and pour water until it is covered about one knuckle. The ratio of rice to water should be 1:2. add in a pinch of grinded saffron, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Place on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, lower to medium heat and cover with a lid. Wait until it fully cooks and absorbs all the water, it should take around 15-25 mins. You can tell there is no more water left if you hear a bit of sizzling sound coming from the bottom of the pot, which means your rice is staring to get crispy at the bottom. At this time, drizzle the rest of olive oil around the rice, on the walls of your pot, so that it slides down under the rice. Turn the heat up to high and cover with the lid once again. wait for the Tahdig to form and the bottom to get crispy. It should take about 6-10 mins. You can tell it is ready when you start seeing the rice on the sides getting crispy. Check continuously to make sure it does not burn. 

Gently separate the sides of the rice from the pot using a spatula. Wiggle the pan around to make sure the rice is not stuck to the pot. Then gently flip it onto a bowl or plate. Once you are done staring at your beautiful golden Tahdig, it’s time to deconstruct it. Gently crack your Tahdig in various spots. 

In a saucepan on medium heat (you can use the same saucepan/pan you used for rice) add in the walnuts and toast them for about 1-2 mins. Add in the butter and barberries and sauté for another minute. If you prefer it a bit sweet, stir in a tsp of brown sugar. Immediately remove from heat.

It is time for you to get the rewards of your hard work. Spoon the walnut and barberries over the Tahdig, then flip the tin of smoked rainbow trout on top of it (drain the oil out of the can if you would like). Sprinkle over the cilantro, piaz daagh and seer daagh, and garnish with some pomegranate seeds. Optionally, squeeze half a lemon over it. Grab a spoon and try to scoop a little bit of everything for each spoonful. Enjoy!